Sherco Kickstart Return Spring Fitting Guide – 1999 to 2022

This guide has been put together to help people to replace the kick start return spring and to show why the ratchet buzzes when the washers wear out.

1. First of all you need to drain your gear box oil and engine coolant from the bike.
2. Remove the kickstart (5mm Allen Key)
3. Remove the back brake pedal (13mm Spanner)
4. Remove the inner clutch cover, gently pull the cover off keeping the cover square as it come off the kick start shaft
5. Remove the 6 bolts holding the clutch springs in place (8mm socket)
6. Remove the clutch pressure plate, be careful to ensure you don’t lose the thrust bearing washer as it sticks to the plate.
7. Remove the thrust bearing and bush
8. Remove the clutch fibre and steel disc plates
9. Using the Sherco clutch holder, remove the retaining nut (24mm Socket)
10. Remove the clutch hub, again watch out for the washer sticking to the back
11. Remove the clutch basket and gear assembly, sometimes the needle bearing and bush stay in the gear be careful 
    not to drop them.
12. To remove the kick start shaft, loosely put the kick start lever back on, rotate the kick start assembly counter clockwise till the ratchet comes off the stop, now the kick start assembly should simply pull out passed the stop then rotate the assembly clockwise to unwind the spring. The whole kick start assembly should now simply slide off
    
13. To remove the spring slide the slotted bush off the shaft, now push the spring to the side so the inner tang comes out of the hole and then slide the spring off the shaft.
14. Check the spring for cracks or damage, replace if necessary, see here https://www.splatshop.co.uk/sherco-kick-starting-spring.html
15. Check the condition of the 2 washers found on either side of the gear, these washers can get worn causing gear to rub on the ratchet which makes an annoying buzz when the engine is running. the pictures below show a badly worn washer:
     
16. Replace the washers if they are worn, see here https://www.splatshop.co.uk/sherco-washer-17x25x1.html
17. Check the washer and the compression spring left in the engine case, replace if necessary.
18. Clean all the parts with compressed air and check for wear or damage
19. Assemble the washer, bearing, gear and the other washer on to the shaft with a drop of fresh oil
20. Align the inner tang of the spring with the hole in the shaft and slide the spring in to position
21. Centre the spring with the tang in the hole and then slide the slotted bush under the spring
22. If you removed the ratchet make sure it is in the correct position, there are 2 notches one on the ratchet and one on the shaft spline, see picture below, make sure these notches are aligned.
    
23. Put the washer and the compression spring back in the engine casing
24. Put a splash of oil on the kick start assembly and place it back in the casing making sure tang on the spring goes in to its correct hole, see picture below.
    
25. The assembly will not go all the way back due to the stop but make sure the spring is well in to its hole
26. Loosely place the kick start lever on the shaft and wind the spring up counter clockwise till the ratchet goes past the stop
    
27. The assembly should now press all the way back, let the spring unwind till the ratchet goes back behind the stop.
28. Make sure the spring is fully pressed into its hole
29. Hold the shaft square, check the gear spins freely and it isn’t clicking on the ratchet, the spring can pull the shaft into the other gear making it feel rough
30. Check the kick start lever springs back into its return position, if it doesn’t double check the ratchet and shaft notches are aligned.
31. Put the inner clutch cover back on (be careful not to break the water pump gear) and check the kick start goes all the way down, if it gets tight double check the ratchet and shaft notches are aligned.
32. Remove the cover and reassemble the clutch in reverse order of disassembly, tighten the retaining nut to 60Nm, 24mm socket
33. Reinstall the cover with a new Clutch Case Gasket
34. Fasten the kick start and the rear brake lever back in place
35. Refill the gearbox with 450ml of new SAE 75W Gear Box Oil
36. Refill the coolant to the top of the radiator with new coolant, use the same type as was used before or flush the old coolant out with water.