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Post by Jess on Oct 27, 2011 16:41:42 GMT -5
I think... If memory serves me correctly, that someone was looking for a very early kickstart arm for an re5. I looked through a bunch of posts but I could not find it...  When I was asked if I could supply it, I told them that I onely had one, and it was in the display cases as part of the protoype parts. I recently aquired a very rare early arm that is NOS or may as well be. So... If the fellow who needed it wants to ping me off board at RR, I will do the best I can to fix them up. Sorry my memory is past full... I jsut can't recall things as I used to anymore. Best, |
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Post by riversidogs on Oct 28, 2011 10:11:32 GMT -5
I understand that they were not put on the newer bikes. When in the production did they stop putting them on.
I had a Harley owner , who thought he could start anything, Try to start mine with the kick starter and bounced off.
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Post by bdalameda on Oct 28, 2011 17:28:16 GMT -5
The kickstart arms are identical to the GT750 Water buffalo. If I remeber in 1975 when the very first few RE5's landed at dealerships they did not have kick start levers on them. Suzuki was then required to send out the kick start levers as the DOT laws then required that all motorcycles had kick starters. The next bikes had them on for a while and then the law changed that required them. The earlier kickstart levers for the GT750J and K were shorter and more vertical than the later models and changed I believe in 1974 to the longer and more angled kick start lever that is identical to most of the RE5 Kick arms. When I bought my first RE5 in 1975 I put on the older shorter kick lever from a GT750 on mine as I liked the look of it better than the longer and more angled levers and I actually was able to kick start mine back in 1975. Plenty difficult but I did manage it - of course I was much younger and stronger in those days.
Dan
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Post by supersaki on Oct 28, 2011 17:28:35 GMT -5
Hi Jess,It was Me.
I'm the guy that sent you the motor case from Scotland.
My bike ch/no 10578 would like an early kick start lever.
Regards,
Roy.
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Post by Jess on Oct 28, 2011 19:23:38 GMT -5
Roy,
Go ahead and shoot Barb an email and I will get some photos off to you...
Thanks!
Jess
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gerryggg
2nd Gear
I'm Lost In Thought, Please Send a Search Party.
Posts: 225
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Post by gerryggg on Oct 30, 2011 6:27:25 GMT -5
In 1975 I was student teaching at a motorcycle mechanics school (now defunct) in Chicago. I brought down the RE5M demo from the dealer I was working at to show the class. I challenged the biggest macho Harley rider in the class to kickstart it. You could almost hear his knee pop as he tried. Then I (155lbs) kickstarted it. It's all a matter of technique, not strength, kind of like putting a bike on the center stand. I had to kick start them many times. I was riding the same bike the day I bought the engagement ring for my first wife. When we came out of the jewelry store, the starter clutch failed (perhaps I should have taken that as a sign  ) and I had to kick start it for the rest of the day. It's not easy, but it can be done if the bike is in a proper state of tune. |
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Post by HGH 770N on Oct 31, 2011 16:28:45 GMT -5
Roy,
I Met you at Stafford show, you were after my kick start off my bike, I think Lee Doxey had taken some photo's of the kickstart .
I have noticed your bike Number 10578 is earlier than mine (10626) Dose any one know the earliest produced RE still on the Road.
Is your RE5 a UK regestered in 1974 as mine is ?
Rog
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Post by Jess on Oct 31, 2011 23:31:34 GMT -5
Suzuki Began production at 10053...
The first 30 or so bikes... (no one knows) were taken from the line and used as promos, gifts ect...
The earliest ones to hit the shores here in the US were about 10085??? (Best Guess)
10087 sold to a collector a few years ago for fairly significant money.
One appeared on ebay recently that said the frame number was below 10053. I sent a question, and never received a response. Anything below 10053 is a prototype and I doubted that the description was correct. Sam had pretty accurate records about the prototypes and what had happened to them. Probably an honest mistake. I keep hoping that whoever bought the bike will need parts and I can confirm the number.
The kick start on your bike, Rog... appears to be a preproduction protoype that was used on the RX5.
Suzuki did not ship the first bikes with a kick start as that was to be an optional accessory. Due to various governmental regulations, the bikes were not to be sold, at least in the US, without a kik start. Suzuki was scrambling to come up with enough kick starts to get the units off the docks and to the dealers, so they shipped whatever they had on hand. Remember, this was in the days before fedex, and when international calls cost 20 bucks a minute...
It appears on your bike that one slipped through... good for you.
To my knowledge, and from reading some of Sam's notes, there were 4 iterations to the Re5 kick start, with the one you have being the rarest.
All of the above is just my opinion and my 2 cents for what it is worth.
I have one of all four in a display case in the shop... If you ever come to visit, it will be one of the many unique things.
That said... we welcome visitors.
Best Regards,
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When I was asked if I could supply it, I told them that I onely had one, and it was in the display cases as part of the protoype parts.
) and I had to kick start it for the rest of the day. It's not easy, but it can be done if the bike is in a proper state of tune.
