How I kickstart my 59 year-old Harley - Consistent cold starts
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- One of my most favorite - and also least favorite - bikes I own is this 1965 Harley Davidson Sportster XLCH 900. It's temperamental, constantly breaking down, and handles really poorly, but it's loud, looks rad and is a blast to ride despite all that.
This bike is magneto fired, meaning there is no battery and it is kickstart only. When it has been sitting for more than a few hours there's a certain process I follow to make sure the bike fires up without ten minutes of frustration and kicking. Check it out.
PS - yeah it's technically an XLH but the only XLH part left after 56 years is the stamp on the engine case. whatever.
PPS - A lot of people will say to use your right leg to kick these things, but I broke my right knee a few years ago in a bike wreck so that's a no go for me. Do what you feel is comfortable. Watch out for kickback and keep your knee bent. Sportster knee is a thing.
PPPS - A 900 ironhead is the best sounding harley ever made. fight me.
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When I started riding in the mid-70s the joke was the CH in XLCH stands for charley horse. When Sportsters started showing up with constant velocity carbs on them we all thought they were junk and hit the swap meets looking for early model Bendix. Anyway it always does my heart good to see someone keeping the old iron alive ride safe.
I have a 57 "Xla". Its my most dangerous mike I own and am in love with it. So far Ive hyper extended my knee kicking it. No choke. Bought it to rebuild it. Happy days ahead. Merry Christmas.
You have a very rare military sporty, less than 500 made if I'm not mistaken. If you restore to stock you can name your price. Takes some deep pockets, I had my heart broken and my wallet emptied by a 1925 Big Chief so good luck to you!
That’s surely a beautiful machine and well maintained. Didn’t understand some of the things that you said but I’m not a biker. Just an engineer. Enjoy your rides an hopefully you’ll not have too many breakdowns.
Just bought a 64 XLH and i am already finding out first hand about the Iron Head folklore haha love the bike, what a learning experience!
One of my first HDs was an XLCH in the mid 70's. I still have piglet knee. Falling through is brutal! Ride a 49 pan, 83 shovel, and 2017 Roadmaster.
This one has a fixed magneto too so I am extra careful with it! It has quite a bite when you don't kick it fully through.
Awesome.!!! I have a 1985 Armstrong mt500 that feels the same way about life, I'll start when I'm good and ready..lol
Putting a CV40 on my '69CH. looking forward to trying it. There's a company in Japan that sells nice parts for the CV. Nice top cap.
Running S.U. on my 58 sportster little more to it then that tickle tickle kick keep Kicking tickle fires up. Sportster knee twice in a afternoon. Now kick with left leg Haha. Thanks for the video
Oh how artsy!
I wish mine started this easy 😅
Thank you I use this method on my 1975 Yamaha RD250 👍🏻👍🏻
Nice, I’ve got a Linkert on my 65 with the factory air cleaner and choke. Super B on my 68
Badass Man! Just ryde clyde! 💯
I had a 1976 XLCH….bought it new. AMF years. It would go ten miles before breaking down.
Old motorcycles have a soul, only those who knows it understand that modern motorcycles are not motorcycles
The guys from the 1940s said exactly the same about this bike, when it was released in the 70s,,,,,,,,,,, Ans so on,,, etc,etc,etc 🤣😂👍
Righteous~~
Awesomely cool!
Tilt the bike 1 leg floor opposite kick start side by tilting around 45° \ and try following the kick through every time first kick or a few
I'm currently going through decisions right now. Building a knucklehead basket case that inspired me to build a custom.
For the custom I kinda want a kickstart, but I'm gonna be potentially doing mechanical fuel injection if I can figure out a way to make it more streetable. Maybe efi if I can figure out a way to get kickstart with it. But been thinking maybe not worth it given the fact if it goes wrong it can mangle your knee and ankle.
The ratchet wind is always in when 45 /a much better spark follow through
Is it difficult to install the mag?
And is it possible to turn the mag like a distributor to tjme the opening of the points?
