Was Roczens failure to get the RMZ to fire enough?

If the bike started right up would he have gotten as much still on screen time? Suzuki is playing 4D chess 

I just dont understand why they wouldn’t add it. They had e-start on the rmx I cant imagine it would be that expensive to add.

I also cant imagine why somebody would buy a rmz today unless it was significantly less than all the other bikes.

Lolllllll

Weight, probably. If they don’t trim down the weight elsewhere then they’d be adding even more to the heaviest 450 if the throw an e-start on. 
 

RMZs can be had for $2k less than other 450s in many markets (msrp is $8,999 but there’s a $1,000 rebate that’s been running for years). An RMZ with a revalve ($800ish), seat cover ($70), bars ($90), and a pipe ($800 for stainless full yosh) is a solid bike with performance and comfort improvements for less than OTD on a bone stock bike from other mfgs.  

winner.  lock page.

I’d like to think there is at least one guy in Japan that is a MX nerd who happens to be in a middle management position who watches the races on the clock in the office. 

It was hard to watch, he had such a great race going

I believe ML mentioned that Ken had to option to add E-start to the bike, but opted against it. Not sure of the reasoning though.

Two things. 
 

Kenny should have known better than to try to start the bike in gear, it never works. You always have to get it in neutral and you waste a bunch of time trying anyways. 
 

Second does anyone know why the bikes dont start with the clutch in? It seems like it should work for obvious reasons, but it doesnt. Why is that?

Took AP a good minute to get his e start ktm going a race ago.

You are turning more things,  the clutch basket is heavy and big.  The clutch drag too.  It can start that way,  its just much harder.  

Yeah with no clutch lever?   

I think it would me near impossible under current rules to get the bike down to a raceable pro weight(220lbs).  It a whole bike redesign and i am not sure we will ever see that.  I think suzuki will slowly fade away. 

Broken clutch lever had to bump start it .

That there are still teams willing to race that bike, and Suzuki doing so little to support the sport that gave the brand so much fame and good press is a shame. Robert, Gebeors, DeCoster, etc., were winning on Suzuki's at a time 100,000 people could be at a Motocross Gran Prix. Now, virtually nothing. So sad.

All I know is I was damn close to getting my DNF prediction correct for race one . He almost gave up on that yellow turd. 

I felt bad for Ken.  It’s hard to get a bike in neutral when shifter, boots, engine Is half covered in mud, on uneven ground to boot.  When you get all pumped up and in a hurry it’s hard to get on the right stroke to start.  Looked like to me he had to pull the cold start to get it to fire.  I thought I saw him reach down and turn it off.  He got frustrated and just started kicking, which he even admitted, it wore him down some.

I doubt we will ever see an e-start RMZ, way to much R&D which equals money.  More to it then just adding electric start.  They would have to deal with weight and also other technology to get close to other brands. I doubt that product lime is profitable enough to qualify for R&D.  If it was they would have done it a long time ago. 

I never said such.

He was reaching down to put it into neutral by hand imo.

More Suzukis finished in the top 10 than Hondas.   Even with that crash. 

Pretty sure that there are differences in the cases between the RMZ and the old X model so it would not be as easy as it sounds to some. The X model wasn’t ever homologated, so you couldn’t simply sign up with one of those and strip off the fluff, either. 

The only way Suzuki spends the capital to add estart is if we start a gofundme.

Kickstart Kenny!

That was painful to watch.

All of the ppl who were complaining about why anybody needs an electric start, theres your answer. 60 seconds to start vs 5 seconds. 

Sure, Kenny’s “kick-start” situation worked against him after that crash,..but…

For the 1st time this year

I saw someone race Jett HARD and gave me the most exciting 450 motos of the year (so far). 

Brutal watching Ken go through that process of getting the bike fired up. I can’t see Suzuki being around much longer if they don’t modernize the bike.

You don't need a clutch lover to start your bike in neutral. It still took him over a minute to get his bike and neutral and fired up.

My mistake. The fact that they could do it, and what it would take for them to do it is what you mentioned. Not that they actually offered to do it.