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I had one of the 74 bikes for a short time. I was told never use the kick start for anything but a dead battery. They were prone to breakage. I have a kick start on my 78RS, I have used it once when the relay conked out on me. After getting the bike started, I thanked God for the fellow who invented electric start.
There is another air head thread right now covering issues with the weak gearbox. St.
Kick starters are highly overrated imho and certainly hardly worth the trouble of retrofitting.
Speaking of 1923 technology, I still remember the hand crank on my uncle's 1930s vintage Allis Chalmers tractor. He very carefully showed me to spin the crank by pulling on it instead of pushing on it so a backfire would only yank it out of my hand instead of breaking my arm.
I also fondly recall attempting to kick start a BSA 441 Victor with my lean 140 pound body. If I had begun attempting to become a rider back in those kickstart days I would be a car enthusiast or a train enthusiast or something.