14 thousands? Gap?
I aint got the lock n key to mine.still got the 6volt gen and
Mess of wires eith the capacitor thing.
I got a 12volt gen.laying around?
This bike had the mag on it when I bought it, not sure what they're like to install. This particular one is bolted down but normally you can turn the mag to adjust timing and make starting easier. From the factory, the left grip twisted to adjust it.
Bro, I know it's old vid, but how do u prevent the back kick when starting it
Hi.....you've probably found out by now.....but if not....the gear on the kicker ratchet inside the clutch engages for about 90 degrees and when the kicker arm you stand on is right at the bottom this gear is still meshed with the gear on the clutch basket....so a kick back will push the kicker arm up and try to wreck your knee....the trick is to kick so the kicker arm pedal goes past the bottom of the stroke and disengages the gear no kick back. Imagine the kicker arm is the hour hand on a clock...you find compression at around d 10 or 11 o'clock and press it down to 6 o'clock causing the clutch gear to turn as it is engaged during this stroke...keep the kicker arm moving through till about 5 o'clock and the gear is no longer meshed and can't kick back....also try not to have your leg straight but slightly bent.....hope this help.....Snake
I had a 72 kicker sporty can't remember xlh xlch threw away they kicker pedal as it was basket build, built it with electric start. Remember how much I hated that bike 😂 rh shift, useless brakes, ate generators and starter drives. Otherwise ran well. Only because I rebuilt Everything! Too much compression to kick most harleys. Love my dyna lowrider and my ankles and knees.
It's taken years but I finally have this thing in a state where I'm not worried I'll break down when I'm riding!
Like that stance.... what size are those forks?
They came in a big pile of parts so I'm not exactly certain but I think they're 6 over. The rear shocks are also much shorter than factory.
Great!
Wats wrong with the clutch dragging or slipping on you ?
Badass🔥
Good looking bike. Would be cool if you could show it in action.
Thanks bud. It's snowing pretty hard here today but I do want to do more riding videos come spring
I have 1969 xlh900
Have 69 xlch mag only 1to 2 kicks she on fire there is a trick to kicking a sportster looks like you know and she sounds good and i dought it breaks down😉
It's taken quite a few years to work all the kinks out but I can say my ironhead is just as reliable as my old airhead or even cb750! Maybe even more so since there's no battery to go flat.
How's about a ironhead 74" stroker....
get that Kickstart cold!
I like my knee in one piece, thanks!
The Honda key fob adds to the Harley's 50% more reliability
it's my anti-theft system! My honda gets a BMW fob, my BMW gets a harley fob, etc etc
Be 4 you go to start it all ways tip it over on its side and dump that old fuel out of the float bowl let it fill up then tip it over n dump it out again this stops from fouling plug or plugs and it helps it start easier are you running lead additive in gas ? Or today's modern fuel ? Not try to be a know it all but today's gas is not very good compared to the gas she was born on nice bike
Are you serious! Yea fuel quality sucks but doesn't change on a daily basis...
nice
ok, but what is kickback?
kickback is, essentially, the fuel igniting at the wrong time in the combustion cycle, which makes the kicker pedal move backwards, aka upwards, aka 'kick back'. On the early ironheads, it can be strong enough to injure, especially if your knee isn't bent.
Wat with the spring hang under the throtal
An old clutch spring, this bike’s clutch has been a total pain
@@roodlum "Dry" clutch that won't stay that way? Other than that, I've never had a problem with the clutch in any Ironhead. Pretty solid, robust units. Been riding them since 1976... Oh, and I love your bike. Best thing you ever did was to get rid of that Tillotson...
Thanks! Yes I struggled with the dry clutch for a while before moving to wet/dry plates. The clutch cable perch on the side cover had also been poorly repaired in the past, so I had to come up with a fix for that as well. Just old bike stuff!
At least the key chain is right.😂😂😂😂
What are those boots
Palladiums. I dig em
@@roodlum thanks, they look pretty sweet. Been looking for a new pair to try