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Kick start is a method of starting an
Kick start is a method of starting an internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal co ...
(usually that of a motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruisin ...
) by pushing a ratcheting lever with one's foot. Kick start mechanisms were almost universally a part of motorcycle engines before the mid-1970s, and were phased out of production over the next twenty years or so as electric starters became standard equipment. There are still some motorcycles produced that have both kick and electric starters.
Many moped
A moped ( ) is a type of small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full motorcycles or automobiles. The term used to mean a similar vehicle except with both bicycle pedals and a motorcycle engine. Mopeds typic ...
s and scooters
Scooter may refer to:
Vehicles
Ground
Human or gravity powered
* Eccentric-hub scooter, propelled by a standing rider making a bouncing motion
* Kick scooter, propelled by a standing rider pushing off the ground
* Knee scooter, a mobility device ...
also carry both a kick start and an electric start, the former being useful in case the latter fails, as scooter and moped batteries tend to be smaller and, as a result, run down much faster than other forms of automotive batteries. Also, it is usually not possible to push start a moped or scooter with automatic transmission
An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gea ...
.
Larger motorcycles featured a manual compression release
A compression release mechanism works to ease the starting of internal combustion engines by allowing them to spin up to starting speed without having to work against the pumping action of the pistons. It does this through a release valve that is i ...
mechanism that made starting easier while modern units did this automatically through a cable attached to the kick start lever.
Today, dedicated off-road motorcycles and many ATV
ATV may refer to:
Broadcasting
* Amateur television
*Analog television
Television stations and companies
* Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra
* ATV (Armenia)
* ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate
* ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourne
* ATV (Austria)
* AT ...
s use kick start systems, to avoid the weight of electric starters. The majority of the inexpensive two-wheelers and sometimes three-wheelers in developing countries, also use kick start systems.
Operation
Before starting, kickstart levers are generally unfolded from the side of the motorcycle so that the rider can clear the side of the engine as it rotates. As the lever begins to descend under the riders foot, the rachet engages a gear linked to the crankshaft causing it to spin pasttop dead center
In a reciprocating engine, the dead centre is the position of a piston in which it is either farthest from, or nearest to, the crankshaft. The former is known as Top Dead Centre (TDC) while the latter is known as Bottom Dead Centre (BDC).
...
so that an ignition spark can ignite the compressed fuel mixture. Upon starting, the rachet disengages and the rider folds the lever back.
On some large displacement twins or singles, 'kickback' can occur if the fuel ignites before the piston reaches top dead center. This causes the crank to spin backwards and can be painful for the rider as the lever kicks back on their foot.
The first kick start motorcycle was a British Scott Motorcycle two-stroke twin manufactured in 1910.
Some scooters have kick starters with a tendency not to always work, if not performed correctly. Some manufacturers have also included kick starters in their models, only for a purpose of introducing apparent convenience for ignition, as opposed to offering a reliable alternative for an electric starter.
See also
* Jump startReferences
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