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Very few new "big brand" bikes now have a pull start. I think it is assumed the EFI won't work if the battery is flat. However one of the most common problems I deal with is worn starter brushes, and the pull start is very handy for getting round that. From now on, you are going to be stuck "in the field" when the starter packs up.
Something I hadn't though of myself. My Grizzly's recoil starter is there for decoration only, the spring I guess is worn out and it won't really do anything. The battery is almost brand new though. I can imagine it would be very hard to pull start anyway if I had to try to do it. I had a Rancher 350 before and had to pull start it a few times and it was very easy to pull start. Not sure about the Foreman 500 but it probably has some sort of compression release to make it easy to pull start. But it being efi, you still might not get it to run with a dead battery as merryman said. Best bet is to probably check voltage as battery ages and get a new battery before it goes completely dead and you won't have to find out.
Very few new "big brand" bikes now have a pull start. I think it is assumed the EFI won't work if the battery is flat. However one of the most common problems I deal with is worn starter brushes, and the pull start is very handy for getting round that. From now on, you are going to be stuck "in the field" when the starter packs up.
My 2006 Sportsman X2 500 had EFI and a backup pull start. One thing I found out is that if your battery is ready to be replaced the EFI seemed to take more juice than the system provided once I got it pull started. Also, it seemed to "help" the battery by maybe providing a charge when I pulled it a few times. If it didn't get it going, it seemed like the key start would work. Does this sound right??? Weird observations. It was all fine once I got a new battery.
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I can imagine it would be very hard to pull start anyway if I had to try to do it
I pull started a 660 Grizzly 'NOT FUN" very hard to pull and when the rope kicks backs it rips out of your hands sometimes and hurts like heck.
My 500 with a auto decompression is much easier to pull start then my 350 or even my old 250 Moto4.
Cant pull start a EFI with a dead battery sure could leave you stranded along way from the truck.
I had to rap a rope around my 2012 Ski-doo 800 e-tec primary clutch to pull start it and it has Electronic direct injection but the battery was good the starter brush was stuck it turned out. It pulled started ok, maybe because its a 2 stroke?
Just out of curiosity, has anyone here tried to pull start one with a dead battery? The race quads can be setup to kick start with efi, battery removed for weight savings. Pretty sure most of the mx dirtbikes are running efi no battery from the factory.
Yes, the old model 420FM had EFI and pull start, it did fire up, but the battery wasn't completely dead, something has to power the fuel pump to pressurise the fuel, and there is a strange little servo motor that operates a slide in the throttle body, it could be a choke. Something has to power this too. I have tried pull starting a completely dead 420 and, after a couple of pulls, gave up and got out the battery charger.
The Honda installation instructions for the recoil starter found here seem to imply you can start the motor without a working battery.
I pull started one of the bikes at the dealership when I picked them up. Like others we expected it to be a chore. Nope, it started with one pull. The mechanic said "thats a Honda for you".
10-10-2015, 01:11 PM
