I'm just trying to think if there's anything around that has all three of those items. Plenty with 1 and 2 and probably a number with 2 and 3 but off the top of my head I'm struggling to think of anything with all three. Maybe something from the mists of time maybe?

Actually there's a reason why something from Mollydog's list would be most people's choice for a UK - SA trip. It's not because overlanders take some kind of perverse pleasure in struggling with old or superseded technology like chains or cables but because they are good enough, bush mechanic fixable and generally lighter than the alternatives. Weight, you'll find, counts for a lot, particularly when you get stuck in mud or sand and have to consider dismantling the bike to carry it out piece by piece.

Re kickstarts - if it's on your list because you consider it more reliable than electricity, that's not been my experience. I got my XR600 stuck in sand in Mauritania and snapped the kickstart off trying to restart it.

In your place top of my list would be weight followed by a reputation for reliability. Something that you can manhandle on difficult terrain and that you know will start and move under its own power every day is what makes for an easy trip. Size and power are almost irrelevant once you're out of Europe. It's not as if you're going to be rushing through the countryside - how many times are you going to be there?