More weird motorcycle features that no longer exist

[@lloydwilson8995]

I added audible beeper to indicators on both my old bikes because I have seen so many motorcyclists (including myself) forget to turn off after turn. The sound is annoying when waiting at intersections or traffic lights, so I fitted a relay that disconnects beeper when brake is applied (stop light circuit). Put on brake when you stop and sound stops. Starts again as soon as you take off. Simple solution.

[@tenders]

I like this feature too and added it to my Aprilia. No relay needed - just a $5 beeper with diodes on the positive to the two turn signal + leads, and the negative to the brake light + lead. Beeps when signal is on and brake is off. No beep when signal is on and brake is on.

[@Whitejesselink]

Hand singles only for a few years.

[@G58]

I did the same thing on my CB250G5. Your improved version is better. Thank you for sharing.

[@Qrnl]

I tried (but failed beacuse relay is needed) to attach vibration motors from gamepad so you can feel vibrations when turn signals are on

[@GordonMoat]

The flip-up kickstand was originally on some BMW models, and copied by Ducati. The fix was swapping out the pivot bolt.

[@Rogan_Dorn]

My 2014 Vulcan 900 still has the little tool kit under the seat. Heck even my 06 Burgman 400 had one.

[@duckingtonedits2369]

I had a 1981 Honda XL 500 with decompression built into the kick start.

[@yourhandlehere1]

My '68 Corolla has a tool kit, even a fold up wheel scotch to block a wheel while changing a tire (with the full size spare).

[@ivanf4023]

When I was a kid my best friend's mom was banging a guy who was a real weirdo... He rode his Suzuki SP500 everywhere in all weather (until he got too many DUIs and got an ATV to ride to the bar instead). That SP500 had a compression release lever and was kick-start only. I've wanted an SP500 or similar ever since. I think the reason a lot of bikes don't have kick-starters is that larger high compression engines could kick-back (same as the hand-crank engines from old cars) and really large dudes would go flying trying to kick over their 1200 cc Harley. I remember watching a guy trying to kick-start his Harley in a gas station parking lot and he's standing up on the kick lever jumping up and down and it's barely moving... Then his taller fatter friend comes over and tries and is jumping up and down and it moves a little bit but not fast enough to actually start the engine. Pedal starters are totally a thing with bicycle engine kits. I suspect the last mass-manufactured pedal-start bikes were maybe made by Sachs, Puch, Tomos. There are some Tomos clones on Alibaba right now for about $400. I suspect they're not street legal.

[@notwocdivad]

I FITTED a beeper to my indicators as I kept forgetting to cancel them. This was because all my previous bikes did not have indicators fitted, you had to use hand signals Remember them??

[@bobbythompson3544]

The headlamp you show is acetylene or carbide!

[@thomaslemay8817]

Motorcycle control must meet a standard arrangement as of about 1973 mite have been a year or two on the either side 73 I just don't remember. I was a motorcycle mechanic in the late 60s and early 70s and it was common to find the throttle the shift lever the brake in all manner of different locations. Motorcycles wear commonly fitted with mechanical spark advances they still have spark control but the hand operated lever has been removed. Lots of motorcycles have built-in automatic compression releases if they're large-displacement with a low cylinder count..

[@tdk0bob]

Some Chinese moter scooters have peddle start

[@sorrowstaylor2910]

As for the retractable kick-stand, my both BMWs have different approach. The K bike - the stand is attached to the clutch, and to the gear box, so you cannot start the bike on gear, or the other option - you can start on neutral, on stand, but cannot shift in gear, if the bike is leaning, because the cable is connected to the stand. My F (BMW) bike the stand is connected to the starter and electronically shut-off when the stand is out.

[@daze8410]

My '71 Cb500 four starts with one kick, check your timing.

[@Velktron]

At least with Piaggio Ciao mopeds, you could actually propel the moped forward by pedaling, and that was also one way to start it. It was also.possible to assist it by pedaling, not unlike a modern e-bike or a Velo -Solex. It was also possible to decouple the engine from the transmission, and use it as a pure bicycle. Imagine pedaling a 40 kg bicycle with a low gear ratio. Yeah, not fun. Some of them had also a decompression lever -feature-packed little moped ;-)

[@vascomanata]

vespinos had that too haha, i tried pedalling mine once up a 3% incline with absolutely no buildup and it was the stupidest idea i had lol

[@victorchristophersen3601]

On pedal mode it only goes 12 kmh.

[@ItsDaJax]

All mopeds have pedals, MOtorized PEDal bike. The only moped I know that can be had without them, are Streetmates.

[@victorchristophersen3601]

@@ItsDaJax in my country it's defined as 50cc bike Even if it has kick start. Never thought about that analogy 👍

[@DaMoserDone]

Decompression Levers are still quite common, you just don’t see them anymore as they are engaged/disengaged automatically.

[@antonyhughes4702]

I lost interest when you said that vintage lights ran on Kerosene, they were actually Carbide gas lamps. Do some research will you.

[@dbmail545]

Had one on my KTM 620cc single. You could always tell if the exhaust valve tappets needed adjusting by the chatter it would make at idle.

[@lukewarmwater6412]

my old yamaha dirt bike has one. I use it when I go down steep hills as a brake... dont know what else it would be for. maybe a non-electric kill switch? two strokes dont usually require a whole lot of kick to turn over.

[@lukewarmwater6412]

@@antonyhughes4702 not all were carbide lamps. ... german engineers.... some had to be pumped up like a camp stove.

