Boy was my second bike, a 1968 (Montgomery) Wards 360cc Riverside thumper (actually manufactured by Benelli in Italy) ever a bitch to start sometimes...especially when cold.
The kick-starter was located on the left side, and when it would kick-back on me, OY, what pain in my left knee and ankle would result. To this day I believe the reason my left knee is a little "trickier" than my right(something I occasionally notice out on the tennis courts now days) is because of that bike.
And not only was it a bitch to start when cold, but the kick-starter's design itself was somewhat shoddy. Its swing-out foot pedal was attached to the end of the main rod by use of a bolt, and over time that bolt would begin to bend and then break off completely several times on me as I'd attempt to kick-start it.
(...gotta say though, once it started it was a reasonably dependable little runner...and like most Italian motorcycles, handled extremely well)
