Kawasaki and Suzuki, Please Step up Your Games (Kickstarters)

KDXGarage
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KDXGarage
Edited Date/Time 1/21/2020 7:41am
I felt sorry for the Kawasaki and Suzuki guys that had to restart their bikes during the races last Saturday night. It looked like 2004 all over again with all the kicking, kicking, kicking to try to get the bike started.

When other teams' bikes have electric starters, it makes it a disadvantage for your own teams.

PLEASE step up to what others already have.
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slipdog
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slipdog 1/20/2020 6:35am
1/20/2020 6:35am
Meanwhile, Suzuki employees on their way to work...


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kb228
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kb228 1/20/2020 6:42am
1/20/2020 6:42am
“kIcK sTaRtErS aRe MoRe ReLiAbLe”
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yz133rider
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yz133rider 1/20/2020 9:02am
1/20/2020 9:02am
These pro riders need to learn to put them in neutral first also.
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Ray_MXS
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Ray_MXS 1/20/2020 9:05am
1/20/2020 9:05am
This is only a problem if you crash in the first place.

People are so hung up on electric start. It's so not necessary. People are so lazy these days.
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The Shop

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yz133rider
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yz133rider 1/20/2020 9:08am
1/20/2020 9:08am
Ray_MXS wrote:
This is only a problem if you crash in the first place. People are so hung up on electric start. It's so not necessary. People are...
This is only a problem if you crash in the first place.

People are so hung up on electric start. It's so not necessary. People are so lazy these days.
At the pro level any advantage IS an advantage.
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Stewable
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Stewable 1/20/2020 9:08am
1/20/2020 9:08am
yz133rider wrote:
These pro riders need to learn to put them in neutral first also.
Easier said than done...
Goon126
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Goon126 1/20/2020 9:10am
1/20/2020 9:10am
kb228 wrote:
“kIcK sTaRtErS aRe MoRe ReLiAbLe”
Don’t tell that to the guy in the Chaparral commercial
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TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 1/20/2020 9:16am
1/20/2020 9:16am
Let’s see...list of complaints in 2020:
Ferrandis is mean & intentionally takes other riders out.
Chad should quit.
Kickstarters are too difficult to use.
BoooooHooooooop
Laughing
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Wade221
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Wade221 1/20/2020 9:25am
1/20/2020 9:25am
I love the magic button, but when I was about to head to a race EARLY one Sunday morning and found my stock Kawi battery was beyond dead AND the spare was dead(tried to put on charger and wouldn’t charge), I thought I was screwed (luckily a buddy lent me a batt at the track and I’ve since upgraded to FirePower). Long story short, there are trade offs. At that moment I wish I had my old kickstart KX
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TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 1/20/2020 9:38am
1/20/2020 9:38am
Wade221 wrote:
I love the magic button, but when I was about to head to a race EARLY one Sunday morning and found my stock Kawi battery was...
I love the magic button, but when I was about to head to a race EARLY one Sunday morning and found my stock Kawi battery was beyond dead AND the spare was dead(tried to put on charger and wouldn’t charge), I thought I was screwed (luckily a buddy lent me a batt at the track and I’ve since upgraded to FirePower). Long story short, there are trade offs. At that moment I wish I had my old kickstart KX
Yup.
And...in full disclosure: yesterday I was teaching a friend’s son how to ride the trickier single-track of Hollister Hills...I was stopping to watch (and wait for) him on a lot of hills and tricky sections. The “button” on my SXF was SO NICE!
But, when teaching the same kid the basics...a little over a year ago...when I was on a 2018 RMZ? No problem! Why? Because, I’m not afraid of a KICKSTARTER!
Laughing
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AH387
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AH387 1/20/2020 9:51am
1/20/2020 9:51am
I will never understand the mentality of not wanting the bikes that you like to get better. Instead defend them for not improving lol. I give Kawi a bit of a pass, since their 450 really was a good shot at making a change in 2019. The 250F is still a nice bike but I agree that it is time for the button. Not sure what to think about Suzuki, as talked about in the other thread recently.
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mxjeff575
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mxjeff575 1/20/2020 9:57am
1/20/2020 9:57am
When a championship can sometimes be determined by a handful of points, watching the rider lose multiple spots while trying to re-start the bike could be a game changer.
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Motodave15
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Motodave15 1/20/2020 10:03am
1/20/2020 10:03am
Ray_MXS wrote:
This is only a problem if you crash in the first place. People are so hung up on electric start. It's so not necessary. People are...
This is only a problem if you crash in the first place.

People are so hung up on electric start. It's so not necessary. People are so lazy these days.
No way, Bro i bought a 2018 husky 450 for the electric start damnit.

Ive had enough kicking riding my yzf 2001 until now. .. Magic Buttons Fo Lyfe from here on out.
gt80rider
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gt80rider 1/20/2020 10:51am
1/20/2020 10:51am
Ray_MXS wrote:
This is only a problem if you crash in the first place. People are so hung up on electric start. It's so not necessary. People are...
This is only a problem if you crash in the first place.

