Electric Start?

[AKdragon700]

How necessary is having electric start on a snowbike? Just convenience or a must?

I am young, I ride a kick start dirt bike and have a pull start sled. Never been a problem or discomfort for me.

I imagine it will be the same for me on a snowbike? How often when your out riding your snowbike are you in a position where its difficult to kick start your bike? They practically hold themselves up in most snow right?

 

[Revv Up]

It's not an absolute must have ...but there will be the odd time when you fall in a really inconvenient place. Being younger will really help the situation.

 

[Motogeek33]

Kicking your bike can be easier on the snow, since the bike is planted and you can stand up on the left foot peg while kicking. It's also waaay easier to start a flooded bike with a kick than a flooded sled with a rope. I was reminded of this last Monday when I was riding with some sled buddys... it takes a pretty manly arm to pull that rope one-handed while holding the throttle wide open.

 

[PalousePoo]

Electric start isnt necessary at all. The only really bad place where its hard to kick is if you stall it on a steep loading ramp. A recluse clutch can prevent that from happening though.

 

[mtboondocker]

Today, the snow was so deep i had to dig out the kickstart and clear a path for it so i could kick it. First time for that.
Electric start is a luxury, its not necessary.

 

[mtboondocker]

Hey palouse

How do you like that tank? Got any pics of it?

 

[maineiac]

For us old farts with a bum right knee, soccer injury, its a necessity if the bike doesn't start in 6-7 kicks. Rekluse 3.0 is way cool.

 

[MrDieselTwitch]

For me its a requirement. I will never buy a bike without an E-start. It never fails that you're at some odd angle or its deep in a hole where you want to just ghost ride it out. being able to hit a button and twist to get the bike out is awesome! I also think having start with an auto clutch make riding so much more fun and takes a lot less work! The E-start also making starting a cold bike easier. Hit the Button and kick at the same time, 1-2 trys in 0*F weather. I would also not buy a bike without a kick start backup. On top of all that the E-start means more time riding and less time playing catch up or feeling like people are waiting on you to start their bikes

 

[tomk]

In the 4 yrs I have had snowbikes I have never had a time when I couldn't kick start the bike, if you think it is a must man up

 

[M5-]

Its a luxury for sure but so are heated seats in the truck and I'm not about to give those up anytime soon either.

M5

 

[Rush44]

E-start is nice but if it's your ONLY way to start the bike you can be left in the woods. You have to have some kind of backup in that situation. Many people around here do the battery tender leads and leave them installed permanently on the bike and drill a hole in the airbox to feed them through so you don't have to pop the seat to jump the bike.

Whisterhawk showed me the most badass jump starter I've ever seen in my life when my bike died from a rubbed raw positive battery terminal cable that was grounding out on my frame. The antigravity Micro Start X3... this little badass started my bike about 7 times with no signs of slowing down. It'll start a V8 truck too and weighs about as much as a deck of playing cards. I've ordered one and will always carry it with me from now on.

http://antigravitybatteries.com/microstartxp3/

 

[Crazygunner101]

How necessary is having electric start on a snowbike? Just convenience or a must?

I am young, I ride a kick start dirt bike and have a pull start sled. Never been a problem or discomfort for me.

I imagine it will be the same for me on a snowbike? How often when your out riding your snowbike are you in a position where its difficult to kick start your bike? They practically hold themselves up in most snow right?

My 2012 wr450 came with it and i love it not only getting stuck on a side hill and trying to kick a 450 and a huge angle would be hard to balance and in deep powder with all your gear on i would get wore out. And after begin on the hill for 7 hours and your tired but want to keep riding the E start will enable you to start with ease if your legs are fried.

If you hit a tree and **** ur leg up its good to have the option of starting the bike to get out of the situation if your unable to kick over the bike.

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

going down kick'n

when I grow up and have more money I'm going to buy a bike with guaranteed e start. so far my old wr450 is.....shall we say now and then. No biggie it kick starts with about half a shove on the lever. 3 brands of starters, numerous guaranteed posts several batteries and modifications, lottery ticket electric start, I get up every Saturday just too see if the button is functional. You don't need it. Your neighbor will always have an e start that never fails and is full proof when it works. I haven't had to push start my snow bike yet but the day will come.

 

[Ridgeback71]

Old School

Not knocking the e starts, but the decompression starters now are amazing. Feels like you are kicking over an 80, a 6 yr old girl could start one. Started my CRF 450 yesterday by hand (more than once) just to see if I could. Nice, probably, needed, not. It's more work for my fat *ss to get a leg over the seat than to start the bike.

I remember trying to steal my cousins TT 600 out of our barn for a joy ride back in 85-86 and it was like kicking a mule; it kicked back! My foot slipped off more than once and it was like getting hit in the shin with a bat, plus ripped all the skin off the bone. But I was going to ride it come he*l or high water; and it was worth it when it did! It builds character right?

Guess it makes me Old School but seems like a guy should kick it over. Makes me feel like more of a man. Wondering the same thing about a rekluse clutch. Isn't shifting supposed to be part of the fun?

I think I am going to go with heated grips though, maybe I'll see if I can get them in pink

 

[WASnowBiker]

newspaper used to be the norm, until toilet paper came along… Both work, one's LOTS nicer than the other.

 

[Niskibum]

Let me know when you go buy a new truck with a crank in the front instead of a starter.

 

[Frostbite]

The extremely off camber spots you can find yourself stuck in on a snowbike make electric start very high on the list of "wants". No it's not a necessity but, you will learn to love it, especially after having to dig the bike out after a nasty session of being stuck, having the ability to just hit a button to restart your bike is a very welcomed benefit.

Look at the heavy duty pickups of today. Supposedly, all the manly guys wanted a manual (I have had my share) but, today there is only one builder left selling them with a diesel engine. Not because men are less manly today but, because they just can't handle the torque of modern diesels. No, you don't have to turn in your "Man Card" to drive a modern diesel with an automatic transmission any more than you would for buying a dirt bike" with an electric starter.

Manufacturers continue to add electric start to more and more of their dirt bikes not because guys are any less manly today. It's just an ease of use issue and the fact that technology has allowed electric start to be added without the extreme weight penalties of the past. Embrace change and find a bike with the magic button and a back up kick start. You will thank yourself down the road.