Kick start

With a Kickstarter most until about 1970 built motorcycles were started, then put more electric starters by that there had been before. There is a (often retractable ) lever with a pedal, by means of a translation to the crankshaft (primary kick starter ) or the transmission countershaft (secondary Kickstarter ) acts. By one or more strong kicks (English kick ) the engine shall be brought to the required speed for starting. Often located between the lever and shaft, a centrifugal clutch.

In most versions of standing to the left of the vehicle driver operates the kick starter by the kick starter pedal is kicking with his right foot to the back, in some constructions must be kicked forward. Some bikes with shaft drive have a choke lever, which must be entered to Fahrzeuglängsache cross.

Some engines with symmetric control diagram, especially so historic single-cylinder two-stroke engines tend to run at startup in the wrong direction. Then, the lever against the foot strikes back.

Especially with larger single-cylinder four -stroke engines (for example, the MZ- models with Rotax engine ) is much force needed to move the piston past top dead center. But other - - machines a valve lifter Therefore, many such have. For the same reason, a decompression valve is used in some two-stroke engines.

From the mopeds in the late 1950s, the moped, who possessed instead of the bicycle cranks similar to pedals via pegs and kick starter developed. The first moped was the Jawa 50, at the 1956 Kickstarter was used.

Other names

In the technical documentation Kickstarter are also referred to as the starter lever, in the German standard DIN work of the word " occasion lever " was used.