[@benjaminpont220]

@@lukewarmwater6412 well I got an old Vespa bravo with no electric start or kill switch, or kickstart. It’s only got pedals, so running next to it and releasing the decompression lever is a good way to start it. And I can tell you from experience, that a decompression lever makes that a heck of a lot easier than it otherwise would be.

[@TriumphBeezaman]

Jawa used to have Kickstarter that doubled up as the gear lever & operated the clutch also even though it had clutch lever as well, self lubrication on swinging arm bearings & interchangeable front or rear wheels were other strange features.

[@A_S_100]

You've absolutely read my mind. Also in addition to this it has a fully enclosed chain drive to protect it from dirt and make the chain last longer. The exhausts are also slip on and slip off from the downpipes when unbolted and can be swapped to either side of the bike.

[@highdownmartin]

Remember the ks gear lever. CZ s had it ( though that probably was a Jawa with a different tank. ). MZ filler with measuring cup under for two stroke oil, that was a good touch

[@TriumphBeezaman]

@@highdownmartin seem to remember the Jawa going from petroil to oil injection then back to the old pre mix then oil injection once again.

[@A_S_100]

​@@TriumphBeezaman I think you're right and they made a 350 with oil injection probably around the mid 70s called an oilmaster and then later models were premix again but the 350 twin they currently make has gone back to oil injection.

[@andrewallen9993]

The buggers that stole mine couldn't figure out how the electric start worked as it obviously didn't have a kickstart. They did cut and short most of the wiring though.

[@drsinixt9269]

3:40 In Switzerland we have almost a kind of tradition of driving around in small 25cc motorbike-bicycle-hybrids (we call them "Töffli") which are always pedal started. Many teens drive them as your allowed to as soon as you're 14yo but there are still many enthusiasts which like to put bigger engines and tune them because those bikes where made to be easily tuneable. So at least in Switzerland you see those pedal starters very often, especially after school when all the teens start pedaling up their Töfflis to drive home.

[@parbxi100]

We had mopeds called "Luna" in India until the 90s - early 2000s.. which had a pedal start.. I remember using my friends Luna in my college days...

[@isallah1kafir196]

@Dr Sinixi Grüß Gott aus Österreich. The Puch MS (50cc) may have it it too. It was one-seater. Well up until the late 1970, don't see them around anymore, so it may be a dying thing....

[@Jaffa1951]

I'm pretty certain that Royal Enfield still supply a tool kit with their bikes. I've got a 2018 Himalayan that came with a tool kit. Come to think of it I've also got a 2018 Honda NC750X which came with one.

[@searchingforelysium]

They do. I have a 2020 Conti GT.

[@Burns748]

Yes my 22 Royal Enfield came with a tool kit which I was surprised about, it was pretty cool

[@KostenfreiGratis]

I used the one that came with my Int 650 quite a couple of times 😁

[@SirBalageG]

Bought a BMW in january, it had the kit

[@Xros123]

Even the Honda CB350 (made for India) has one.

[@rajgill7576]

3:15 You don't just pedal and badabing magic happens engine on. You spin up the flywheel separately from the engine with the pedals and then drop the clutch, dumping the pedals momentum into the crank whenever you think it's fast enough. It's a lot like the way some tanks can be started with a handle you cranked by hand

[@GTAIVisbest]

Yeah, if you had pedals connected to the crankshaft and just tried pedaling normally in place of a kickstarter, it wouldn't do anything. Anyone who's ever kickstarted a bike incorrectly knows what I mean. It requires a lot of sudden momentum to be able to kick over, a relatively slow steady movement does nothing

[@neilmchardy9061]

Headlights never ran on kerosene, they ran on acetylene, p.s. sometimes called carbide.

[@Wingnut_Stickman]

yup.

[@ludditeneaderthal]

Carbide is the mineral that, when decomposed by water exposure, produces acetylene. So your headlamp would have a water tank, a dripper, and a carbide cup. You set the dripper to produce just enough acetylene to keep the lamp lit.

[@smittywerbenjagermanjensen1051]

The amount of mistakes this guy makes is kind of shocking. Should call him fart

[@andypughtube]

One thing missing from the list: Anti-dive forks. (I wonder if the lack of tool kits is just a US market thing? I think bikes sold in Europe still have one. My R1 does)

[@frogsshadow4189]

My 2022 Ninja came with one, no idea why it was included on the list

[@CamTarn]

Happy to report that even my pal's Honda CB125F came with a toolkit! I was pretty surprised. It's a nice bonus for such a small affordable bike.

[@bikewolf7455]

i worked at a yamaha and ktm dealership and i think the kits are in general getting smaller but i cant recall a single bike that doesnt come with one. maybe the big scooters? not sure if ive ever seen a tool kit on a yamaha tricity tbh ive had plenty of bikes and i can count the amount of times the tool kit was usefull on one hand.... basically only when someone else needed a screw driver, i gave them the one from my tool kit. otherwise the kits are pretty useless. often you dont even have the tools you need also anti dive forks still exist. just in different forms. like electric forks can do that, bmw telelever does it and ive read about some drop in cartridges for my DR650's forks that pretty much prevent diving too

[@RockandrollNegro]

All bikes sold in the US come with toolkits, except for Harley-Davidson. Either this guy has never purchased a new bike or he's only purchased Harleys; either way, he's completely wrong in his assessment.

[@Wingnut_Stickman]

Every bike I have ever owned in 51 years of riding has come with a tool kit of some sort. I have one as recent as 2018 vintage. This "lack of tool kit" is a complete shocker to me. I typically add tools to my kit, but how one uses one's tools depends on the person, not the tool, of course.

