I just wanted to let everyone in on a secret. I came across this the hard way. I have had my banshee since '97. It has always had the ratteling kickstarter. I never paid it much attention. Well 2 weeks ago the top portion fell off during practice before a series race we are in. Luckily a guy blew up his banshee motor and was good enough to let me borrow his kicker. Since I still had the knuckle I figured I would just order a Graves Motorsports billet kickstarter, since it came with the ball and spring. I bolted that puppy and headed out for a race this past Sunday. Guess what? In the second moto a spectator picked that high dollar hunk of alluminum up of the track. It fell off just like the OEM. Well I called and talked to Jeff at Graves yesterday. I was a little peaved at first. He pointed out a good point. With the kickstarter sitting there rattling when the bike is running, it wears out the knuckle. So I had to order a new knuckle. The bad news is that you have to order a complete new kickstarter. So here is my advice. If your kickstarter is rattling and you dont wont to get stranded or loose a race due to DNF, you had better get it fixed. Check out the knuckle really good. If it is worn out it will do no good to buy a new kickstarter, since it will fall off too. And if you order a kickstarter I would suggest calling Graves Motorsports. They have a great website also. Ask for Jeff.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

 

Lost mine about 5 miles from camp... in the middle of the night no less.

At first I thought I was going crazy, either that or to drunk to ride back (and I only had like 3 beers so far). I just couldn't find the damn thing to kick in the middle of the woods.

Finally a buddy flipped around and pointed his lights at my kick.. opps.. nothing there but the knuckle.

It does happen, and at $73 each it's expensive..

Brad

 

The kickstarter rattle is annoying but it's SOOOOOOOO easy to fix. Once it starts rattling, take it off, make sure the spring and ball bearing are good, load it up with grease and put an o-ring over the shaft and you should be fine for a long time. I forget the O-ring size but go to the hardware store and pick up a few that look right. When I first replaced the spring and ball I forgot the O-ring and it was rattling after a couple of rides.

 

Yeah, I found out the hard way too a couple of weeks ago. Mine must have fell off on my way back to camp because I didn't realize my kick starter was gone until the next morning. Sice there weren't any part stores around we pounded a deep-well socket onto the stub and when I needed to start, I just attached the ratchet and kicked it. Hey, it was better than not riding at all.

Does anybody know of a good after-market kick starter assembly that's better than stock? If I'm gonna have to pay $70, it might as well be for something a little better.

 

They do sell good aftermarket kickers. I got one of Graves Motorsports. Great kickstarter. The problem as I said in my original post is that the knuckle is worn out. The new kickers do not come with a knuckle unless you go OEM. I know..., it does blow. I paid 120$ for the Graves and nearly lost it. Thank godness the flag man was good enough to go pick it up for me. Not only that, but it would have knocked someone out if it would have been run over and flipped up in the air with a handfull of ROOST. So there is no simple solution. Either go OEM and get a whole new assembly and run it, or get a new OEM and a aftermarket kicker and run it, or find a used knuckle in mint condition used and get it and a aftermarket kicker. The OEM has really got us on this one. But I would really suggest against getting a 100$ kicker and not replacing the knuckle. I would have stayd at the track till I found mine if someone else had not.

 

I guess the knuckle could wear out.
I fixed mine by just putting a teflon washer between the two pieces...
No rattle....No lost kicker.

And this is the original from '96

 

A ratteling kick starter is a signal that the o-ring is probably almost or already is gone. Cascade Innovations sells a rebuild Kit for around $5.00, it consist of a new o-ring, check ball and spring. Clean the inside out real good with carb cleaner, contact cleaner or something similar, then coat the spring, check ball and where the kicker slides onto the knuckle, then slip the o-ring on and tighten it back down and you should be good to go, rattle free, and check it once in awhile to be greased, more if you're in mud and water.

Check Ebay for a kicker if you need a new lower piece if yours has become wore out.

 

my banshee must be one of the few that have never rattled or been replaced.

 

I don't think I've ever heard a Banshee that didn't have rattling kick starter, except for a brand new one.