My experience with my 650 -

The KACR can and does make a loud clack at around 500-600 rpm if conditions are right. The system engages from 0-800 rpm or so, not sure of the exact number. So if the engine hits that low rpm at any point the shoes will hit the valve cap. I disabled the KACR on the 250, so I have not encountered that with it.

The starter clutch mechanism can make a clunk, again, under certain conditions. When shutting off the engine it can hit a certain point where the engine can "reverse fire" the piston, pushing it backward fairly hard. The reverse motion of the crank will be transmitted back through the starter one-way clutch, making a loud clack. Usually not harmful, when the starter clutch works backward it will spin the starter motor backward. I'm thinking the mechanism is sprag clutch with pawls or rollers that engage relatively gently when starting, but with a bang when kicked backward. The freewheel on a bicycle would be similar in concept, spins free one way catches the other.

 

If you go that far, disable the KACR. That can be done by removing the springs. I went one step further, using a piece of wire just small enough to fit in the spring holes (aka coat hanger) to immobilize the shoes in the retracted position. Next valve adjustment where I have to pull the cams I will have it removed. It is an unneeded vestige of the kick start only 250/300. The engine spins over just fine without it.

 

1. So when you take the engine apart you can see where the shoe is wearing (by hitting) the valve bucket. It doesn't seem to me that it would hit it any harder than the cam lob, but I am not looking at it and not going back in for quite a while.

2. This is what I am talking about... and sometimes it is harmful! I don't think the starter likes to be spun backwards.

 

1. I speak from experience on the compression release and the starter. Want to know how it sounds, start turning the idle down until it kicks in if the bike will idle that low. I have heard it. You'd hear the valves too if they had the kind of clearance there is between the valve cap and the compression release shoes. Imagine your valves with about .060 clearance, about 10 times the middle clearance - you'd hear serious clacking.
   
   
2. It has happened on my 650 a number of times and that motor kicks back a lot harder than a 250. Perhaps, based on your link to the thread, if it is being back loaded with the weight of the bike as appears to happen when stalling on a grade, it might do more damage since there is the weight of the bike pushing backward through the crankshaft. That could damage the bushings as you had happen.
   
   When shutting off the engine the load against the mechanism would be no where near as high. But there is no true reason for any issues with the starting mechanism rotating backward, the clack is the sprag clutch hitting in. Again, kind of like the ratchet mechanism on a freewheel.
   
   One other example of loading conditions causing or not causing damage. On my old TM125 dumped the clutch regularly to shut it off, stalled it numerous times, nothing happened to any bearings or bushings... But when I threw a chain that jammed between the CS sprocket and case, it loaded the crank so bad it climbed the clutch gear slightly, loading the ignition side bearing so heavily the race snapped when the force tried to push the ***** out of the way.
   
   

I wouldn't get overly concerned with the slight kick back and as I said, I'd disable the KACR since it is proven to be unnecessary.

 

1. OK
2. I hope your right, if so the bushing will probably never need attention.

I did stall it a lot on big hills!

I last year learned to slip the clutch, it is a whole different world now. Wish I'd have figured that out yrs ago.

 

I had to slip the clutch when I started on my old TM125 - two stroke, pipey!

I'm not much of a hill climber on the tough stuff, I just never liked not making it and having my bike slide to the bottom of the hill or worse.

The 650 has 45,000 miles on it and no starter mechanism problems to date. I hope yours lives long like that - mine too!

 

What I was asking was, do you think that specific brand of of oil might have been the cause?

I believe it was in the advrider klx thread someone mentioned his klx "didn't like" a specific brand he put in. Switched to another (cheaper) brand and all was well. I think the line of thought was some oil being engineered for high performance machines maybe not so suitable for simple klx engine. Something like that.

My thinking was, for example, you put car oil or 2T into it and you might have problems. You would say "yeah, 100% the oil caused whatever problems you were having". So oil could be a culprit for some problems.

Problems started after new oil put in; hence my sus-picions. (Funny. System won't let me write this word?) I originally started with dino oil for breakin.

It's probably not related, but I tend to think in logical progression. Change A, problem B starts, then A is your likely culprit.

Will wait and see if problem pops up again. Of not, then no worries.

 

My apologies I misread what you wrote. I thought the Silkoline worked, but you were considering going to the regular oil. My mistake.

I do not know if problems like you had could be caused by oil. Usually the synthetics may work a bit better, but not always in every bike. Gold Wings always shifted smoother with synthetics. But I never noticed any difference between synthetic and dyno oil in my 650.

You did have the gearing change which may have affected your shifting for a bit, but regardless, if it was me, I'd run what works. I run Rotella now since it is JASO-MA oil, it works for me. If you find the low buck oil works for you, run it.