Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

Duane Ausherman discusses symptoms of the kickstart lever not returning to the normal position at the bottom of this page:

https://w6rec.com/bmw-2-motorcycle-tran ... nd-repair/

He also mentions earlier in the page that the pin that holds the lever onto the shaft could be installed wrong.

LoL, my dealer told me when I bought my 84 R80RT without a kick starter and asked about having one installed that they were far more trouble than they are worth. Something about breaking the second gear or something? Hey, it was 37 years ago, I don't remember the exact conversation.

On my RS, I have used the kick start just one time in the years and miles. To be honest, it takes a bit of finagling and such to use it properly but the one time I did use it, I got the bike started. (FYI, starter relay conked out in a parking lot of a restaurant I was at, level lot and I couldn't mange to push and jump/bump start it like I have done in the past with the RT. Those little bitty handle bars are kind of a pain at low speeds or in parking lots.)

I joke with the guys at the Beemer Barn, if I ever buy a /2, someone will have to show me the ropes on proper use or, I will do an engine conversion. St.

Kicking over a /2 is waaaaayyyy easier than kicking over an R80!!!!!
I can kickstart my R50/2 with my hand!
Scott

My cousin had a Suzuki GT380 and after he got out of work in the parking lot, a couple of the Harley guys would be jumping on their kickstarts amid much banging cursing and popping, he would switch on the key to his bike, ignore the electric starter and snap the kickstart lever with his hand. His bike would start right up and he would ride away laughing. Electronic ignition and different compression, makes a difference. St.