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alright im looking for a 500cc or 550cc standard/cruiser bike..older...around 1978-1989ish....im looking for kickstart only...and has a limited eletrical system....so just for lights and signals and what not...ill add more once i think of it...thanks...

Yamaha SR500

Kickstart only? That could be frustrating under the wrong circumstances...

How so? Many of my old bikes had both electric and kickstarts. The kickstarter came in very handy when the battery was too weak to start the engine. For reliability, it's hard to beat the kickstarter. I was kind of pissed when they quit putting them on bikes.

I said having ONLY the kickstart could potentially be frustrating...

The only thing I've ever had that had ONLY a kickstart was an ATV, and I recall it being a pain when the engine was cold.. I imagine it would be even more frustrating if it was something I was going to rely on to get me to work in the morning.. I also remember trying to start it up one day after a good leg workout.. That was rather painfull..

Well, that's not so much the kickstarter as it is the state of the engine. If it's in good tune, it should kick over in one or two tries.

I rode for years (summer and winter) using the kickstarter only and I always got to work on time. Never had an ATV, so I can't really speak to the difference, but the average street bike kickstarter required very little effort. Just stand up, put your weight on it and go.

hmm..the reason y i wanted kickstart was so that less electrical the less things that can go wrong...im willing to have a eletric start but i like the reliability of the kickstart....any other sujestions?


side note...would a 1979 Honda CX 500 with 14,750 miles with a small oil leak be good? i know the oil leak may be a symptem of a more serious problem? anyone have any sujestions btw he is asking $500.


thanks!

If your mechanically inclined the CX would make a nice bike, but it doesn't have a kickstarter.

i know to work on it an engine at least to some point...and how would the push start work in the cx's case...be reliable or is it worthless..ect...thanks

I would say the Suzuki GS series. Very reliable, bullitproof engines, decent looks, and they ride nice. Also, you can normally find them for very fair prices.