[Monkee]

Is your electric boot not working?

The electric boot is fine its just the battery is a little week haven't gotten around to changing it. plus the manual boot is fun

[Monkee]

I thought that the OP was asking for alternate ideas. You can't kickstart a Bullet if the side stand is down, which is why I recommended using the centre stand, I hope that the OP finds it helpful.

the sidestand switch on mine is either bypassed or nonexistent bike doesnt shut off with the side stand out. (dont ask me how i know)

I'm asking about kicking it when for example you stall it for some reason and dont want to have to get off the bike and walk to the right hand side

[Monkee]

Good point about the sidestand being down! 😁

thats the funny part. i can kick it over on either side stand or center stand. i just can't get that 100% reliability when im sitting on the damn thing.

[SteveThackery]

thats the funny part. i can kick it over on either side stand or center stand. i just can't get that 100% reliability when im sitting on the damn thing.

Did you read my procedure up near the beginning?

[Monkee]

Did you read my procedure up near the beginning?

I did!

I do all that particularly with clod starting. all except pushing a little bit past compression. usually on the mainstand when i feel compression i give it a good kick and it starts right up. that may be the missing bit

[SteveThackery]

I do all that particularly with clod starting. all except pushing a little bit past compression. usually on the mainstand when i feel compression i give it a good kick and it starts right up. that may be the missing bit

To be honest the automatic decompressor means you can get away without positioning the engine just past the compression stroke. Having said that, you can still get a faster spin on the engine that way if it doesn't always start easily.

[axman88]

As I said earlier, my '12 C5 was a one kick starter.  There were just three things that caused harder, (but still quite good compared to carb'd machines) starting.
    - If the bike sat too long outdoors, and the fuel turned bad.
    - If it was very very cold, well below freezing.
    - If the spark plug had gotten fouled.  This happened regularly, I assume due to my stop and go commuter usage, along with the reported generally richer map and open loop 02 sensor at low rpms / throttle openings.  Towards the end of my riding that machine, I switched to a hotter plug, however that machine's engine would also tend to ping at high speed/high load, so it was a bit of a balancing act.   I always carried a spare plug.  Single plug singles are very dependent on that component.

[Baron Von Bullet]

Kick starting while the bike is on the sidestand will damage the sidestand pivot, this will be a difficult/costly repair.

[SteveThackery]

Kick starting while the bike is on the sidestand will damage the sidestand pivot, this will be a difficult/costly repair.

Especially as you'll be kicking it all day and all night. It won't start when the sidestand is extended.

[Richard230]

Especially as you'll be kicking it all day and all night. It won't start when the sidestand is extended.

I never had any problem kick starting my California model 2011 Bullet when it was on its side stand.

[axman88]

I never had any problem kick starting my California model 2011 Bullet when it was on its side stand.

Yeah, I was thinking that I remembered this also, and already said as much.  But, mine has been a basket case for a while, and I don't quite recall.

I will say this:   If one looks at the diagram on page 72 of the 2012 Classic 500 owner's manual, they will see that the activating coil of the Power Relay goes straight to ground, not daisy chained through a Sidestand Relay like is shown on schematics for the later models.    https://www.slideshare.net/akhtarwasi/classic-500-owners-manual-feb-2012.  It makes me wonder if my machine was even equipped with a Sidestand Switch?  That also is not shown on the diagram.

We often make the mistake of assuming everybody else's machine is built like ours, but perhaps they weren't and aren't?   For one thing, here in the USA, no moto manufacturer really NEEDED to get beyond Euro III equivalency.  I think emissions standards for motorcycles haven't changed since 2010.  Of course, most built the same bikes for us as they were building for the rest of the world, but not always.  There are still a few road bikes with carbs being sold into the USA, meeting standards.

[Monkee]

Especially as you'll be kicking it all day and all night. It won't start when the sidestand is extended.

I've been able to kickstart it on its side stand once while i was on it and the other time when i was standing next to it

[Monkee]

Just to reinterate.

I am able to 100% kick start the bike regardless of whether its on its centerstand or side stand as long as im not sitting on it.

now when say i'm already sitting on it with the stands both up ignition on, Engine kill switch on the on position, after the system has primed (typically when the engine is already hot/warm) I have trouble kicking it when I am sat on the motorcycle. I'm thinking its because i dont have as much leverage on the kicker or am not able to follow through

[Silverback]

i often have same issue while sitting on the bike.  i agree it must be a leverage thing.  i have just resolved to put it on the center stand , stand next to the bike and kick it over.  its much easier and less frustrating.

first thing i did was take off the side stand switch.

[SteveThackery]

I will say this:   If one looks at the diagram on page 72 of the 2012 Classic 500 owner's manual, they will see that the activating coil of the Power Relay goes straight to ground, not daisy chained through a Sidestand Relay like is shown on schematics for the later models.   

Ah, thank you! You are absolutely right - that wiring diagram shows no sidestand switch. I'm sorry for my misleading comment.

However, there is something odd going on. It shows two spark plugs, and to the very best of my knowledge, all the ones imported into my country (UK) at least had only one spark plug. I also think they always had a sidestand switch.

I've owned all three generations of the Bullet (iron barrel, AVL, UCE) and they definitely all had only  one plug, and a sidestand switch.

Clearly there are minor differences, presumably depending on which country they are being sold in.