robcurrie wrote:You could make a small hole in the closed end and blow compressed air in with an airgun while pushing it onto the kickstart.
(This is how moulded reinforced rubber hoses are removed from their mandrels - even complicated shapes).
Rob C
The rubber for the B52 kickstart should be open both ends. There is a lump at the end of the kickstart which the rubber should sit behind as it stops it coming off in operation. Using petrol it should go on looking like a snake that has swallowed a large meal as it goes into place.
Is it possible you have bought the rubber for the later AMC box?
Interestingly there is no rubber shown or mentioned in the parts lists for the B52 Burman box nor is one shown on the sales brochure for 1955. My dad's bike, bought new in 1955, certainly did not have one from new either although I have used both the AMC rubber which is a very tight fit and as Clive suggests, looks like a snake swallowing a large meal when it goes over the lump at the end of the kickstart and a supposedly original Burman rubber which has a closed end and shaped aperture to fit the kick start pin pedal.
I used a little washing up liquid to ease the AMC rubber on the Burman pedal but the "proper" Burman rubber was much easier to fit without the need for assistance.