[@VNExperience]

Royal Enfields still come with toolkits. My 2021 Interceptor has got one, the same with Continental GT and the Himalayan. I wouldn't call RE a boutique brand, they're just doing a hell of a job. 👍

[@john_barnett]

I have three new Hondas (CB125, Rebel 500 and CB650R) of different shapes and sizes and a 2016 KLR and they all have tool kits in various locations... I didn't think they were so rare.

[@thandren7437]

On that with tools, my soviet motorcycle did not have any, but a fun little fact is that you can take both wheels off with a wooden stick or a screwdriver.

[@Foodgeek]

Both my Honda Monkey (2022) and Honda rebel 500 (2020) come with a toolkit :)

[@lam1991hahaha]

Hunter cubs as well

[@greenboy256]

So did my 2015 Yamaha TW200!

[@EyebrowsMahoney]

My 04 Honda Shadow has a toolkit too.

[@devonshire458]

my Kawasaki W175 too!

[@MuddyMoccasins]

Kawasaki KLX 250 (2018) does too

[@sidmarx7276]

You forgot the steering damper knob that stiffened the turn handling on most 1950's bikes.

[@daylightsensor8695]

isn't this still a thing on big litre street bikes?

[@fivespeed3026]

@@daylightsensor8695 they generally don’t have a knob from the factory. Stunt riders often use them however.

[@edwinbruckner4752]

My Honda CB77 (1966) has one. Pretty cool feature

[@aquarianmoonproductions5566]

I wish this was a more common feature

[@spiriteddrive6309]

I believe that was because in that era it was very common to have a sidecar mounted to your bike and with that you want to have the steering easier to turn as opposed to riding solo.

[@tifrap]

It used to be common to add a decompression valve and lever to the second spark plug hole in single cylinder 2stroke dirt bikes, not to assist with starting but to provide serious engine braking. It was the best way to slow down quickly without locking up the back wheel on slippery terrain.

[@burkestorti4586]

I remember 2 stroke dirt bikes with an added compression release. I installed one on my 68 DT1 250 Yamaha. This was done under advice from my brother who had a similarly equipped Bultaco Matador. It turns out that the Bultaco had poor brakes, my Yamaha didn't.

[@DarrellCook-vl6lm]

@@burkestorti4586 Bultaco definitely had inadequate brakes. It was ment to go not stop. Stupid engineers ruined the brand that way. The brakes were so bad I'd not be surprised if that was the plan all along. Destroy the brand.

[@Mishn0]

My 2017 Ural has a tool kit that will just about allow you to rebuild the motor. It's even got two great big steel tire irons that weigh about a pound and a half apiece. Not to mention the spare wheel and tire pump.

[@dieselguy62]

That tool kit was a huge marketing thing for them. I had two of them, back in the early 2000. Actually pulled a transmission out, replaced a bearing and put out back in, 150 miles from home. With just the tool kit in the bike

[@CrusaderSports250]

@@dieselguy62 back in the seventies Lada cars (made in Russia), even came with a tin of touch up paint!, we could do with that today with all the car park scratches, even a paint pencil would be nice.

[@udenszirnis1644]

@@CrusaderSports250 ladas came with a paint can because they knew the painters were sloppy and if the owner wanted their car painted propertly they have to do it on their own. Many did. Not because they wanted to, but because they had no other choice.

[@marcof1430]

Piaggio "Ciao" has pedal starter and also a decompression lever, so it's easy to use the pedals!

[@russetwolf13]

I rode a tank shift once, with a long lever it was super easy to ride. Also to hell with that tool kit nonsense, they do the same thing in games. Eliminate a feature and act like there's an actual reason beyond just cheaping out.

[@jimmyneutron5679]

both of the suzukis I owned had toolkits inside

[@iguana51]

Every new bike I've ever owned has come with a toolkit and every second hand bike has had an available OEM toolkit. This dude is straight up wrong on that point

[@russetwolf13]

@@iguana51 I've never owned a vehicle less than 20 years old, I wouldn't know.

[@iguana51]

@@russetwolf13 I can guarantee OEM toolkits will be available for at least some of your bikes hahaha 😂

[@russetwolf13]

@@iguana51 I am aware, new bikes meanwhile could cause testicular torsion regularly and I wouldn't know, I couldn't afford a new bike if I saved for 20 years

[@khaccanhle1930]

A bike with no kick start is lame. There is nothing worse than having Low Battery power or a broken starter and not being able to start the bike. One of my bikes had a broken rectifier and it took a few weeks to get the part order. So I just removed the battery and kicked started the bike until I could fix it, no sweat. Apparently the new SR400 comes with a kick start and my first thought was, "it had bloody well better have one." Any SR I tried was ONLY kick start, separating the men from the boys.

[@bobmarlowe3390]

I miss having a kick starter on my bike. All of my older ones did.

[@TheWolfsnack]

Agreed.....especially with no decent hill to roll down...I have vowed that if the starter on my FXDL goes, I will pick up an aftermarket kickstart setup.

[@ItsDaJax]

I do like the idea of a kickstart. It looks pretty cool watching somebody do it.

[@MisterOcclusion]

Well, since modern bikes are almost universally fuel injected and/or have electric fuel pumps, I'm not sure how you'd kick it into life with a bum battery

[@skipprice4376]

The government made Harley switch the 1975 Sportster controls so bike thieves wouldn't get confused.

[@daveallen8824]

You need to have someone explain the decompression lever to you. Except on very early motorcycles, it does not work as you describe it. Actually, you bring the bike up on compression, pull the lever, ease the piston over the top, release the lever, then kick.

[@Richard_Ashton]

You are absolutely correct. Without the lever, it was almost impossible to get the piston over TDC with enough momentum to fire. Easing over TDC while decompressing meant that a hearty jump on the kick start gave the speed needed to get the engine started.

