Originally, I was dreading having a bike with a kicker, but I have to say that now that I am use to it, I REALLY LIKE IT! Hot or cold, one kick (rarely two) does the trick. I have a buddy who has the YFZ, and I think he is going to dump his electric starter/battery too.

What does the hot start button do exactly? I thought it was just a decompression thing, but one of the magazines said it leans out the mixture. I haven't had a chance to trace out the lines and see just where it goes. Anybody know for sure?

One place where I can see that the kicker would be problematic is if you stalled it in the middle of a hill. First, you will need to find neutral. You won't be able to hold your foot on the rear brake (no way front brake alone will hold it on the hills I ride!), because you are going to need it to kick the engine over. So, you are going to have to set the parking brake. Kick the engine over. Then get back on the rear brake, and pull in the clutch to release the parking brake. I think I will practice this a few times on a small hill, just in case I ever have to do it for real on the big stuff.

 

The kicker is the best thing ever, I was at the dunes this weekend, with a few buddies who have not been out this year. While they were all jump or bump starting their 400ex, Z400, Raptors, I was idiling.
The hot start leans out the mixture, the cable goes directly into the carb. In fact, I have used it in stead of the choke when it was cold, and just held it in for a min. Next time its idiling, push the lever, the idle speeds up, like its choked.
The front brakes should hold it on any hill. Parking brakes are a nightmare (garbage). If you stalled it on a hill that steep, wouldn't it just dig a hole or spin out anyway?

 

The hills behind my house are darn near verticle hard pack (Reche/San Timoteo Canyon for you locals!), and there are frequent, nasty overhangs. No way are you going to be able to dig a hole. And, I don't care how far forward you lean, your weight is not going to hold the front! I tell my daughter to just stall it in gear (then lean forward and hold the front brake, and stand on the rear brake), if she gets in trouble on the 400EX. But, the 450R doesn't have a lot of engine-braking, so I am not sure it would even hold in gear???

The best advice I can think of is don't stall it in the first place. But, anything can and will happen!

 

What I meant was, if you try to start out in a hill that steep, wouldn't you just dig a hole?
There is more compression in a 450r Stock than a 400ex stock, so the engine braking should be at least equal....

 

If you stall on a hill just roll back with the engine off, it's not like you need the engine on for power steering and brakes.

 

I at least, am not talented enough to back down a 400 ft. cliff! These "hills" (they would be considered MOUNTAINS in most parts of the country) are formed from the earth being folded along earthquake fault lines. The faces are VERY steep and tall! The surface gets baked in the hot summer sun, and is slick and pavement hard. Only way to dig a hole on this is with a pick-axe! (This isn't the dunes!)

The CRF dirt bike is famous for not having much engine-braking, and I would say the TRX has less than any other quad I have ever ridden. The engine isn't exactly low compression though, so it is rather puzzling why this is the case. I suspect it is perhaps compounded by the fact that the gearing is so tall???

 

How can you climb a nearly verticle, 400 foot, dirt hill?? I have some hills that are literally verticle, but they are only like 30 feet high. They are so much fun to try to get up, and get air off the lip at the top!