Why did early ATV's use recoil starters??

[Darius1502]

I was wondering what is the advantage of a recoil starter over a kicker.

It seems fine for the ATC 70's and 90's but on the bigger trikes like the 185 and 200 it was sometimes too much.

I could not start my ATC 185S until I was about 11.

So why did these companies use the recoil? Dirt bikes did not use them (at least most did not).

[short4stuff]

probably easier and cheaper for the company to make... Being 11 they probably wanted you riding the 70-110 not the 200 ..

[Maine_Triker]

I have no clue. But I see your piont and agree with ya. Maybe it was cheaper?? or simpler?? Even today the back-up start on quads is recoil, yea right, try pull-starting a 660 griz!

[Wickedfinger]

... thats easy. When Honda first came out with them, they wanted the product to be as user familiar as possible to help in driving a good sales point. While everybody had a pull start lawn mower, not everybody had a kick start motorcycle - therefore they used that commonality to their advantage.

[ATCnut]

IMHO, its because honda already had pull starters designed, and did not have the backwards kicker done. The started with pullers because it was easy and cheap.

Years ago, when I used to ride with a big group that included a lot of kids from very small on up, the rule was "When you can start it, you can ride it" spent many hours watching kids work and work on the bigger bikes because then wanted it so bad.

[Enigma]

funny that you just posted that joe dirt is on comedy centry now :)

[TrikerR]

and the reason that motorcycles dont have pull starters is because of the stability issue. try holding up a xr650 and pulling it over at the same time. also, my freinds 400es foreman pulls on 1/2 a pull and is as easy pulling my 110 over.

[Studytime]

and the reason that motorcycles dont have pull starters is because of the stability issue. try holding up a xr650 and pulling it over at the same time. also, my freinds 400es foreman pulls on 1/2 a pull and is as easy pulling my 110 over.


Funny you should say that becuase last week on the way to work I saw three ~7 year olds trying to start a motorcross bike. One kid was kicking away while his two buddies held the bike up straight. This wasn't no small bike either... we're talking fullsize 125/250 frame bike.

I'd like to have seen their faces when it finally started! There was no way these kids could have sat on it and reached the ground. Made me laugh.

Studytime

[BIGCRIP28]

new atvs and even some of the trikes have auto decompression when you pull the rope

quit being a little b**** and start it
:D

[bonkers_200s]

Kick start is definatly way better IMHO, but the first time you slip off of it, and it comes back and cracks you in the shin, and you don't even want to ride it, and even if you did you can't see through the tears you're choking back.........you'll start liking pull starters, lol.

My 200s has an auto compression release, but the idiot I bought from took the pull started apart, lost parts, and couldn't put it back together, and on top of that melted the cable on the head.
I have most of the parts though, my arm hurts a whole bunch on her picky days.

[Rex Karz]

I bought my first 3 wheeler in 20 years this summer. Had it 2 minutes and broke my finger starting it. Ring finger between the tip and first knuckle. That hurt more than any other injury I've had, except for when I broke my knee as a kid. I guess it has compression! I have to pull it past compression every time or it's like having a car pull it out of your hands.

[BIGCRIP28]

I bought my first 3 wheeler in 20 years this summer. Had it 2 minutes and broke my finger starting it. Ring finger between the tip and first knuckle. That hurt more than any other injury I've had, except for when I broke my knee as a kid. I guess it has compression! I have to pull it past compression every time or it's like having a car pull it out of your hands.

What cc is that thing?

[Grant2k]

it's probably just easy and cheap to manufacture among other things. Honda still puts a recoil on the TRX90. i remember reading a review of it a few years back in some magazine and when asked about the recoil Honda's response was "If they can't start it they shouldn't ride it," to which the magazine replied, "We'd like to see them pull start one of their Goldwings." The pull start is a simple reliable way to start the bike and i know i felt like more of a nerd pulling my 200s than i do kicking my bike now but whatever works. If it's tough enough to still be starting a 200cc bike after 20 years they're doing something right.

[bigredhead]

Does a pull start give the same amount of piston movement as a kicker ?

I'm thinking that a pull start would turn the motor over more times than a kick would, hence easier starts.

just a thought.

[Blown 331]

I bought my first 3 wheeler in 20 years this summer. Had it 2 minutes and broke my finger starting it. Ring finger between the tip and first knuckle. That hurt more than any other injury I've had, except for when I broke my knee as a kid. I guess it has compression! I have to pull it past compression every time or it's like having a car pull it out of your hands.


Same thing happened to me on a 1982 ATC200. Mine was pretty bad though. I had 2 Stainless steel pins put in through the top of my finger and they went through the first knuckle so I couldn't bend it. You thought it hurt when it broke, that was nothing compared the having the pins put in. Getting the pins pulled out hurt but it was nothing like having them put in. Got some good drugs though.

[bonkers_200s]

Does a pull start give the same amount of piston movement as a kicker ?

I'm thinking that a pull start would turn the motor over more times than a kick would, hence easier starts.

just a thought.


Depends on how long the rope is I guess?

I usually put enough rope on so a normal pull won't pull anywhere near all the rope out.


As far as the force applied? You can put more power into something buy jumping on it, than ya can buy yanking on it, so you probobly wouldn't need as many manual powered revolutions too achieve starting????

I have no clue if thats right, but it kinda almost makes sence.