[@sanjib330]

All indian manufacturers provide toolkits and indicator beeper with their bikes. It's kind of a mandate here in my country

[@raizopopo3159]

The ingenius shifter for me is left grip shifter like in old vespa

[@nhansgoofyvideos7581]

The decompression lever is no longer needed. Newer bikes that I know like Yamaha have automatic decompression cam disc that allow the exhaust valves to crack open during start up.

[@Wingnut_Stickman]

yup. I have two relatively modern chainsaws 55cc and 72cc both with decompression valves, hardly rare in the saw universe. Small engines like on a generator tend to decompress themselves for ease of startup as well.

[@rock3tcatU233]

We need to bring back propeller powered bikes. It would help with annoying pedestrians.

[@TheWolfsnack]

...and at a stop light in the hot sun....you would have a nice breeze....which brings to mind...what about in the rain?

[@Fred_the_1996]

@@TheWolfsnack everyone behind the bike would get blasted lmaoo

[@TheWolfsnack]

@@Fred_the_1996 ...don't even begin to discuss the aftereffects...errr...backblast... of a night of beers and chili....

[@epbrown01]

Unfortunately, when you popped a wheelie you'd find yourself hanging below a helicopter as it rose into the sky. ;-)

[@ajaychoudhary9817]

my 1982 royal Enfield bullet has 4 unique outdated features 1. ammeter 2. right side gear shifter 3. neutral finder 4. decompression lever

[@Kim_Miller]

I bought an Indian Scout in 2016 and the toolkit was a single allen key that clipped into a spot behind the rear number plate. That's it, one tool for everything they expected the owner to do.

[@RockandrollNegro]

Your dealer ripped you off then. It should have come with four combination hex key/screwdriver bits, dipstick and fuse puller in a nylon pouch behind the license plate. If you ordered saddlebags as an option, it would have had an additional mini ratchet set, shock adjuster tool and Leatherman-style multitool in the right side saddlebag. Unscrupulous Indian dealers are known to pull these kits and try to sell them as options and/or put them on eBay. My 2017 Scout came with all of the above, at no cost. But then again, I purchased from Indian of Daytona Beach, which is the largest Indian dealer in the country, and not Crazy Joe's Indianporium of Buttlick, Montana or whatever backwater dealership people go to in order to save $340 off MSRP.

[@demahsamusic8825]

@@RockandrollNegro so you paid $340 for your toolkits 😜

[@torrycole6477]

Indian of Sturgis told me they sell more bike than any Indian dealers in the world. They sell a lot of traded in Harley-Davidson , too! Tell you anything?

[@t.s.racing]

Actually a good feature in my humble opinion was the direct to neutral lever on some old twin Royal Enfield. No matter what gear you stopped in, move this lever with your right foot, ( same side as the shifter), and the bike went straight to neutral.

[@SchoggiHD]

Have this on my 1994 bullet, it's an amazing addition

[@CrusaderSports250]

@@SchoggiHD it was a wonderful device but only Enfield seem to have used it, it was good on a four speed box so just imagine it on a six speeder! no need for digital indicators just push down and your in neutral, what could be easyer. My Enfield also used cerrated cams for chain tension, just move both sides the same number of "clicks" and your done and the wheel remains in line, never seen that on other bikes either.

[@MrBuyerman]

Lots places, outside the US, still have toolkits provided. All my bikes, Japanese and UK brands have had them.

[@PineyRider]

Tools came with my 2022 RE INT650 and also with my 2018 Yamaha TW200. Funny thing with the TDub though, you need a 10 mm to remove the seat to access the tool kit!! 🤔

[@classCexplosive]

My tdub you just pull off the panel opposite of the air filter to get the tool kit. I would think yours should be the same since tdubs pretty much haven't changed.

[@PineyRider]

@@classCexplosive Yeah? I'm gonna have to double check that.

[@classCexplosive]

@@PineyRider let me know how it goes. You probably have an untouched tool roll in there haha

[@PineyRider]

@@classCexplosive Took tomorrow off. Gonna have a look-see! Stay tuned.....

[@PineyRider]

I stand corrected, I believe. I didn't see tools on my TDub, but does look like a spot that they'll fit behind the side cover. Hey, I was told by TDubs Kid video!

[@TheLemonadedrinker]

Interesting video. Thank you. I had a DR350 and an XT500 and they both had valve lifters. Both early versions of those bikes, no electric start on either.

[@BritanniaMotorcycles]

Sorry sunshine but you have no idea how to use a decompressor, works which is why so many people cannot start British bikes.

[@jala6707]

Great video! FYI: all my 3 motorcycles: a 2007 Suzuki DRZ400, a 2007 Moto Guzzi Griso and my 2016 Honda CB1100 came with OEM toolkits.

[@ronnronn55]

My Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 came with a functional tool kit. Nice! The signal beeper sounds like the bike wishes it could back up by itself!

[@CurtisDrew1]

I've still got my Honda turn signal beeper! I rigged it up with some jumper cables and alligator clips and use it as a wire tracer./ fuse tester. I have used it that way for decades. I'll never get rid if it.

