The Hodaka Club Forum

The kickstart lever on the wombat I recently acquired seems like it's not installed correctly. Only about half-width of the splines are on the shaft. I pulled the pinch bolt, tried snugging it up but it does not seem to want to seat further on. It looks like a previous owner beat on it trying to force it to do the same. There seems to be at least some room between the spring/cover and the back of the lever. Before I go further, I figured I'd ask. Am I right that this should be further on the shaft? Am I missing something simple here?
-Simon

Just a guess but it's possible that the tine on the spring is bottoming in the hole on the kickstart lever.

On the shaft there should be a depression that the pinch bolt locates in. As long as the lever is correct for that bike, that depression locates the lever on the shaft.

Take it off, check the spring make sure it is on in the proper direction. The short tang on the spring goes into the engine case. --------------Clarence

Dunno about yours, but my kick shaft will not go on if the pinch bolt is in place.

Remove the pinch bolt completely, make sure the spring tang is lined up to the hole on back side the kick shaft and it should slide right on, as long as there is no damage to the splines. Removing the clutch cover makes this task MUCH easier. Lay the bike in it's side so that the oil doesn't drain to remove the clutch cover.

$0.02

Roger

I concur. Remove the pinch bolt completely! Pull it out of the hole it sits in. The pinch bolt can cause clearance issues because it can be in the way of getting the kick shaft on. Once the kick shaft is all the way on, you should be able to slide the pinch bolt down into its place between the front and rear tangs on the kick shaft. Then snug it up. 10mm bolt head if I remember correctly. And use a 6 point socket and not a 12 point so you don’t round the head of the bolt as you snug it up. Don’t ask me how I know this! LOL!!! Victor

Also, make sure the sheet metal spring cover is properly seated into the groove it goes into in the case. Sometimes it will cant slightly and not go in all the way, causing the kicker to be held out a few millimeters.