6 New Retro Motorcycles that still come with a kickstart 

Genius!

I have one for sale in Illinois

I have a 1978 it started first kick this morning 🇦🇺

As an XT500 owner, I laughed hard at this... (having the same power plant) Especially having learned the proper starting technique the hard way on an abused old clunker that wasn't properly tuned and stood in some barn for 20 odd years. It kicked back more than it aught to, kick indicator was sealed with epoxy, and the timing was a fair bit off. Took trial and error and a fair bit of flailing to get running at first. Now, starts firts kick cold (not counting the two kicks with ignition off to prime it) It is certainly not a bike you just swing a leg over and kick randomly, and is all to happy to kick your ass if you try to kick it with any throttle whatsoever. Bumping the idle up for cold conditions is done with the white thingy on the idle adjustment screw, ironically called a "hot start" button. Well with all that being said, I got it for $130, started same day, smoked a bit when warm, but pulled plenty strong. Spent about a grand to get it as it is now. Looks and runs great, and always puts a smile on my face assuming I get time to ride it.

@@iterminator309 I've got an XT too. Good for wheelies.

Same opinion .

I had honda cd roadmaster 200 cc which had both electric and kick start, when i kicked start the bike the bike used to produce more powerful sound then from the e start, didn,t liked to use e start except the situations you mentioned

Or buy any number of Chinese bikes that have the CG-based engine.

Couldn't agree more!!

Maybe should should have just bought an original RE Interceptor then? Do you also wish your fake one has carbs and tubed crossply tyres too?

Since the kick start lever has been dropped, I have had a few times that I wished that I could of beat the engineer or designer over the head with a kick start lever. If the battery is down or the engine overly warm, or flooded, the kick start was the way to start readily and be back on the road. Push starting is not a fun alternative with most of today's bikes.

@@ronfullerton3162 Ron do you wish your car (assuming you have one) comes with a starting handle at the front?

@@dave6467 Doing a running bump start of my smaller bikes I had when younger wasn't a problem. Trying to do a bump start of a Harley Ultra in my seventies is not anything I even want to try. And if you had ever hand cranked a larger engine, such as in a car, you would know that was a far bigger undertaking than a kick start on a bike. Although the old John Deere tractors were not that bad to start using the flywheel.

@@ronfullerton3162 Yeah I can imagine. Reliable electric starters are definitely a bonus.

Couldn't agree more!!

That is why I have a centre stand on my CB500X, makes it easy to lube the chain.

I had a 63 speed twin I did 100 mph two up!

Is the starter motor, on these, unreliable ? Or does it have a weak battery?

I doubt there are issues with the starter or battery any more than any other motorcycle. The 250 engine that Janus uses is used in millions of other motorcycle and other applications, including dirt bikes, and just comes with a kickstarter.

Jason, then why are you concerned that it doesn't have a Kickstart? If it's a reliable unit, what's the problem?

Mostly because a bike designed after a 1920-1930 aesthetic should have a kickstarter. Heck, I'd go as far to say it shouldn't have an electric starter but I won't begrudge folks their luxuries. Keep in mind, I ride an SR400. They are kickstart only. I can be overly fanatical with period correctness.

@@jasonlassen7599 Bikes like the new (so-called) BSA and the Triumph Bobber are just overstyled contrived fakes and now you're saying even the starting mechanism should be contrived too, all for the benefit of styling? Doesn't that just make the whole fake-classic thing even more laughable? Next, people will be asking for a built-in oil (leak) dispensor.

The RE500 Bullet and Bullet-Classic (500-EFI model variation), which apart from a short period always had kick starters, have been discontinued, out of production. Likewise the 535-CGT. They have also had electric start for a long time now. The RE350 Bullet is being replaced with the RE350 Meteor which does not have a kickstart. Nor does the Himalayan nor the RE650. Where the 350 are plodders the 500 makes up for its lack of hp with a good helping of torque and a long power band.