[@n4zou]

My KMZ Dnepr has an in gearbox reverse, and the foot shifter also operates the clutch when shifting. All 4 wheels are the same with one carried as a spare on the back top of the sidecar. It has a real alternator and not a simple stator type like modern motorcycles. It can be removed and replaced in 15 minutes unlike replacing a stator buried inside the engine that can take hours. The owners manual is also a complete service manual. A parts catalog shows everything used and where in detailed drawings so no need to wonder what screw or bolt went where or how it was assembled. It includes a light switch for turning on and off all the lights unlike modern motorcycles where the lights are on all the time the engine is running. It even has a trailer hitch for towing a 1/4 ton trailer or towed weapon such as a heavy machine gun. There are two neutral positions. Idle neutral between 1st and 2nd gears and towing neutral between 3rd and 4th gears used when towing it with another vehicle. The back of the sidecar seat can be switched so the gunner can sit facing forward or backwards depending on guarding the front or rear of a marching troop column.

[@goldilocks913]

Last feature very useful to deter tailgating 👍

[@TheWolfsnack]

@@goldilocks913 ...even better than the old...throw a sparkplug over your shoulder...

[@ItsDaJax]

There have been a few bikes with alternators. I'm sure Goldwings have them, I know BMWs do, or did.

[@goldilocks913]

@@ItsDaJax yes Goldwings do 👍

[@fredflintstone8770]

Couldn't think of 10 features that no longer exist? Chuck in a couple of wacky inventions, problem solved!

[@elvagar]

I have a toolkit with my 2007 honda and it is amazing. i can basically take apart the whole bike with it. And some tools are even better than my workshop ones . For example the spark plug that came with the bike is the only one i can use to get one of the spark plugs out.

[@peacockchristopher99]

As for manual decompression levers... they are not a complication, but a necessity on high compression single cylinder British bikes. On bikes like my BSA B44SS and B50SS the clutch (even when well set up) would slip and stop the piston passing top dead centre. The technique for using it is not how you describe. Use the kickstart lever to get the piston to compression, ease it past compression slightly with the use of the decompressor and kickstart, let the kickstart return and release the decompressor, the a good swinging kick will get it started.

[@allenhanford]

I kick my BSA 500 single over without the compression release all the time. My SR500 race bike with a 12.5:1 piston was impossible to kick over without it. The correct procedure is to use the compression release to get the engine just past compression, then kick it and let the momentum of the flywheel turn carry the motor past the next compression stroke.

[@chrispomphrett4283]

Self cancelling indicators on Yamaha XS400 and 250. Worked by a magnetic Reed switch in speedo head. Wasn't time related, it counted pulses from rotation of speedo cable. Worked superbly.

[@johncallow22]

I had an RD200 from 1977-1980 and an XS400 around 1989; I think that the self cancelling was both time and distance related: 10 seconds or 100 metres, so that if you were waiting at traffic lights, they would continue working. I cannot understand why this excellent feature isn't on my 2017 MT-09 or my 2021 Guzzi V7.

[@pallavagrawal]

I think you got the mechanism to use the decompression lever a bit inaccurate. I primarly used the decompression lever on my old Royal Enfield in corrlation with the Ammeter to find the TDC of piston just after spark which puts the bike at the start of the four stroke cycle. The concept is that on high capacity bikes it is difficult to compress 350 or 500 cc of air multiple times in one kick. So the gearing of kick is so designed that one kick only turns the crank twice, i.e. 1 complete four stroke cycle. The decompression lever lifts the exhaust valve making the turning of engine easy and a sharp movement of the Ammeter needle communicates that the spark has happened. Therefore finding the aforementioned TDC and setting the kick position right at the start of the 4 stroke cycle.

[@petergriffin4629]

About the kickstart and pedalstarts. You really don't want a pedal start on your bike, the motion and energy input necessary is not really suited. Pedalstarts are limited to mopeds like the kreidlers of the 70s and really old motorcycles from the 10s that are more bicycle than motorcycle. The reason it works there is because they are so easy to start you can literally start them by putting them on a central stand an spinning the rear tire by hand. The reason you want a kickstart, (or a pullstart for that matter) is because what you need to kickstart a bike is maximal short term acceleration of the crankshaft. Many people think, because that's how they falsely kickstart, that you have to crank and crank and crank the engine to get it to start... which is not the case. Also your explanation of how to use a decompression lever is quite wrong, so I'll give you and the interested viewer an explanation here on how to kickstart a high compression bike and lets assume it's a single cylinder. First you have to ensure it has fuel, the reason bikes often start badly when cold is because the vaporized gas condenses onto the cold metal of your engine intake. For this you have to know your bike, this unfortunately has to be learned through some trial and error. If it is a normal carb bike with a choke you have to find out if the choke is enough to give you an instant start, if this is not the case there are two possible solutions... first one sounds dumb but is actually very usefull, just carry a can with a flammable gas on your bike or person. One good spray and your bike should start first kick. Alternatively invest in a carb with an accelerator pump, with that just give it like three good cranks, boom should start first kick. Next you have to find top dead center, which shouldn't be hard, because you can expect compression so high you can almost stand on the kickstand without it moving. That's when you employ the decompression lever (deco). You do not as you say, kick the bike and release it again, that is a sure guarantee to you have kicking for an hour. What you do is you pull and you just move it a bit over the highest point of compression. This you have to feel out, move it so much, that you still have to overcome some resistance when kicking. Now you are basically ready, you have ensured you have fuel, you made the compression manageable and now you have to give it one kick from hell, you want to add as much energy into crankshaft rotation as possible, because you know you have to go through exhaust and scavenging cycle and still have enough energy to overcome the full compression and get proper ignition. It's also very important to kick it all the way through, so that the ratchet disengages, that way you avoid breaking your foot if kickback should occur. If you go through all these steps your bike absolutely should at least cough a bit or be close to starting. Always kick with a purpose, the only bikes on which you can use the kickstart like a bike pedal are maybe 125 two strokes.

