1975 xs650 push button start?

[mrmistoffelee...]

Asking on behalf of my father in law.

Is it possible to retrofit an electric button start to this? rather than kick starting?

Thanks in advance

[fast wooly]

What year is your fathers bike?I'm sure that all XS650 were electric start,I know that the early engines were as we use them in our classic racing sidecar outfit.

Andy
MTS Classics

[Evil Hans]

Electric start was added around 1972. Not sure if it can be retrofitted to earlier models. But if yours is 75 it should already have it. Earlier model engine fitted at some point?

Love those bikes though.
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Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

[mrmistoffelee...]

I'll get some pictures of the bike, not sure if it's an xs650 engine in a something else frame

Sorry my bike knowledge is not to good !!

[Robby]

In general, retrofitting electric start is possible if a later version of the engine had it. Possible, but rarely easy. You will generally need to replace at least a crankcase cover with the electric start version and do a bit of work inside the engine to fit electric start versions of whatever the starter works on - could be on the clutch side, could be on the alternator side.

Generally easier to replace the whole engine with the electric start version.

Or if it already has electric start but it was removed or disabled for some reason, it's fairly simple to get it going again. Work out how it works from the Haynes manual.

[redeem ouzzer]

I believe the XS650 has a Bendix starter with a reputation for being shite. Halco used to do blanking kits for them which shows it was a common mod to do away with the starter motor. Can't see the issue, it's an easy engine to kickstart and remember the old adage "for speed add lightness".
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Be a REAL MAN!