1985 Honda CR500 kick start alternatives?

I have an 1987 CR500 kickstart lever.

You should be able to get a kickstart lever shipped to the U.K. For about $25 USPS. The problem is finding one.

If you've mates with CRF/ CRFX450s (and other Hondas, like CR250s and Late Model 125s- though, the 125 levers probably would require a 250 /450 knuckle, like my soon mentioned 89 CR125 lever - they may be more appropriate, as I think they were a straighter design?), see if you can try their various KS Levers.

Now, none may suit - to my limited knowledge 85 CR500s had a long, straight type of lever, and the high, non 'lowboy' type pipe, but I'd be surprised if many later Hondas' KS shaft Diameter and Splines are not the same as your 85.

They certainly were on my 2001/2/3 CRE500, and that, of course, is the same essential bike as a 91 - and largely the 90, 80 and 88. I used CRF450 KS levers for a while, to get a better kick / foot position, until I made a short KS lever from a Gas Gas. Using a std Honda Knuckle, and the GG knuckle / pivot pin machined then TIG'd to the 500 Knuckle.

Knuckles themselves from the modern 4ts, wont take a 500 lever, and vice versa. The pivot pin on a 500 is something like 19mm in diameter, whereas the 4ts are something like 13mm (perhaps it's bigger (approx 16mm?), as I may be recalling the lever pivot pin of the GG Trials lever). I even used an 89 CR125 lever (very short) on the 4t Knuckle and pin. Just had to re-drill the detente ball position. The 4t Levers are quite a deal lighter than my 500s, and probably your, Lever. And, I never had strength issues with them. I'd say better materials and design / heat treatment enabled quite a weight reduction - something like 1 to 1.5lbs, if I recall correctly.

Here's a couple of 87 500s - both with different levers. Their pipe / tank layout is similar to the 85s, I think.

One has a 88/2001 KS lever on it, with, it looks like, the 'fold in' stop modified, which would require also the 'folded in' detente ball re-location, for no rattling / free movement.

The other looks to have the early CRF450 type of lever :

We can do you this one.
We did so you can fit the later 2 piece clutch covers to the 85/86 & 250/500. But it works really well on the 87 250 and 87/88 500 also.
It's a NEW YZ kicker, (slightly modified) with a Titanium knuckle we make do fit the CR kicker shafts.

It's not cheap, but it fits, it works and it looks like it was designed to be there.
Later CR kickers are completely the wrong shape. They rattle against the pipe and they fit like cr*p!

Stevie

Bearuno wrote:

Here's a couple of 87 500s - both with different levers. Their pipe / tank layout is similar to the 85s, I think.

One has a 88/2001 KS lever on it, with, it looks like, the 'fold in' stop modified, which would require also the 'folded in' detente ball re-location, for no rattling / free movement.

The other looks to have the early CRF450 type of lever :

Interesting tank/seat on #97, Looks great, Trying to figure out what it's off ??

Hi Phil looked through your website and saw lots of things I want to buy!! But no kickstart?

On my '84 l've tried '85/'86 levers, had a good run from 2000 CR250 but l finally sorced an '87 lever, it is fantastic.

Bearuno wrote:

Here's a couple of 87 500s - both with different levers. Their pipe / tank layout is similar to the 85s, I think.

One has a 88/2001 KS lever on it, with, it looks like, the 'fold in' stop modified, which would require also the 'folded in' detente ball re-location, for no rattling / free movement.

The other looks to have the early CRF450 type of lever :

Smed wrote:

Interesting tank/seat on #97, Looks great, Trying to figure out what it's off ??

Perhaps the lower bike has a 250 (or 125) tank on it?, That, and the thinner, flatter seat , thence to tank, and other mods, makes it look very bloody 'purposeful', I reckon.

I think I've seen some build ups ( at least one here) where a fellow used a 250 tank, for it's slimmer size. Though, I do think that the bike above it, with what looks like ( to me) a Larger accessory tank might over emphasize it all, in that seems to dwarf the lower one. I'm not really 'up' on the nuances of the earlier Water Cooled 500s

One advantage , for me, when I used a CRF450 KS, was how it , when swung out, had the lever further out from the bike. Easier for me with my buggered knees to get my foot on, and then kick it through.

Here's a picture of the Gas Gas lever I made to fit. With a very long foot section, to keep my foot on the lever no matter what. Short KS lever foot sections, are nasty bloody things. Especially on a 500. Each 'slip' of my foot off a lever, I reckon took a few final rides from me, it so damages my knee. The rubber glued and cable tied on, also lessened the metal to metal hit on the peg, that also, I reckon, would take a few extra final rides from me. With the Automatic Decompressor I fitted, and the short length of the lever ( more 'speed' to the lever throw through the short arc of the lever ), I can start the bike by hand, if my knees become even more kaput during a ride, or I am stuck in a tight spot where you can't get a kick in. I just carry a machined tube, with a soft Oury grip on it, that fits nicely on the lever. I've an E Start kit now, but it's a POS that I've had to rectify many problems with, and I regard it as a potential engine destroyer. I rarely ever use the bodgy bloody thing, only fitting it when I cannot use my leg. A waste / rip off of near $3000 AUD........