[@mr.carguy654]

I have a 1980s Checoslovakian moped and it has a pedal start! It's hilarious and actually very effective at starting the 'beast'!

[@Beeza56]

Love that you have a 500 Trumpet. I had one in ‘80 in Greensboro and have had another since ‘2012. Keep the faith 👍

[@liamdownes1475]

I’ve sold loads of new Japanese bikes and every single one had a tool kit…maybe they don’t in the US though?

[@Jeffy2n]

In 1978, in America, the DOT (Department of transportation) established by law that Motorcycles made from 1978 forward would have the left foot shifter, a right foot brake, the throttle on the right handlebar front brake lever on the right handlebar and the clutch on the left handlebar. You can modify this to accommodate a person with a handicap but this is the production layout required. As to compression releases My 2010 Harley has them, and the newer ones have electric ones. As to the turn signals, Most modern motorcycles use a BCM to control the turn signals they self cancel.

[@janblake9468]

The first bike I owned was a 1965 Yamaha. It came with a tool kit, which I needed because it fouled its spark plug every 300 miles. I sold it a couple years later, but I still have the tool kit.

[@Robertlynschultz]

AH... Was wondering what happened to the tool kit!

[@davidoickle1778]

When I toured the Harley Davidson factory a while back in York, Pennsylvania, they told us you could still order a foot clutch if you wanted it. Not sure about the hand shifter.

[@joeljeffcoat6241]

My ‘89 Honda NX650 came with a tool kit, and it’s even easy to access behind the front fairing. When I was a kid Harley’s with a hand shifter were still around. People called them ‘suicide clutches’, because if you were in gear at a light and began to lean the wrong way, taking your foot off the clutch to catch yourself could launch you into traffic.

[@cs7th]

Older bikes used to have an ignition advance and retard lever. I doubt this is a feature these days, but didn't hear any mention of this?

[@dbmail545]

I think that is above the pay grade of anyone who thinks tool kits are obsolete.

[@TheWolfsnack]

...not since the 40's though....as automatic advance on distributors and then electronic ignition made them quickly obsolete. I did take a1948 Indian Chief for a ride once years back, it had spark advance on the right, throttle on the left, shifter on the right....clutch on the left foot like a Harley though. I recall that the whole left throttle setup that was was so cops could shoot right handed while in pursuit.

[@sahmuss1164]

this is just flat out incorrect. my yamaha 2017 brand new came with a toolkit

[@nuclearnyanboi]

I see a bike in my town with left foot brake and right foot shifter. it's a Royal Enfield

[@anthonysmith2982]

Hah! That takes me back... The frickin' thumb operated decompression lever on my old RE 500 single, the crusty & rusty (and wet metal & plastic stinking) tool kit I found in the side box of my Yammy XS650 project bike and the ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴ’ ʙᴇᴇᴘ-ʙᴇᴇᴘ-ʙᴇᴇᴘ on my CB750... It took every ounce of mental fortitude not to start randomly tearing out wires on my first ride home with that one. Thanks man! 30+ yrs of memories in under 10 mins!!

[@Apis4]

Front number plates. That is the most ubiquitous 'vintage' bike bit now gone the way of the dodo. Also, to the claim you made about the French gentlemen's machine being the aeroplane/motorcycle hybrid no one dreamt of or wanted.... *Laughs in Glen Curtis* The rarest, since you decided to include things which were brand specific, and not common features across all bikes..... is thee and four seater touring motorcycles, like the Czech Brommerland. I mean, cool video, but it is either a little disingenuous, on the basis that many of these features were Marque, or even MODEL specific... and not really general motorcycle design features that were basically universal across all bikes..... or a little too obvious, as there is way more interesting features some bikes had which could make this list, you even showed a FWD Megola in your video for example. I mean, pedal starts are so obvious, and were so common on bikes from the 1900s, through to the 1970s (Euro mopeds only basically by then), that if you were going for so obscure you had to include things which were limited solely to one model of of one make of bike, they seem out of place, especially since you could have gone with something far rarer, like rotary engines instead.

[@jacobneuburger1559]

My xsr700 came with a small tool kit.

[@richardclegg5853]

My 72 Suzuki TS 125 had what compression relief valve (i think what you were calling a "decimoressor") i felt it was there more for 2-stroke "engine breaking", not sure if that's what it was designed to do, but for a 12 year back in the 70's, worked great for me

[@xyan819]

Lol I thought that's a real Ducati bike until I saw your hand 😁

[@stefanpaege2046]

I bought a brand new Russian Dnepr MT 10 sidecar combination in 1986 or 1987 & it came with a toolkit AND half a litre of original black paint in case there was a delivery damage to the paint job or you needed fresh paint after an accident. Additionally there was a strange lump in one corner of the sidecar‘s luggage compartment - I scratched it out with a screwdriver & it turned out to be a mummyfied mouse (or rat?) that obviously gave up its ghost there AND was sprayed over with black paint…

[@TheWolfsnack]

Ahh....you are fortunate, your Dnepr came with Soviet era dried emergency ration!

[@diegopichardo6478]

I have a motorized bycicle and it’s the same with the pedal start

[@GrtSatan]

Acetylene lighting was generated by dripping water onto calcium carbide, which generated a combustible gas which was in turn ignited within the headlamp, thus generating weak, piss poor light. A strong competitor in the "original bad idea" stakes, it was wisely replaced with electric lighting.

