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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon



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  #1  
Old 12 Dec 2007
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Question Kicker + electric start

So, which bikes have both a kick and electric start as standard?

The KTM 640 Adv comes to mind; what else though (Yam XT225 Serow - can't remember)?

As a sub-question:-

Which bikes are easiest to add:

A. a kick start to an electric starter.
B. an electric start to a kicker.
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  #2  
Old 12 Dec 2007
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My R65GS has both, so did the old R80G/S, so are they able to be added to any airhead (R100GS R80GS)?
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Old 13 Dec 2007
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Enfield Electra and Kawasaki w650 both come with both as standard.
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Old 13 Dec 2007
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Suzuki DRZ 250 has both standard.
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Old 13 Dec 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Holland View Post
My R65GS has both, so did the old R80G/S, so are they able to be added to any airhead (R100GS R80GS)?
Some of the R80/R100GS had kick as standard and some other bikes had kick fitted by the owner.
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  #6  
Old 13 Dec 2007
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Honda XL600LM, XL600RM and very early Dominators have electric and kick start as standard.
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  #7  
Old 18 Dec 2007
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Not many new ones available

Quote:
Originally Posted by Howiezowie View Post
Suzuki DRZ 250 has both standard.

I am not sure if that bike is available in the UK, but the Yam TTR250 (the "blue" bike) has both electric and kick starter. Certainly for the European sales, but maybe not for other countries.

This list is not very long, if only new bikes were to be listed. Anymore?
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Old 18 Dec 2007
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The ease of adding electric/kick start is model specific.

Electric or kick starting can be added to any 5 speed bmw airhead .. reasonably easy .. just a question of money and time.

Adding kick start to most eclectic start only bikes is for most probably cost prohibitive. And they can be bump started on reasonable surfaces. But I carry jumper leads ... probably weighs less than a kick starter system anyway
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  #9  
Old 19 Dec 2007
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Early KLR650 Kawasakis had both. I don't think Kawi makes the parts any more, but you can retrofit the kicker to the later models if you can find the parts.
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Old 25 Dec 2007
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My 97 R 80 Gs Basic has both.
Kickstart added later.
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  #11  
Old 15 Feb 2008
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Thumbs up Another currently available bike with both starters.......

..........but it is not as easy to get hold of one; not just a case of walking into a dealer, anywhere/anytime.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...1-2#post174293

(it has been commented on elsewhere, but I am still using this list for what is currently on the market).

Some of the earlier military specification bikes, such as the Harley Davidson MT350, have both a kicker and an electric boot, but yet others, such as the Armstrong MT500, do not have electric start.
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Old 16 Feb 2008
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many modern bikes with electronic ignition or engine management systems cannot be started witha kickstart ( or bumpstart) because they need stable 12volts for the electronics to run.
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Old 20 May 2008
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Early Husky TE610E
Early 650 / 750 Elefants
KTM LC4E 400 & 6xx
Early Aprilia Tuaregs ( and possibly other makes using the rotax engine like ccm, armstrong etc)

Any good?
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  #14  
Old 21 May 2008
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A friend of mine retrofitted a kickstart on a yamaha tenere '85-ish.

More recent bike: You should check out the Yamaha TT600RE, kickstart can be added from a TT600R.

cheers, Sander
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  #15  
Old 21 May 2008
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Some of the TTR 250s have both and the kick can be retro fitted to any of the earlier bikes.
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