Exactly,I see no good reason not to have both start options for when one fails!

Certainly are, I've got a 79 SR. had a 51 5T rigid & that was great too.

@@buxvan no kidding? I built a '60 5TA bobber. Tax time came,and I owed,so I had to sell it. Still miss that bike.

Love my 15’ Not good about the shock!

I had a 1980 Yamaha XS 850 3 cyl. with both kick and electric. It was great having that kick starter. Without a kick starter if a battery is weak you're stranded. The electric would struggle to start the bike in cold weather, and usually not at all, but he kick starter always did the job. Currently I have a 2011 Ural Gear Up sidecar motorcycle with both kick and electric start. It's probably the only bike still having both. However it is not a motorcycle I would recommend these day mostly because they are outrageously overpriced, but my little shaggy doodle dog Poppy- now deceased- absolutely loved it. Poppy and i had tons of adventures and fun on that bike. I sure miss her, my best pal.

I want one, but they are $60K :(

Propably not.

Wow that's awesome!

Depends on if the ignition requires coils or a magneto. Most older dirt bikes ran this way.

@@stephenbrouillette4541 magneto would mean no battery required? I will keep that in mind.

Hell, a 500cc single will kick your ass if you don't get it right.

A Suzuki SP500 will do the same!

Thanks for that info, that's helpful! No hate, I just think they're a bit pricey and I've heard the quality isn't great for what you're spending. Have you owned quite a few?

@@bartmotorcycle I work on them for several owners in my area. After I rebuilt my antique Dnepr sidecar motorcycle they stopped me and asked if I could work on their bike's. Ural motorcycles were built for civilians while the very similar looking Dnepr Motorcycle was built for military use which greatly increases production costs. At first they thought I was on a Ural but quickly realized it was not that and it had Soviet Union military badges on the gas tank and imprinted on the rubber fender flaps. I rebuilt one Ural engine for one of them and did some modifications on the engine in the other Ural to prevent the rear crankshaft bearing being damaged by too little oil flowing to it. That's a design issue that was corrected in 2014 and later models. Dnepr engines are completely different and use a completely different engine oil system design. The Ural oil pump simply moves oil up into the engine where it can be channeled to bearings and sling into the Pistons. Dnepr engines have a high pressure 6 bar (86 psi) forced oiling system. It also uses a centrifuge oil filter similar to the filters used in diesel tractor trailer engines that keep the oil perfectly clean between changes.

@@n4zou very interesting! Good to have an expert watching the videos!

I have an older Ural a 1998 and a half it has been extremely reliable and I don't have to suffer any of the problems the newer bikes have the kickstarter is great to show Harley Riders how to start a real motorcycle all of my Britt stuff none of them have an electric starter electric starters are for lazy people keep your bike tuned and your bike regardless of the brand will be a 1 or two starter

Which Royal Enfield in the old days it was said that it was built like a gun and then people will say yeah then it goes bang

5 months later ive almost doubled the miles. 14,200 only 700miles more.

I was given another kickstart motorcycle by my neighbor yesterday. A 1975 honda gl1000.... 1st year of the goldwing. This bike is gonna be nuts. Only 27k and 1 previous owner. Just need to rebuild the carburetors. 😊

Lol that's crazy

Yea, I've ordered a 450.. no kicker.

@@stevemiller7433 have you gotten the bike yet?

@@outlawi132 no. they are very slow. One bike at a time. Takes about a week to make one... it may be quite a while.

@@stevemiller7433 ok. Let me know what you think when you get it. Thanks for the reply

Since the 450 Janus is modeled after a Honda motor that had a kickstart, I'd look into the chance that a kickstart could be added (it looks like the same mounting hole is still there on the Janus).

something must be wrong with your technique because mine starts in 1 or 2 kicks every time. first time I started took like 20 kicks, and for the first couple months riding it I did need more like 3 kicks to get it going though

you can actually fit an electric start to it but I don't know how good they are, and feel no need for it personally anyway