Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Bsa bulletin board B441 kick start.

1969 B441 VS ….. pretty original but with quite a few "pattern" parts.

Kick start … if I try to kick it with the lever on my toe / ball of foot (as I was taught in days of yore), my heel catches on the heat shield of the exhaust and slips off said lever.
OK, kick it with kick start lever on arch of foot,.... scary as if it kicks back this is going to hurt, but electronic ignition has eliminated kick back so feels weird but is probably ok.
Get set up for "the start", up to TDC, ease over with the deco lever, then a good FULL weight (and I carry quite a bit of "full weight") long full stroke of the kick start lever, and "SON OF A BITCH!!!! my shin whacks into the bloody drivers foot peg .... again.. EXACTLY the same place I did it last week . It had just started to heal, Cracked the dang bone.
Which sadist designed the layout of the kick start, foot peg, exhaust, that this is not only possible but inevitable?? Bastard deserved to lose his job, shame all the other workers and the rest of the industry had to go as well.

Dave......wanta share a photo of that side of your bike, showing the orientation of the kicker, shifter and foot peg?

Sorry to hear about the shin.

Gordon

For some unknown reason just about every BSA kick start pinion has the lever about 15 deg forward of vertical at the end of the stroke.
I have found left foot kicking while standing along side allows the kick to go completely to the end of the stroke without fouling on anything
There were a couple of different length kick start levers fitted from new and even more that were never fitted that will go on the pinion.

Are you straddling the bike when kicking or standing next to it? I find it easier standing next to the bike with the bike on the side or center stand, never bruised my shins doing it this way.

Try wearing some trials boots, the rigid sole should mean you can position your foot anywhere on the kick-start pedal, also they often have shin protection built in.

I've seen the longer kick lever and often thought it might make it easier to start, but my '67 appears to have a modified shorty lever. Honestly it's not that bad to start with the short lever and my foot clears everything, however if my foot slides down (so the lever is under my arch) then if it kicks up my toes get caught on the peg.
That sure is a bummer about your shin...

Clay

So ....... yeah, I stand stride the bike while starting. I have never been able to co ordinate starting with the left leg, always seem to drop bikes while doing that, it's a balance thing.
I live in the tropics ... wearing even trainers to ride in is hot, trials boots would not work!

I think the main problem is not so much a function of the kick start or even the foot peg but actually the pattern exhaust. The heat shield seems to stand off the muffler too far, if it didn't, I would be able to kick with my toe then no problem. I fore see shortening the stud. Looking at the busted up one it replaced, the stud is somewhat "dented in", I had thought it was due to the bike being dropped, now not so sure.

Maybe try using a trials kick-start as sold by Terry Weedy, see This Link.

I had one on a B40 engined B25 and it worked really well, it was slightly longer to help starting and the big advantage is that it folds out, hopefully clearing the exhaust and footpeg.

yep, got one on my other B441! but that bike doesn't even pay lip service to being "original". 1971 B50 forks, 21" front wheel, conical hub, single seat, Peanut "muffler" (doesn't do much muffling). entirely different paint scheme, big rear sprocket. Hi comp piston, 60 thou overbore, large valves. goes like the clappers and pisses of most off my neighbors (sod 'em, they can always sell up and leave can't they?).

This one I want to keep original looking at least. Sunday ride with the wife on the back.

Will check more on the geometry of the muffler and its position before the judicious use of a hammer and 41/2 " angle grinder will, I am sure, solve the problem.