DRZ-400-E Can kickstart be put on?
Frank Bock
I was at my local Suzuki dealer today to look at new DRZ-400's. They
only had the base model DRZ-400 on the floor. I really like the idea of
having that magic button for the little extra cost and weight factor.
Could someone out there please tell me if the "E" model still has the
splined shaft out the case for a standard kickstarter to be added? Are the
internals still in place to make this possible? I am a little concerned
about the reliability of the electric starter battery. After all,
batteries don't last forever. I have never tried to push start a larger
displacement 4-stroke before; and this may not even be possible if you
were in an awkward position (stream,rocks,etc.).
--
Frank Bock
fwb...@home.com
Greg Evans
news:vAih6.296799$hD4.71...@news1.rdc1.mi.home.com...
I am a little concerned
> about the reliability of the electric starter battery. After all,
> batteries don't last forever. I have never tried to push start a larger
> displacement 4-stroke before; and this may not even be possible if you
> were in an awkward position (stream,rocks,etc.).
Been there, done that, with a dork who killed the battery on an old DR that
I had from crashing and restarting so much. Towing the bike out on rocky,
loose single track was just too much fun. :o( DON'T buy a bike without a
kickstarter.
ge
99 KLX 365
99 Beta Techno 280
Ken
and that seems to have worked out. Run and bump also works in the
woods, although not so good in the mud or sand.
Ken
(to reply via email
remove "zz" from address)
Chuck Etris
that you remove the right side case to install it though- definitely not a
15 minute "bolt on" mod.
Chuck- Charlotte, NC
"Frank Bock" <fwb...@home.com> wrote in message
news:vAih6.296799$hD4.71...@news1.rdc1.mi.home.com...
Keith and Manda
deal, so they install it.
Keith
Greg Evans
happened to me. Dead in a creek dry creek bottom littered with
rocks/boulder and steep trail up on both sides. We had to pull it out, and
that itself was tough.
ge
99 KLX 365
99 Beta Techno 280
"Ken" <cprst...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:3a863823...@news-server.optonline.net...
Scott Aldrich
: "Frank Bock" <fwb...@home.com> wrote in message
3 years, 5 enduros, 8k miles and not one problem with a '98 Suzuki
DR350SE with NO kickstart. Sure, an electric start only bike could
have a problem, but it's rare.
You should only have trouble with a battery once. If you have a
problem the second time, then you're not paying attention.
BTW, I've been towed out while riding a CR, and I've towed out other
two strokes all of which had a kickstart. The electric start is just
one of many things that can die on a dirtbike.
--
TrlRdr AMA / D36 Enduro -- CC
Greg Evans
redundancy in the starting system. I heard about the dead battery thing
happening to a guy on a DRZ with no backup in an enduro several months ago
as well. I guess it's all in how you calculate the risk/return of the
situation.
ge
99 KLX 365
99 Beta Techno 280
"Scott Aldrich" <trl...@netzero.net> wrote in message
news:98192588...@cswreg.cos.agilent.com...
francisco
> and that seems to have worked out. Run and bump also works in the
> woods, although not so good in the mud or sand.
Road bikes have very big batteries and very powerful alternators that
recharge the battery very quickly and always run on smooth surfaces.
I would not buy it without a kick starter.
In most cases they have a plug in the hole for the kick starter. If you want
to put a kick starter you will probably only have to buy the idler gear,
splined shaft and kick starter leaver.
Francisco
Scott Aldrich
: I heard about the dead battery thing
: happening to a guy on a DRZ with no backup in an enduro several months ago
: as well.
I don't doubt that happened. Hey, did you hear about the guy who's
Cannondale had trouble? Or how about the guy on a YZ250 the broke his
linkage while riding an enduro?
: I guess it's all in how you calculate the risk/return of the
: situation.
I concur. When I race, it's not for money, just for fun. When I'm
trail riding in the middle of nowhere, 99.99% of the time I have
friends with me (well, at least they say they're my friends, I guess
I'll find out when my battery dies :-)
The Deeneys
Ken wrote in message <3a863823...@news-server.optonline.net>...
>Well, very few road bikes with electric start also have kick starters
>and that seems to have worked out. Run and bump also works in the
>woods, although not so good in the mud or sand.
I don't think bump starting in the woods is much of an
option on the DreamSickle. They don't even have the
compression release lever. This would make bump starting
very difficult.
-Jeffrey Deeney- DoD#0498 NCTR UTMA BRC COHVCO AMA
dee...@frii.nospam.com '99 ATK 260LQ-Stink Wheels '94 XR650L-DreamSickle
We don't stop riding because we get old, we get old because we stop riding.
yose...@my-deja.com
> Well, very few road bikes with electric start also have kick starters
My '79 Honda CX500 didn't have a kickstarter. Its battery didn't last
very long either. When I'd let it sit for a while the battery would
not only be dead, but wouldn't even accept a charge. I remember the
service manager at Hinshaw's lecturing me that for every day it sat,
the battery lost 1% of it's capacity. So I guess that's why after I'd
let it sit 2-3 months it's be time to buy a new battery.
Just to make sure, I'd jump-start it off of my truck, ride it around a
bit, then stop at the top of the hill above my house, kill the engine,
then tap the starter button to see if it would spin the engine. More
often than not the battery was deader than Tim H.'s ATK after 42.5
trail miles.
Also, since the CX's ignition wasn't CDI, if the battery was shot, the
drain from the headlight (that couldn't be turned off if the ignition
switch was on) prevented the ignition from getting enough volts so
pushstarting was a waste of time.
> and that seems to have worked out.
Yep, I guess today they put CDI's in street bikes so you can push-start
them even when the battery is kaput.
> Run and bump also works in the
> woods, although not so good in the mud or sand.
Yep, that's about the only way I ever started my Montesa 360. In all
the tries, I only got that right hand side, forward moving, forward
mounted, short-armed kickstarter to light the engine once. Of course,
I was 17 years old at the time and accepted push-starting as part of
the deal.
I bet now that I'm 40 years old, I wouldn't be too happy having to push-
start a bike very often.
I think I'd put the kickstarter on it.
-Joe Dowd
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
Chris Buckley
Yes but at 40 you would probably have read the manual for your Montesa,
gapped the sparkplug propperly and and now be able to start it with one
or two kicks, every time.
Chris
Yes, been there, done that, stil doing that with vintage Bultacos and
Huskys.
Scott L.
yet.
The new DRZ-250E will have both electric and kickstart from the factory.
Also, no radiator to break 15 miles from the nearest road. Cool.
Scott L.
David Jones
wrote:
>A frend installed the kick kit on his DRZ400E, but he has never had to use it
>yet.
In my book that's good enough reason to put one on. <G>
Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have
it..........
David Y2KTM2E
djo...@lsidaho.com
http://www.motosports-boise.com/rmd
"The Very Unofficial RMD Page"
Tim H.
yose...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> Just to make sure, I'd jump-start it off of my truck, ride it around a
> bit, then stop at the top of the hill above my house, kill the engine,
> then tap the starter button to see if it would spin the engine. More
> often than not the battery was deader than Tim H.'s ATK after 42.5
> trail miles.
> -Joe Dowd
Hey! My ATK wasn't dead, it was just hungry, and refused to go on until
it was given another liquid meal. Now, then, your KDX was DEAD after
your swimming trip down the Little Naches River...or at least it was
after you tried to restart it without draining it out completely. What
was that you said, oh yeah "It'll be all right, I just oiled the
filter".
Dead indeed!
Tim H.