You do whatever you have to do, to keep on riding., boys.

With the picture below, keen eyed individuals might note some other substantial differences of my 500 to others....... Please note - I use plastics from a 90 /91 model I had, as I ride in very tight, nasty terrain. They are torn up very thoroughly after 27 /28 years abuse on a few 500s. And the airbox, with that horrible decal on it, is Not an airbox at all now - it's just a shell with an aluminium airbox I made, inside it, with a top mount airfilter to allow use of the PDS system I converted it to . I've an Otto bin full a Lot of new plastics (and the standard, non molested Swingarm, Linkage, Shock, Airbox and Subframe), that will probably only be used when the bike becomes a 'Garage Queen'. Hopefully, that's a fair few years away. This is one of my Keep Forever / Ride Forever bikes.

MigGames wrote:

Hi Phil looked through your website and saw lots of things I want to buy!! But no kickstart?

MigGames, drop us an email and we can get one sorted for you. ?
Stevie

Hi, the #97 500 is mine, it’s a CRF Kickstarter but I’ve replaced that now with a 2003 CR250 one cause the CRF one cracked through the spline. The pipe is an ‘89FMF that I sectioned to wrap up higher to give clearance for the different kickstarters, the standard ones are so awkward to kick being so close to the frame, & mine is not easy to start! The tank is a alloy one that I made and the seat is just a ceet tall foam. I straightened the top subframe rails to lift the middle of the seat to make it flatter. Also I lengthened the shock too just steepen up the steering abit too and it runs applied triple clamps of a 2009 CRF250 to move the bar mounts forward. Its all stripped down now at the moment getting a tidy up for next season (it’s pretty much been like that for 6 or 7 years now). We race in a vintage club over here in NSW Australia, afew mates have got ‘89 CR500, a KX500 & a KTM500, best bikes too ride.

Also the kickstarter on the top bike is off an '88 500 and thats how they fold in normally too, mine had one when i got it even though it's an '87 model. Pretty sure that was a one off year for that kickstarter too. '87's had the same lever as '85 & '86 I think.

lardcaster wrote:

Hi, the #97 500 is mine, it’s a CRF Kickstarter but I’ve replaced that now with a 2003 CR250 one cause the CRF one cracked through the spline. The pipe is an ‘89FMF that I sectioned to wrap up higher to give clearance for the different kickstarters, the standard ones are so awkward to kick being so close to the frame, & mine is not easy to start! The tank is a alloy one that I made and the seat is just a ceet tall foam. I straightened the top subframe rails to lift the middle of the seat to make it flatter. Also I lengthened the shock too just steepen up the steering abit too and it runs applied triple clamps of a 2009 CRF250 to move the bar mounts forward. Its all stripped down now at the moment getting a tidy up for next season (it’s pretty much been like that for 6 or 7 years now). We race in a vintage club over here in NSW Australia, afew mates have got ‘89 CR500, a KX500 & a KTM500, best bikes too ride.

Hey Lardcaster, Have you tried any other year of Cr250 kickstart levers or did the 03 fit the best? I have a 08 Crf450X lever on mine at the moment and it works ok. Just wondering if I go the Cr250 lever? Thanks.

lardcaster wrote:

Hi, the #97 500 is mine, it’s a CRF Kickstarter but I’ve replaced that now with a 2003 CR250 one cause the CRF one cracked through the spline. The pipe is an ‘89FMF that I sectioned to wrap up higher to give clearance for the different kickstarters, the standard ones are so awkward to kick being so close to the frame, & mine is not easy to start! The tank is a alloy one that I made and the seat is just a ceet tall foam. I straightened the top subframe rails to lift the middle of the seat to make it flatter. Also I lengthened the shock too just steepen up the steering abit too and it runs applied triple clamps of a 2009 CRF250 to move the bar mounts forward. Its all stripped down now at the moment getting a tidy up for next season (it’s pretty much been like that for 6 or 7 years now). We race in a vintage club over here in NSW Australia, afew mates have got ‘89 CR500, a KX500 & a KTM500, best bikes too ride.

I have tried gen 3 250 kick start levers on my 500AFs in the past, but they would break at the knuckle. I have more compression than stock. With a decompression device it would work though.
ps. I love that bike!!!!

Yeah I tried the kickstarter of my 97 250 which was ok but the ‘03 seems the best. I’ve had it on for about 2 years and fingers crossed it hasn’t broke yet. The pipe on mine is custom so these kickstarters will fit, I don’t think they will tuck in properly with a stock or even aftermarket pipe.