Kick start pedal is essential part of Kawasaki Kz650 cafe-racer project. And even as I could foresee issues of pedal compatibility with custom footpegs setup, I am about not only to keep pedal, but keep it working. I would like to kick bike by means of kick pedal, as I was doing with 2-strockers in days of my youth.
Kawasaki KZ650 had two types of kick start pedal. I couldn’t tell if older kickstarter had separate part number, but these very days both kick pedals go under the same part number: 13064-1005
I’ve met opinion that older and newer kick pedals are of different configurations due to different mount of rider footpegs. However it’s not so. It so happened that I have both KZ650 kick pedals in my possession. Newer type came with KZ engine and older type I found to be installed on GS750 engine that in its turn was installed in KZ650 frame…
Here they are, in folded and kick positions. Left pedal with original rubber is newer type.
Let’s put them together like this:
And it’s clear that their dimensions are identical and configuration is mostly the same:
Difference is in mechanism that fix pedal in folded and in kick positions. In older version of kick fixing ball and spring were placed under the plug (it’s rusty thing on photo)
And slots for ball were made directly on the pedal shaft:
In newer kickatarter ball and spring were placed in pedal, while slots for ball were in kick boss:
Newer system was simpler (minus one part and thread) and moreover, by its design it removed axial free play. These two pedals on photos above look similarly worn, but pedal of newer type is tighter and its fix mechanism works better.
However, it’s also clear that both kick pedals are far from perfect condition, which is no wonder for used parts that are more than 40 years old.
Sure, there is nothing impossible: I could dismantle them, remove chrome, polish them and then order them to be chromed again, but it might be as expensive as buy a new pedal. So what I did instead, I searched for new OEM part and found it on USA ebay. Funny thing, but it turned out that I already bought part form seller who was selling kick and that was exhaust mufflers for KZ project. Proper storage means a lot for parts manufactured 40 years ago (last model year of KZ650 with kickstarter is 1980). This pedal turned out to be exactly as advertised: brand new and without traces of rust. I like how it looks and I like sound of its “click” when it being fold or unfold.
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