Kicker mods to save the achin foot? anybody?

[ironchop]

sometimes my trikes for whatever reason don`t like to start first 1 or 2 kicks

and some days, they conspire to punish me for riding them hard by refusing to start till 10-15 stomps and even with boots on, my foot wants to fold in half and it`s no fun to walk for a minute...jump up and down on a size thirteen perched on a 3/8" wide peg and it`s gonna sting eventually

but I whine too much....so....

has anybody ever welded a small plate on that foot splitter of a folding kicker peg to make the contact patch on your foot wider and lessen the shock? I think my way old quadsport had a kicker like that (or maybe I partied too much back then and it`s all a dream)

any opinions or pics....ideas?

[Jeepermc]

I slipped a piece of heater hose over the end of my kicker. It's loose enough that it rotates on it, but tight enough that it doesn't come off. It has lessened the blows when the bike kicks back for sure...

[Xpress]

My Wellco work boots make for good riding boots. The rubber is pretty thick on the bottom, so when the bike kicks back at me, I don't feel much.

I'd think welding a flat plate on that can't rotate wouldn't work too well. I know that some of the older Harleys that were kickstart had rotating kicker pedals, maybe copy one of their designs?

[Chazz of Blades]

Good ol' Issued Black Leather is good enough for me riding, and the rubber is so thick I don't feel anything, I do have some gel insoles in them though.

[ailll1]

You would have to find a way to make the plate rotate as your kicking it. Otherwise, your foot will slip off once the kicker is at the bottom.

[Chazz of Blades]

Or make a plate with the edges curved downward.

[k00leo]

I slipped a piece of heater hose over the end of my kicker. It's loose enough that it rotates on it, but tight enough that it doesn't come off. It has lessened the blows when the bike kicks back for sure...

this seems like the best idea to me.

I might do this.

[atctim]

always wear actual riding boots - they have a steel shank - I never mess around anymore without wearing mine (even just for starting machines!)

[200XMichigan]

Wouldn't it make sense to figure out why they are taking so long to start? Giving them a good tune up and carb clean would be easier than modifying the kick stat system. In the end it might take more technical work, but with proper tuning they shouldn't have that problem.

The manuals are in the world class help section, valve clearances, carb cleaning/tuning, dirty air filter, old spark plug, old gas, sticking throttle cable, etc....there is reason the machines aren't always starting right.