Helped by a kickstarter

[kawashima]

Today my W650's batterie was nearly flat and the cell motor didn't run at all. This was the first time I couldn't start with cell motor.
After kicking kick starter about 30 times, it started luckily.
I rode for an hour and tried again, cell ran but couldn't start it.
This time I could start with one kick easily.
I've thought kick starter of W650 is there only for retro image, but I was helped by it and changed my mind.
30 times kick start is fine but 30 times bump start isn't fine for me.
I think every motorcycle should attach both cell & kick starter IMO.
What do you think?
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own:2020 Serow 250
owned: 2012 YB125SP, 2008 TDM900, 2005 W650, 2002 LS125R, 2002 CB400SF, NS50F, C50 / Trip to UK(2009), Hokkaido touring(2013)

[.....]

I think road bikes on the whole are fine with just electric start as generally you will be able to bump them and get to where you are going/home and sort the problem.

Off road bikes on the other hand should always have a kick start - it could be a long and tiring push back to civilisation through the mud if your battery packs up.

[MarJay]

[Gawain]

If its modern TCI ignition even with a kickstart it wont start as there wont be enough battery life to give a good spark... Maybe for marginal batteries but not for dead ones.

[TheDonUK]

How big are the mechanisms? practicle on a road sportsbike?,

If it dident change the ground clearance or adversely affect handling i would welcome a kickstart.

I ran out of petrol for the first time in a while last night, while trying to thumb a lift (hitching is almost extinct), and had to crank the starter for a while, i would have prefered to use a kickstart there.

Thats what you get for riding something designed from a racer
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[.Chris.]

They're very handy. Obviously they look a bit out of place on a sports bike but I'm not quite sure why the manufacturers deleted them from naked bikes, as like you describe they can get you home if your battery dies.

Same goes for cars really, starting handles seem antiquated but they're actually quite useful. Handy for turning the engine when setting valve clearances too.
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[MarJay]

[kawashima]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

I would love a bike with a kickstart. I've just put a new battery on the CB500 and she's happy again, but it wouldn't have killed them to put one on, seeing as it is a commuter. Not everybody has the energy to run up and down with a bike trying to bump start it. I'm tempted by a W650 for that very reason.
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[McGee]

I have for many years wanted a muscle bike with a kickstarter.

Just for the whole kicking it on and getting on.

I was thinking getting a retro Harley and making it into a cafe racer.
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◙◙► K6 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 1000 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► 96 RF600r ◄◙◙
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Its pronounced Jixxer!

[ncrn]

While I don't have any issues bump starting a bike, I find it can be a pain to do sometimes, especially if you are on a busy road or just in a really unfortunate position (at the bottom of a valley or something?).

I haven't had to bump my ER-5 yet, I'm thinking I might want to practice at some point as I've only bumped small bikes before.
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Past: 55 Sym Jet, 91 ZZR250, 03 NSR125R. Present: 97 ER-5.
https://www.nsr125.co.uk - NSR Owners forum.

[Robby]

What's this electric start you all speak of? Sounds like something for ladies and homosexuals to amuse themselves with.

[Suitor_Stu]

As said, there's nothing cooler (in the biking world at least) than jumping back on your bike, giving it a kick with a wee handful of throttle just to make sure then hearing it explode back into life - much more satisfying than pressing a button which winds a weedy electric motor to do the work for you.

That said, they are a right pain in the proverbial if you have been stopped at a set of lights of a while and just as you snick it into first the bastard stalls on you. This leads to a hurried 'clutch in, duck-walk to the side of the road' move then coupled with the routine of trying to find neutral again (which when stationary on a bike with a grearbox designed in the early '50s is a task in it's self!) and hopefully getting it going in time to make it back into the stream of traffic before the lights change again!

I suppose it's easier to tell when the battery is getting low mind you - I know that if I start to sweat trying to kick then it needs a charge!

Stu

[Chriss]

You lot make me want to modify the DRZ to put a kicker on it now.
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[Itchy]

[binge]

My pit bike is Kick start only. And its running a thinking called an "Outer Rotor Kit". Rather than a full size flywheel.
It's like a mini fly wheel, with Mini coils inside it. It's designed to be lighter.

Down side of this is the interia weight is alot less, And it stalls pretty easy.


Picture yourself at a red light. Goes amber, You dont have quite enough revs, And you stall it.


You are then holding up all the traffic you just filtered past, While you either paddle to the side of the road, Or fold the kick start out, And give it a good boot. Problem is, It's usually pretty hard starting it when its JUST stalled. Not sure why. Its a 150cc Single horizontal 4t engine. So quite a little thumper and has a good bit of kick.

Would be so much easier to just pull the clutch in and give the starter a whirl. (if it had one)

There are Electric start Pit bike engines out there. But they are a pretty shit design. And in order to start them on the kick start, They need to be in neutral with the clutch out.




Ben

[truslack]

All 3 of my bikes are kickstart only - 2 of them on the left hand side. The 125 is easy to start, and one of the 500's is alright when cold, but my second 500 is a bastard to start all the time. It'll be treated to a new carb sometime though, should help a bit.
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[ms51ves3]

The TZR is very easy to start. Once warm I can hand start it too.

[truslack]

[ms51ves3]