Suzuki 2 Strokes

I have questions about the kickstart and gearshift lever:

I have been fiddling with a rebuild/cafe project on this bike. I have everything mostly reassembled, minus some electrical work to do. However, the kickstart lever will not work when the bike is in neutral. It works when I hold the clutch in. I don't hear or feel any sound of compression or puffs of air when I do that, but I do have the exhausts off, too. The gears DO shift, and if I put it in 1st and hold the clutch in, the wheel/chain still turn with resistance like I'd expect. SO... I feel like that rules out a seized piston? At the beginning of this project when I had the carbs off, I could see the pistons moving smoothly and without and gritty feeling. I guess my question is: Does the bike kick over without the clutch when it is in neutral? Do I need to hold the clutch in to kick the bike over? Are one of the bolts on the bottom (often mistaken for oil change bolts) a culprit? I read somewhere that there is a bolt that fits into a gear-shift cam down there.

Next question:

Can the gear shift shaft be reversed so that I can use the side with the GOOD teeth (on the right side of bike with the rubber cover) and flip it over and through? Any clarification would help a bunch? I'll keep milling over the service manual, but it doesn't seem to specifically mention either of these things.
T

Thanks ahead of time!

On the 500,the kick start spins the countershaft, which turns the clutch basket, which turns the primary gear and crankshaft. When you pull the clutch in and kick over, you spin the clutch pressure plate but not the basket, same as turning rear wheel with clutch pulled, you won't spin crankshaft. So the only way to kick over the engine is in neutral with clutch released.
When you say the kick start doesn't work in neutral, is it tight and won't move or does it not engage?
If you remove spark plugs and spin rear wheel in second gear with clutch released, it should spin the crankshaft fairly easily.

Hm. Ok. It's tight and won't move. In neutral, no clutch pulled, kick start does not depress under my weight. It will if i pull the clutch lever. Almost like neutral is actually a gear. I can tell its in neutral, though, because i can spin the rear wheel (while on center stand). So you think maybe my clutch plates might be rusty/fused? That could be an easy to check/resolve issue!

Also, do you know if the gear selecter shaft is reversible? (Question from above).

Thanks a lot for replying!

Flouxes27 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:48 pm So you think maybe my clutch plates might be rusty/fused?

I would not think so, if the clutch is stuck it wouldn't release and allow you to spin over.
I hate to say, but I think you need to check if engine is free.

Flouxes27 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:48 pm Also, do you know if the gear selecter shaft is reversible? (Question from above).

No I don't know about shifter, I remember it discussed on here before,but don't remember.

Hi Flouxes27,

I assume your gear change shaft has splines at both ends. If the left side has damage to the splines I believe you can reverse it. However this would involve removing the quadrant after pressing out the locating pin. Then machine a hole on the good spline side and re-assemble.

As an alternative Pete O'dell of "The Motorcycle Works" in Peterborough (UK) has recently had a batch of new shafts made in both Single and Double spline versions. A simple straight forward replacement.

Cheers Geoff

Thanks a lot, dudes! I'll update what I find soon. And thanks for the new shift shaft resource!

Update! YEP! She was sliiiightly locked up. I got impatient today and stood my bodyweight on the kick-starter. I didn't want to remove the whole dang carb assembly for the 13th time. Although, in retrospect, you can see/do just about as much with the pistons on the exhaust ports, but I didn't think about that until after. Anyway, 157 pounds of weight later, she is free and rolling with good compression sound. I get to fiddle with fuel and wires this weekend, and it should be a good possibility of combustion!!!! Thanks again, everyone!

She's running! Pics soon!