I really am a girl....old, but still female, LOL! I work several jobs so I can't sit at home and respond as I'd like to and I'm having trouble opening this forum site with a blackberry. That means I can't read or reply on my breaks at work, either. Plus, I'm fostering 2 dogs (1 sick Belgian Malinois and 1 fat diva dog with Chupacabra breath) in addition to my own Malinois. I don't have much spare time right now, so I posted the original question on my day off this week. That's why I haven't posted back. I expect I'll be seeking advice pretty often here. One of my skills is paramedic and although I might be able to figure out why your heart stopped and how to restart it, I am utterly clueless when it comes to engines.

Yes, I really was in Iraq (in 2004-2005) in a fuel transportation unit. The insurgents liked to attack fuel convoys for some reason...... I think they hoped to see us run around with our hair on fire. My forum name is simply a reference to the fact that I enjoy shooting, and the real Annie Oakley seems to have been a pretty nice lady in addition to being a great marksman. The real Annie can rest easy in her grave though, because I have plenty of progress to make in both of those areas.

Thank you very much to all who have responded. I thought Dyna Ring had gotten out of the clutch business but I'll try to get in touch with them for help. The auto clutches available today still seem like a pretty good invention for off road, though I hated Honda's "automatic" street bike when it came out in the late 70's or early 80's. If I can't make this one work, I'll sell it and see about finding one that will. Buying a 450 offroad bike to match this clutch is simply out of the question for me. Way too much dirt bike!!!! The biggest dirt-only bike I ever owned was a KDX-200 back in the 1980s. That was such a great bike! It was a screamer until someone stole it and wrecked it completely.

So now, since y'all are willing to give good advice, what do you think about the kickstarter kit like the one on the thread at the link below? Is it worth the money to find, buy (around $315 plus shipping) and have installed by a shop? I plan on keeping this bike for a long time but the first electric-start-only bike I ever had was a Yamaha XZ-550 Vision and when the starter went out, it was impossible to push start and too heavy to push home. I really liked that bike, too, but it kind of soured me on not having a back-up way of starting a bike.
https://www.kawasakiforums.com/forum...ter-kit-19161/

Hmmm, I see there's an XZ-550 for sale up in Wisconsin...... Wisconsin Cycle Salvage Inc. - 1982 Yamaha XZ550RJ For Sale This site has some very interesting bikes! The problem is finding a mechanic that knows how to work on the older bikes.

My first motorcycle was a 1974 Kawasaki F7. That's from the days before plastic fenders.

Best regards,
Annie

 

Auto clutches have pro's and con's and have gotten better over the years. The last time I rode with ine though it had little engine braking so down hills were made more difficult by it but I think that is one of the areas where they have improved some.