Is the e-start wasted on the WR450F?

[rkwfxd1]

So I hit Gorman yesterday with my daughter and decided I would use the kick starter most of the day for practice/fun. Dang, this bike starts almost easier with a kick than the button. Pull the hot start lever and it was almost always a one kick event. I am SO happy with this bike.

[MOTOPHILE]

At the dead engine starts I have been a part of, I think ALL of the wr450 riders kick it to get the fastest start. Though I have seen a few left behind who resorted to the thumb. Also a great energy saver on the trail. But yes kick starting is faster if done correctly.

[panaman]

I have yet to kick the bike over.... one of the reasons I bought the WR450 is for the electric start.... and another reason I am selling my XR400

[SXP]

and another reason I am selling my XR400

Keep the XR. My son and I recently did a couple of days in Baja and I decided to dust off my 2000 XR400 and take her along. I found myself riding the XR more than the WR and found it completely adequate and competent, and most importantly COMFORTABLE, for what we did down there. That old girl is a keeper and I just can't get myself to get rid of it.

[RSAthump]

It helps when you do rocks. when i ride up rocks and you have to stop, and you want to puke in your helmet, the estart is SOOOO worth it.

[McD23]

ja boet!

[RSAthump]

[YamaLink]

Great pics!! I have a friend with a trusty XR400 and he just purchased a WR450F. He, too, said the same thing. "Why does this bike have an estart? I can almost kick it over with my hand. That's how easy it starts." Of course he's embellishing. But I'm gonna fwd him the photos with the caption "why you will need the estart one day...."

[WR450FGreg]

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I almost always kick start my '08 WR450F. As others have said, it's so easy to do.

The only time I really use the e-start is at initial (cold) start up while I put on my riding gear and when I'm stuck on some hill, barely able to hold the bike up (I am 5'7").

I figure I want to "save" it for when I really need it. My e-start is like new and my battery is always full of charge and ready to start if need be.

Greg

[rkwfxd1]

Yea I was being a bit sarcastic. While I kicked it all day on the flat, I was sure glad I had e-start when I stalled it 3 or 4 times on a cliff side trail.

I also have an XR250 that I have decided I will never sell.

[kawi380]

Why would you even try the kickstart when you have an estart, except for dead engine starts I guess.

I bought the wr because I smashed up my right leg and couldn't kick the kx500 for a while. Now I don't want to ride the 500, mainly because of the estart.

[SJMC_DON]

Only use the kick start on dead engine starts too... I have had an 04' and now two 07's and have never had a e-start system fail for any reason, let alone over use...

I use the button 99.9% of the time:thumbsup:

[c9buff]

I've had nothing but problems, I still can't get the starter shaft to mesh correctly with the torque limiter. It spins against it and sounds horrible.

buff

[Sierra_rider]

When the button on my 450 broke, I finally had to kick it. I was surprised how easy it was to kick and didn't even fix it for a whole year until I was getting ready to sell it. Now that I'm back to a smoker, starting is even easier. It never stalls and starts with barely a half-hearted attempt at a kick.

[WR450FGreg]

.

"To each his own" as they say.

I like kick-starting mine simply because it's so bloody easy to do!

It's also a way to "show off" too! LOL!

My e-start will remain like new and always be there for when I really need it, something I like the thought of.

Greg

[PBDBLUE]

I've had nothing but problems, I still can't get the starter shaft to mesh correctly with the torque limiter. It spins against it and sounds horrible.

buff

There's something very wrong there. Not the norm for this bike. What year?

[SJMC_DON]

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My e-start will remain like new and always be there for when I really need it, something I like the thought of.

Greg

Greg - I would recommend using it at least once, every time you ride. Like a lot of things, an electric starter will eventually seize if it's not occasionally exercised.... considering the conditions we use the bike in with moisture from riding and washing, corrosion can occur inside the starter motor and breaking things loose once in a while seems like a good practice to me.

RE: Starter buttons - I go thru more starter / kill buttons than I do Chains and sprockets.... they are not the beefiest design that's for sure.

Later:ride:

[c9buff]

It's a 2005.

buff

[WR450FGreg]

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Greg - I would recommend using it at least once, every time you ride.

Don,

I do. See quote below from my first posting......

The only time I really use the e-start is at initial (cold) start up while I put on my riding gear and when I'm stuck on some hill, barely able to hold the bike up (I am 5'7").

...and this (the quote below) is exactly my reasoning too! ......

Like a lot of things, an electric starter will eventually seize if it's not occasionally exercised

?

[Just_a_trail_rider]

So I hit Gorman yesterday with my daughter and decided I would use the kick starter most of the day for practice/fun. Dang, this bike starts almost easier with a kick than the button. Pull the hot start lever and it was almost always a one kick event. I am SO happy with this bike.

Its crazy how easy they kick over. Nice, slow and steady kick. If you find TDC first, it will be running within 1/2 a kick. Harder kick if in gear.

Truthfully speaking, the estart is not wasted on the wr450. The wr450 is wasted in a place like gorman.

Try Spangler or Johnson Valley. You'll climb some hills that are so loose and rocky that you'll have a hard time maintaining your momentum. When you're tired and you stall half way up and your bike is sliding back down as fast as you came up, you'll hit that little button and then keep going while everyone else tumbles back to the bottom.

You'll love it at that point.