[@TheWolfsnack]

..although for years in the UK, Lucas electrics tried to convince motorcycle owners of the opposite...."all hail Lucas, Prince of Darkness"....and how the British have warm beer because Lucas builds their fridges.....(learned by me at 16 years old, after my first experience of a Bakelite Lucas switch self destructing with a lovely blue flash on a dark highway at 2 a.m. I also learned the value of a magneto that night)

[@jerryjones2818]

Back in 1974 the U.S. DOT set "standards" for new motorcycles sold in the States. Those standards included putting the controls in the same place on all bikes. Turn signals became required then, along with the Headlight always being on.

[@dbmail545]

Someone with a memory

[@robertadams4415]

My interceptor came with a tool roll

[@scottdiamond7133]

The compression lever was a seriously good feature. Especially if you've ever kicked over a 600 CC single Thumper

[@DarrellCook-vl6lm]

Or tried to start a Vincent Black Shadow. Sailing sailing sailing over the handlebars with one leg punched through your chest.

[@pebear]

In 1973 / 74 US Congress passed a law that forced motorcycles to have a standard shift setup. So now you see all motorcycles everywhere (except older models) have left side shifts, and clutch and right-side throttles. This was done for safety but, it was to crush the British motorcycles in the 70's that all had right side shifts. Harley did have to re-engineer the Ironhead Sportster to left hand shift.

[@TheWolfsnack]

Indeed..I have had 1970 and 74 Sportsters with the right side shift, no big deal as I had already owned BSA and Nortons before....but I worked on an ex's 1976 Sportster and recall the factory workaround being a bodged looking shaft thing that moved the shifter to the left side.

[@pebear]

@@TheWolfsnack the 75's and 76's are two years that I would avoid because of all that heavy linkage carried under the belly of the bike just causes strain on the transmission. I bought a 75 from a buddy who was out of work and needed some cash. The bike ran good until the shifter shaft lost a c clip inside and the shaft was sliding in and out of the tranny and making it very hard if not impossible to shift. I sold the bike on Ebay to some father and son from PA looking to put it all back to stock (as if it were rare motorcycle gem) I gave them a full run down and allowed them to ride it up and down the driveway and I'm happy I got out of that bike even steven....

[@TheWolfsnack]

@@pebear Agreed....part of the reason I haven't ridden one in decades....after decades of pans and shovels, these days it's an older 1340 Evo for me. I don't trust anything newer...any more than I trusted a new stock AMF product.

[@pebear]

@@TheWolfsnack Can't go wrong with an EVO, it's the fix for everything wrong with the Shovel. I have an 01 Twin Scam (cam) FLSTF. The only thing I have done it it besides a couple carb rebuilds, was I replaced the cams at 60K. I went to replace the tensioners and noticed a couple flat spots on the cams, so they got replaced. I have my 73 XLCH that I converted to electric and threw on an S&S Super E, that's for around town, bar hopper.

[@TheWolfsnack]

@@pebear Agreed on the Evo, this is actually my first one, bought four years ago after a garage fire burned up a chopped 54 Pan/Shovel and a rolling chassis I was about to get a motor and tranny for. Insurance covered everything but the bikes...I did get a new and larger garage, plus all of my tools replaced with better tools, and had enough cash to buy the Evo...a 93 FXDL ported and polished, a Head Quarters cam, Screaming Eagle ignition, and Andrews gears. She runs real strong. Stay safe brother!

[@paulcannell7188]

my Yammy SR500 and Guzzi Nuovo Falcone both have decompressor levers. I only use them to get just over compression to kick start.

[@QuakeGamerROTMG]

Imagine a pedestrian walks out in front of you (it happens) and you turn them into fucking minced meat with your propeller bike

[@bartmotorcycle]

😂😂😂

[@anasrafeek8074]

Still bikes in India has beeper as an option for turn indicator

[@adrianpeds]

Beepers are also on a lot of scooters

[@lizcomery7283]

Yes, I think my 1986 Honda "nifty fifty" had one. Along with a fuel gauge, which none of the motorcycles I graduated to afterwards ever had 😄

[@wutzitrone4522]

My familys 1952 Moto Guzzi with a 500ccm single has a decompression lever

[@wutzitrone4522]

It also has foot brake and shifter on the opposite sides to normal

[@JukeboxGothic]

Acetylene lights on vintage bikes not kerosene.

[@tobiasleiminger5920]

Don’t know if they still do, but Vespas featured Hand shifters for a long time.

[@ItsDaJax]

I'm not sure if they still make manual scooters.

[@ArthursStudio]

Motorized bikes still have pedal start 😏

[@ajith2458]

Petalstarter available in India TVs xl 50

[@nick4506]

my 2006 fz6 came with a tool kit, I think eliminating it is a super recent thing. also some other old features my 1991 kdx 200 has fork oil drain bolts so you can change the fork oil without taking the forks off. the same bike also has a chain adjuster ratchet like a seashell shaped piece of metal with positions to adjust the chan tension to so you know its equel on both sides without needing to measure. old airstriker carbs have a big drain bolt so you can change the jets without taking the carb off the bike. 80's bikes used to put shrader valves on top of the forks so you could pressurize them for more spring rate. old BMW bikes came with an air pump on the bike so you could pump un the tires. older bikes have reversible shift arms so you could easily switch from gp shift to regular without any extra parts. also old scooter came with a spring start. where pushing a lever will wind up a spring that when released turns over the motor. my moms old 1980 honda express has that and I think Vespas did too.

[@stevestowell-virtue3781]

A lot of dirt and dual sport bikes still use eccentric chain tensioners. They are SO much better than the adjusting bolts that push the axle back. My /2, /5, and /6 BMWs had air pumps. My /2 BMW had a sprung saddle with about 2 inches of movement. As you rode along the saddle moved up and down with bumps and undulations in the road. This allowed your hips, knees and ankles to flex ever so slightly as you rode along. It's amazing how that little bit of movement kept my joints limber and let me comfortably ride for hours on end.

