What's the point of placing the kicker on the left side?

This is what I'd expect to be a simple answer, but I couldn't really find one! A lot of these vintage bikes are left kickers and most today are on the right side, which is a lot easier if you like to sit on the bike. But my question is what's exactly the point of the placement? Now most people are right footed so I'd assume that maybe it's because it's easier to start the bike standing on the ground. But then again, if it's easier to do that, why do most bikes have right kickers? I'm just confused

I think it only seems weird because we are all accustomed to kicking modern right-side-kick bikes. If you had a lot of time on left-kickers, it wouldn't be a big deal. I have a buddy who had a LC4 KTM, and my brother has a TE410, and both of them have no issues (after the first day or two).

grew up on lefties and used to se many in MX days get off and kick with right and all bugged out when I got my 1st rightie (1982 YZ 125) and i would get off to kick it left footed!

I had a lefty or three myself (still have two) and always thought that it started out very early and had to do with how the early bikes (especially Euro) happened to design their kick start to work with the engines/frame designs of the day and it became the norm, The very early bikes as I recall were all push/bump start.
Very similar to why the bikes were left foot rear brake right shift for so long (left is right up is down) after everyone switched from hand shift to foot..
Interesting discussion.

The smart a$$ answer is because the kicker shaft is on the left! They are on the left because the clutch is on the left, and they engage with a gear on the clutch shaft. Now, the real question is why did they put the clutch on the left? Hmmmmm

i start my lefty all the time sitting on it...well 250 anyway, lol...

My wr360 has WAY too much compression for me to kick it lefty. My left knee isn't what it used to be so i never even tried it.

With a bad right knee, it's hard for me to kick "Normal" bikes, but I have no problem, with my left kick Huskys. Interesting too, is that the "Weird" kicker position, on a right kick WR250.... is easier for me, than the "Normal" position on most bikes, like my Husaberg TE250 2T.

I don't want to stifle the discussion but that doesn't really hold true.
My 66 and 73 Triumphs have a clutch on the left, shift on the right and start on the right. The 70s Maicos like the 73 i still have has the clutch on the left, shift on the left and starts on the left just like the 81 430 Husky out in the shed.
I could go on and we could have added sprocket side do the discussion but I don't see a pattern here.

My old 77' AW 400 Maico and all my early square barrels all were left kickers. I can only recall kicking it to life sitting on the bike a few times. Always stood to the left and kicked with the right leg. If you didn't have the engines timing set dead on and do it just right with the piston in the perfect position of the stroke it would fold the kicker and kick back like the devil. I had the kicker return back one time and it stuck about an inch into the back of my calf muscle just above by Alpinestars once and I didn't kick it again for about 6 months. As they used to say "Maico Brako". My Dad who took me to the Dr. said the hell with that. It was more like "She Maico she Maynot" I think he was trying to tell me something. Of course I still have it.

I think the answer is , back in the day you parked the bike on your kick stand and all starts we're GP style .

That is why it was on the left. Old Husky guy told me that .

Also, goes back to equestrian days where you mounted a horse from left side.

One can only assume it was easier to put the kicker on the clutch side. No long shaft thru the motor. Maybe it was cheaper too. The brits bikes were always a little ahead of there time. My 480 honda was on the left and that bike was tall. I needed a box to stand on to start that beast.And i used my right leg. When I first got it I tried sitting on the bike to start it but it felt awkward. Kind of like a righty trying to throw a ball left handed.

It's an X/Y chromosome thing, where most Swedes expressed the recessive gene for left handedness.

Or perhaps it's because these bikes (the latter vintage in particular) are so damn high off the ground you can't balance yourself to kick either left or right footed while seated and have to kick whilst off the bike, in which case it makes sense to kick the left side kicker with your stronger right leg (unless you're a Swede, that is).

the old argument was rear hub weight, in those days putting the brakes on the same side as the sprocket reduced hub or unsprung weight, the argument held till disc brakes came along, Cagiva/Husky engines (they were made with rear drums) with the high kick position, the Italians were clever to give a right side start but we can see the downside with the high starter comes a serious leverage disadvantage, Honda did it when DeCoster was involved

Good discussion. I absolutely have to stand off and kick with my right foot on my xc500. My lc4 is the same way. I've never been able to start either bike with my left foot while sitting on it, although I've gotten close with the husky when it's warm. I can light my maico 250 with my left foot sometimes, but I get more power out of my right. My old ktm 250 (86) had such a short left kick lever that I could easily fire it up with my left foot. I would have to guess you can get a better swing when standing off the side and kicking with your right foot.

The second part of that statement does not hold when you look back on the 50's, 60,s and 70's Husqvarnas when the average human could still touch the ground with both feet while seated on the saddle

on the early Husky the kick was on the right side, but before it moved so was the shifter, right shift, left brake

Remember most prewar and early post war bikes were British and they all had right kickers, right gear changes as you coordinate the throttle with the gear change, they were up for first and down for faster. The cunning Japanese and Europeans changed it all to fire the final torpedo int the British motorcycle industry.