People are so hung up on electric start. It's so not necessary. People are so lazy these days.
This is how I see it.... I ride Kawi with a kick and zero issues with me.... I have the easy start button on numerous street bikes, and it is nice, but on my KX, it is just not needed for my day-in day-out use...
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Luke_Richards
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Luke_Richards 1/20/2020 3:04pm
1/20/2020 3:04pm
The people who complain so much about this topic are the same exact ones who complain when they have to raise prices for the bike to have e start.
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Barrett57
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Barrett57 1/20/2020 3:20pm
1/20/2020 3:20pm Edited Date/Time 1/21/2020 6:59am
Back in 1910 we used to get up before we went to bed at 3am, die of diphtheria before eating a handful of dirt for breakfast then bump start our 3bhp BSA as kick starts are for pussies and the entitled then ride to work to put in a 25 hour shift in the coal mines and pay for the privilege. Simpler times, but we were happy and so incredibly tough even if we say so ourselves.
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mattyhamz2 1/20/2020 3:33pm
1/20/2020 3:33pm
Wade221 wrote:
I love the magic button, but when I was about to head to a race EARLY one Sunday morning and found my stock Kawi battery was...
I love the magic button, but when I was about to head to a race EARLY one Sunday morning and found my stock Kawi battery was beyond dead AND the spare was dead(tried to put on charger and wouldn’t charge), I thought I was screwed (luckily a buddy lent me a batt at the track and I’ve since upgraded to FirePower). Long story short, there are trade offs. At that moment I wish I had my old kickstart KX
TeamGreen wrote:
Yup. And...in full disclosure: yesterday I was teaching a friend’s son how to ride the trickier single-track of Hollister Hills...I was stopping to watch (and wait...
Yup.
And...in full disclosure: yesterday I was teaching a friend’s son how to ride the trickier single-track of Hollister Hills...I was stopping to watch (and wait for) him on a lot of hills and tricky sections. The “button” on my SXF was SO NICE!
But, when teaching the same kid the basics...a little over a year ago...when I was on a 2018 RMZ? No problem! Why? Because, I’m not afraid of a KICKSTARTER!
Laughing
But you and I both know the RMZ is probably the easiest 4 stroke to ever start with a kickstarter. LOL
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captmoto
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captmoto 1/20/2020 6:07pm
1/20/2020 6:07pm
I had a total knee replacement so kicking a bike takes a little extra effort and planning, It's not as easy as it was but everything else about the replacement is better. If I stall all I need to do is pull the clutch in and press the button. Most times I can do it without putting my feet down. E-start for the win.

Pit Row

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snackfedbear
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snackfedbear 1/20/2020 8:17pm
1/20/2020 8:17pm
Just pull the hot start in pussy
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rob162
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rob162 1/21/2020 3:47am
1/21/2020 3:47am
Please tell me how nice the button is when you drive 4.5 hours to go race and the battery (firepower) that started the bike before you loaded the trailer that morning is now dead. Same with the backup. Put them both on a charger and nothing. The whole reason I kept a extra was so this didn't happen. Ended up racing a buddy's RMZ guess what it started every time 1st kick.
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cody41
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cody41 1/21/2020 4:01am
1/21/2020 4:01am
rob162 wrote:
Please tell me how nice the button is when you drive 4.5 hours to go race and the battery (firepower) that started the bike before you...
Please tell me how nice the button is when you drive 4.5 hours to go race and the battery (firepower) that started the bike before you loaded the trailer that morning is now dead. Same with the backup. Put them both on a charger and nothing. The whole reason I kept a extra was so this didn't happen. Ended up racing a buddy's RMZ guess what it started every time 1st kick.
This is what keeps me from buying a new four stroke with e-start.
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MXVet261
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MXVet261 1/21/2020 5:07am
1/21/2020 5:07am
I am 100% in favor of the button, because I'm old, short, and creaky knees....however....

in September I raced the High Point Vet National and on Saturday they have a dead-engine GP race where you start in rows. In the morning session where it was a little cooler, I watched several E-start bikes have trouble firing. One Husky the dude actually had to push his bike off to the side to let the next row go!

Mossy
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Mossy 1/21/2020 5:41am
1/21/2020 5:41am
Kickstarters are great for keeping stupid people from riding your dirtbike

My neighbor wanted to ride my 18 Rmz 450 the other day when I got back from the track. He couldn’t even get it started Woohoo

But I made a mistake. I started it for him after watching him attempt to kick it over 15 times and keep trying...

He then takes off down the street, wheelies, almost slams into a street sign, and crashed into my neighbors yard.

Luckily my bike had no damage since it just fell over in the grass, but his face got slammed into the dirt pretty hard and he was kinda banged up.

Kind of confused on why a mid 40 year old would want to act like they are some badass in front of a bunch of 20 somethings, and then almost mess my bike upPinch

Lesson learned. If you can’t start it, you don’t ride it Laughing

Haha but forreal I’ll never let someone ride my dirtbike again if I feel they don’t have much experience...
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resetjet
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resetjet 1/21/2020 6:00am
1/21/2020 6:00am
Watching forkner kicking that kawi with a hurt back made me cringe
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Asselstine 1/21/2020 6:11am
1/21/2020 6:11am
Kickstarter is the least of Suzuki's worries.
Dirty Points 1/21/2020 7:35am
1/21/2020 7:35am
Ray_MXS wrote:
This is only a problem if you crash in the first place. People are so hung up on electric start. It's so not necessary. People are...
This is only a problem if you crash in the first place.

People are so hung up on electric start. It's so not necessary. People are so lazy these days.
When's the last time someone made it through a season without crashing?
motogrady
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motogrady 1/21/2020 7:41am
1/21/2020 7:41am
Push it.

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