[@shannonwittman950]

I seem to recall the very early Kawasaki two-stroke motorcycles had a rotary shift transmission. That is, the rider would click down for 1st thru 4th gears. A 5th click down would put the bike into first gear again. Very convenient at a stoplight. A bit harrowing, uh, at speed. Later Addendum: I was mistaken. I think these were 4-speed gearboxes, not 5-speed. I'm talking early 1960's. Anyway, I forgot that the click down after 4th gear put the transmission into neutral. Not first. Less harrowing at speed but still no fun to suddenly be flying along in neutral -- and trying to remember to pull up on the foot-lever into 4th again. Not down, into 1st.

[@dbmail545]

Remember that. And remember how FU it was.

[@joelmclamore1139]

Bridgestone motorcycles,the small bikes had these.

[@jeffw1246]

I could go with a more noticeable turn signal light. I have a tool kit but a pain to get it out and repack it. Just ordered a jis screwdriver set for changing headlight, looks like a phillips but you'll ruin the screw. Gotta use a JIS spec screwdriver.

[@noahwail2444]

At least some Yamahas from the ´80 es had side stands that foldet up when lifted. Another forgotten feature is the twist-grip gearchance in the left handgrip, where the cluch was the lock.

[@ItsDaJax]

Like Vespas used to shift.

[@ChuckCassadyYT]

its amazing to me how so much of this guy's video comes from other channels with just his own voiceover. brilliant

[@michaelpond6386]

What no more Hot tube ignition?

[@MichaelandCathy1999]

My 1983 Honda XL 500 Single had a decompression lever so you wouldn’t break your leg/ankle when you kicked it over. It let you use the kick to find the compression stroke cycle. And my 1976 Yamaha RD 400 had a light in the speedometer that showed that the side stand was still down.

[@moushunter]

I installed a compression release on a Kawasaki 125 that I had. The cylinder head was factory drilled with 2 spark plug holes though only 1 plug was needed. The compression release was a nice braking tool on that 2 stoke single riding in the woods.

[@stefaniabrotto3750]

I used to have a very strange moped, called Piaggio Ciao, it’s a 50cc pedal start moped with a decompression lever to make it easier to start (like it’s hard to start a 50cc moped) and you could disengage the motor with a button to pedal if you ran out of gas (very Common thing since it had a 2 liter fuel tank) and despite looking like a bike and going almost as slow ad a bike (40km/h max) it was very fun to use since it wheith 36kg and in the 80s everyone used to have a Ciao here in italy because it costed like 700€ new and it was very cheap to mantain

[@ItsDaJax]

So it was sold as a Piaggio and a Vespa? First I've heard. Kinetics are clones of the Ciao. I had a TFR I never got together.

[@stefaniabrotto3750]

@@ItsDaJax in europe it was sold as a Piaggio ciao, in the us it was sold as the Vespa Ciao with some minor changes such as suspencion and the back light, here in europe the Vespa is a scooter Made by Piaggio from the 50s until now

[@ItsDaJax]

@@stefaniabrotto3750 Vespa and Piaggio scooters are sold here. Fun fact; here in Louisville Ky, they were sold through a bmw motorcycle dealership, that was owned by a Buick dealership across the street. When the dealership closed both stores, the local Harley-Davidson dealership started selling them.

[@stefaniabrotto3750]

@@ItsDaJax lol

[@MisterOcclusion]

Many of those things weren't features so much as necessary for the times, or simply experiments. You would not put things like plunger suspension, carburetors, and girder forks on the list. We've merely moved beyond such things

[@paulpaulsen7309]

"Tool kits", ... well, they were all of such poor quality that they were completely, absolutely and utterly useless in an emergency... apart from the spark plug wrench, nothing from this set was ever used, and that too was worn out after only a few uses, ... nobody misses them ...

[@Conorsev]

Did this guy take a single bit of this footage himself or did he steal all of it?

[@PhillipBicknell]

My 1980s CZ125 had a tool kit to which I added an emery nail-file board - the points were under the same side casing as the primary sprocket, so used to get oil burned onto the gap!

[@Motocicleiros]

He failed on mention "pedal starters" because there are several modern motorcycles that still have this feature. Honestly speaking I really would like that EVERY motorcycle of low and medium sized engines come with this.

[@millertas]

Ahh Beeping indicators. Takes me back to the mass protest rides in Melbourne during the late 70s/early 80s. Often a hundred would be beeping at once.

[@paulcannell7188]

also my 2013 Moto Guzzi V7 came with a modest tool kit. Guzzi riders can be trusted to wield tools apparently.

[@bartmotorcycle]

😂

[@A_S_100]

@@bartmotorcycle It's not 100% true. I've seen Japanese 125s with toolkits. Bikes usually do have toolkits but it'll be in a strange place that's not easily Identified.

[@timsatchell6713]

Hi Bart, am a regular watcher and like the channel. 1. Decomposition leavers. You turn the engine over until it stops on compression. Then using the decompression leaver you ease it just over compression. At this point, one full swing on the kick-start will take the engine through Suck/Squeeze/Bang/Blow and it should start. Get it wrong and it hurts. Try srarting a 600 Panther single without one. 2, Sprung loaded side stands. An intermediate safety feature between nothing and ignition cutout switches. Honda NX250 had one. Hated it. 3. Beeping indicators. Had several 70s bikes with them including 2 GL1000s. They were fazed out quickly because Honda uses a beep very similar to the audible GO signal on some European pedestrian crossing for the visually impaired.. Not good. I found them quite useful. Keep up the good work.