What happened to the not stressing about stuff Al? It sounds like you had concerns over the estart?

I’ve not known a tpi not start on the button yet (assuming battery, filters and fuel/plug is good). Don’t forget that by kicking everything has to wake up as you kick where on the button everything is live as you touch it. It is unlikely to fire up like a carbed bike with a kicker unfortunately.

There’s a reason why most manufacturers have ditched kickers now. Batteries and starting equipment is much improved. On most anyway.

From what I gather, you have more risk of fouling a plug, breaking a wire or a sensor go down rather than a need for a kicker.

There’s various ways to bump one if you have the capacitor mod sorted. Even in a hole.

 

What happened to the not stressing about stuff Al? It sounds like you had concerns over the estart?

I’ve not known a tpi not start on the button yet (assuming battery, filters and fuel/plug is good). Don’t forget that by kicking everything has to wake up as you kick where on the button everything is live as you touch it. It is unlikely to fire up like a carbed bike with a kicker unfortunately.

There’s a reason why most manufacturers have ditched kickers now. Batteries and starting equipment is much improved. On most anyway.

From what I gather, you have more risk of fouling a plug, breaking a wire or a sensor go down rather than a need for a kicker.

There’s various ways to bump one if you have the capacitor mod sorted. Even in a hole.

I'm not stressing but the only reason I bought the Husky is because it's probably the most reliable bike. For the cost of a kickstart kit, I'd rather have it and not need it than be stuck on the side of a Romanian mountain with a bike that won't start. Plus, I normally keep bikes for a while and all e-starter systems eventually wear out or go wrong.

But yeah, on the whole, I think the bikes don't have a problem starting. It's just belt and braces. It's just a bit shit that it doesn't fire up immediately on the kicker. You can hear it prime the pump and the electrics all lightup, it just doesn't catch. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the dealer put it together incorrectly...

 

Fair comment.

My Fi trials bike needed a half kick to get the sensors to wake up and then one proper kick to fire. Have you tried that? Maybe with the capacitor mod in place this method will work better as the capacitor will then do it’s job?

It will be good to see how this works out. I’m sure owners of older tpis will be also wanting to fit kickstarters at some point.

 

I sort of have tried that but the kick starter is pretty stiff so it's quite hard to give it a proper kick. Maybe it'll settle in with use. I'll give it a proper go.

 

I can't see why it would be harder to kick than previous bikes (of the same capacity), not a lot has really changed, the port timings are almost identical and will have similar compression.

Take the plug out and it should be very easy to kick over, if it isn't then something is wrong...

I'd have thought that after the first kick it's going to be fully awake, so any further kicks should start it.

Maybe the engine needs to turn over faster than you're kicking it to properly start? (due to the stiff kicker??)

It's not CDI so the ecu and coil etc will need lots more power which should be supplied by the battery so that can be eliminated...

 

My 18 tpi had a kick starter and was a pig to start with it! Cold almost impossible to start with it!

 

Do you know its funny you mentioning that and I have only just thought about this. When I listen to a tpi firing up it turns over a few times before they burst in to life. My carb 300 is the first stroke past tdc. Its totally different and maybe you really need an electric starter on the tpi because of the fuel injection system as they don't start straight away. My carb bike is totally different. It literally is first kick. Horses for courses, so to speak

 

I don't think I've used a kicker on a bike since I got my 1st leccy boot model in 2011, apart from the usual cold start procedure on pre 2017 KTMs.
I used to have to clean and lube Beta kick levers to stop them seizing up due to lack of use.

 

Cheers forum monkeys..

Yeah I've never had to use the one on my beta yet either. I wouldn't expect to have to use them unless in an emergency. I use the one on my 2014 KTM all the time. Lol.

 

I posted a while ago about the 'condensor mod' so you can bump a dead battery tpi.

I fitted a kicker to my 2020, and it only starts with the condensor plugged in.

Why KTM dont offer that in the exc kicker kit l dont know (the non exc bikes all have the condensor as std for some reason)

Therefore, fit a kicker and you need the condensor (for the exc and the like)

 

My Beta doesn’t even have one. The starter button just works.

 

P.S my 2020 has the kicker as my dirt bikes have always had them ........ 'no kicker paranoia' ate me up.

 

I have on yes on my 23 ktm 300 I had it put on the bike by nick from eurotek also with the capacitor works perfect hot or cold