Kick start

Kick start refers to a method of starting an internal combustion engine (usually that of a motorcycle) by pushing a ratcheting level with one's foot. Kick start mechanisms were almost universally a part of motorcycle engines before the mid-1970s, and were phased out of production over the next five years or so as electric motors became standard equipment for engine starting. Today, only dedicated off-road motorcycles use kick start systems due to the increased weight of electric starters.