kickstart has no resistance

i thought i would try the kickstart out on my 78 kz650. i can hear it ratcheting on the way up but i have no resistance going down. i want to make sure nothing is loose in the motor that could cause trouble. i know theres a one way clutch on 4wheelers with kickstart. is it the same way with these motors?

Don't pull the clutch lever when you are kickstarting or it will disengage the kickstarter from the engine,,

My 650 uses the clutch pack to turn over the engiine, so yes release the clutch lever. The only time you want to hold in the lever would be when you hit the electric start.

The kicker gear engages 1st gear directly and there aren't too many ways to screw up assembly. Only thing I can think of other than the clutch lever issue is when the kicker was removed, the external stuff wasn't assembled right. There should be a plastic or aluminum sleeve over the kicker shaft outside the engine cases with a stout spring around it. One spring end is fitted into a hole in the cases to locate it and the other into the kicker mechanism in a small hole as memory serves. If the kicker shaft isn't "preloaded"; that is, the shaft isn't rotated as far clockwise as possible (about 3 oclock) then the mechanism won't work right... it will actually drag if the bike is started with the electric start. I believe you would take the kick lever and put it on where the lever points to about 12 oclock. Then, rotate the lever clockwise to about 3 oclock. Remove the lever and THEN stick the aluminum or plastic sleeve over the kicker shaft and install the spring. I haven't done this for awhile so check your manual to make sure I didn't dream this.

lol yea i did have the clutch pulled in. i didnt even think about it. thanks guys! :laugh:

Dont feel bad cannibal440. I did the same thing on my KZ750 wasnt even thinking about it when I tried to kick start it LOL.