I'll just go figure it out myself, thanks for all the constructive help, yeah i need a valium too

 

What I said in post #4 should answer your question. Do you have more questions? I'm happy to help. Kick starting a Harley is partly method, and part feel which you will develope with more experience with your particular motor. If your battery has enough juice to light the headlamp, it might be enough to energize your ignition coil, which should allow the bike to be Kickstarted. It would be good to get that battery on a small charger.
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The headlamp does indeed light up. Yes thank you for the info, now my plan is:
1. replace plugs and wires,
2. evacuate old fuel, replace with fresh fuel,
3. clean the carb
4. charge, or replace if dead, the battery

of course this is all after the owner gets his title situation straightened out but that's another story, thks

 

Can have a rough crowd thing here sometimes - don't let it bother you. They are good guys.
Lots of great knowledgeable guys and willing to share that knowledge easily.

Not to sound demeaning in any manner, here are a couple of pointers.

First thing. Do not hit the electric start button while attempting to kick-start the bike.
Second - When you do try and kick start the bike = All systems are on, fuel, ign, on/off switch.
Then - Slow, even, with full effort, steady kick-through the swing of the kick start lever.
That may not make sense, but the point is, do not jab it, like say a 2 stroke dirt bike. Use your weight and steady even stroke though.
Note - Some carb bikes depending on jetting, benefit from a little twist of throttle at the same time of the kick - some. Some carbs have an accelerator pump that a couple of twists of throttle before kicking primes the system. Those are things you learn about your specific bikes likes and dis-likes.

Those are big pistons and you have to get them moving with enough inertia to get air / fuel mix sucked in, compressed and ignited.

 

thank you, yes we were doing those steps, but good to refer to once we get the other things sorted out, that is unless the Start button starts working.
at this point, since it likely needs so much esp given that a lot of stuff feels siezed/unlubricated (petcock, kickstarter, clutch lever was brutal on my arthritis) would it even be worth trying the roll-downhill-and-release-the-clutch-in-2nd-gear method?

 

Way to post things out of context. I also said "So for the OP and others, provide ignition and fuel and turn the motor over. With whatever method. Pull, kick, push, or thumb a starter!"
So after my rant I basically answered your question.

 

Yeah..... But does it go as well with meat as it does with fish? Just showing my age...

 

No Rose areas as far as I'm concerned. It's either white or red.

 

TOUCHE!!!!! awesome !!!

 

Sometimes if you need just a c***-hair more juice from the battery, you can yank the fuse for the headlight, that things eats and needs a lot of the battery power. This will often help give the bike the little bit bigger spark on a kick to get it going, then you can put the fuse back in if it's night time, otherwise leave it out if the battery's been draining and you don't know why - either of those until you get back home and can fix it.