Has anyone ever had any experience with a slipping kick start lever? I normally give the bike a few kicks with the decompression lever depressed, then a few kicks with the lever released and it should start.

However sometimes you kick and the engine will turn over fine. Other times the lever just kicks (not very smoothly) and the engine doesn't turn.

Any advice will be appreciated.

That sounds like your clutch is slipping a bit, my ossa does this every so often the kick start feels a bit spongy on the down ward stroke when it slips. steve

bisby is on the money. Montesa, Bultaco and OSSA (and countless British bike) kickstarts drive the motor via the gearbox. Same reason why you have to find neutral to kickstart them (unless you want the bike to take off as you kick it over).

The more modern arrangement is for the kickstart to drive the motor via the clutch basket

could also be a problem with inner cogs or ratchet teeth on kickstart cog or spur or broken spring or washers missing causing weak pressure from spring or worn shaft bushes or even cracked inner case

Sounds very familiar as stated above, not unusual, your lever may be a tad tight (adjustment) or

just not as I find at times, just not kicking smartly when cold or rider tired.

If you don't hear grinding or clunking it is just a normal thing.

Larry

As mentioned above the clutch is slipping. Back off on the clutch adjustment and don't overlook something as simple as a kinked clutch cable. Putting a kink in the clutch cable can happen very easy if you don't tuck the cable behind the front edge of the gas tank after raising the tank.

Your 'little monty' is trying to talk to you. He's saying "fix me"..."fix me". It is almost a certainty that if the clutch is sliping during starting, that the clutch is slipping when your riding the bike, you may not notice the slippage, but it's almost certain.. it is. "Fix me" ..."fix me".

Thanks for all the replys. I am almost pleased to hear most people mention the clutch, as this will probably be the easiest thing to fix. I will look into loosening off the clutch cable a bit, if that fails to fix it then I'll look at replacing the plates.

Should keep me busy for a while.
Thank you.

So I finally got round to working on the bike. I've removed the old clutch plates, they were very worn. I took out 13 plates, but the new plates I got from Sammy Miller have 15 plates. When I fitted put the clutch side casing back on the clutch was rock solid and I couldn't move the lever. I removed 2 of the plates and a quick test allows the clutch to move.

Before I put the bike back together and fill it up with oil, I just thought I would ask if anyone has had experience of this? Is this a suitable fix?

my bike has the same problem...did you ever fix it?   my bike is a 1976 348 montesa trial