Kickstarter for WR250R???

My name is Josh. I have been riding dirt bikes and four wheelers pretty much for as long as I can remember, so when I went to buy a motorcycle it was only natural for me that I would buy a 2016 WR250R. I love the bike it rides a handles almost the same as my YZ250 I uses to have. Very nice!

Now my question:

From my research, the R does not have a Kickstart kit on the market (is this a correct statement or should I have searched longer?) but the F has a Kickstarter. So the question is, what is the difference between the F and the R on the engine side? Can I put the Kickstarter from the F on the R? Or what about the YZ, will that one work?

I wanted the F but got the R instead because I knew I was probably going to be doing more On-Road than Off-Road riding(insert frowny face here.) I needed the gas mileage, my Jeep was killing me! But when I do go Off-Road, I go MILES away from anyone or anything. I haven't yet had any problems with the starting system, but I know with my luck it is going to happen and when it does it will be in the worst and most remote place you can think off! (I got shit luck and karma hates me) so with that being said, I love the electric start but I don't want to depend on it. (Yes I know you can bump start it. I just don't like to, it's a pain in the ass!) So does anyone know of a Kickstart that would work on my bike, because I have yet to find one?

Hi Josh,

I haven't been able to find any way to add a kick starter either, which is probably a good thing, as it would just add even MORE weight to an already heavy bike.  The engine for the R is a completely different animal from the F, so I doubt that would work without some tricky fabrication.

I feel the same way you do about having a backup, as I also explore deep into the back country and don't want a fun trip to turn into one of those shows on how to survive in the wild.  I can tell you that the WR's starter and FI will function on a VERY low battery charge.  I found that out the hard way when my stator quit working while on a dirt road at Big Bear, CA.  The Check Engine light came on first, then the bike quit running.  I tried to restart it, but the battery didn't have enough juice to run the starter.  I let it sit for 5 minutes, tried again, and it fired right up.  Naturally, I only got about half a mile before it quit again, but this told me that the battery was able to "bounce back" enough to get it going again, so if the stator had been charging, I would have been fine.  I did bump start the bike while going down hill a few times during this incident, and it did it very easily.

So I've ultimately put my mind at ease, with the thought that our watercraft have no means of starting without the battery and starter, whereas the bike at least has a chance.

Lee

VW_Lee wrote:

I let it sit for 5 minutes, tried again, and it fired right up.  Naturally, I only got about half a mile before it quit again, but this told me that the battery was able to "bounce back" enough to get it going again, so if the stator had been charging, I would have been fine.  I did bump start the bike while going down hill a few times during this incident, and it did it very easily.

Lee

So are you saying that the bike will not run if the battery is dead? If this is the case I'm going to buy one of those tiny solar battery chargers to take with me on my exploration trips out in the boondocks. I was going to get one anyway but it now might have just jumped to the top of the list of things to buy!

OneSpaztick wrote:

So are you saying that the bike will not run if the battery is dead?

The fuel pump, ecu and FI all need power to be able to work. So yes, if you have a completely dead battery and the stator is also broken, you will not get it to run even if you push start it. But you need that combination of completely dead stator and battery to really be in that deep trouble   your call on taking that chance or not.


Sometime ago I saw an iphone sized portable battery charger. Might also be an alternative for you if you're that worried of running out of juice!

OneSpaztick wrote:

From my research, the R does not have a Kickstart kit on the market (is this a correct statement or should I have searched longer?) but the F has a Kickstarter. So the question is, what is the difference between the F and the R on the engine side? Can I put the Kickstarter from the F on the R? Or what about the YZ, will that one work?

The WRR is a completely different bike from its WRF or YZF cousins. So far the only parts I've found that are directly interchangeable are the oil filter, axles blocks, and rear brake caliper guard.

If the battery goes dead due to an internal battery problem you are screwed.  I was riding my street bike, stropped for lunch, got back on to leave & DEAD--nothing, not even enough to light up the lcd odometer.  The battery shelled right then & there & not even a portable charger would have saved me as the battery would not take or hold a charge.  If this happens your done, charger or not.  Might be better to take a small Shorai (spell) backup battery instead--maybe even small enough to run the electronics less the starter & push start it.

I worried about the lack of kickstart as well. I once drowned my Husky TE 250 and wore the battery down trying to get it going, so I wouldn't have been able to start it if it didn't have a kick starter. I carry a portable lithium jump starter with me now to keep my mind at ease. These things are very small and light and will jump start a bike at least a dozen times on a full charge. I keep it in my car in the winter.

I bought a Lithium battery for the bike (much lighter and stronger) and a little backup battery with a jump start function. It can even jump start a car without the battery in place, and run the car like that (look them up online, they're all over the place). So, I have a battery that can charge my iPhone, power a light, jump my bike and even replace my battery if needs be.
Kick starter on this bike will only work if the battery is working anyway, so there's no point.

Josh, I'm pressed for time at the moment but you MUST understand this: The R and F are VERY different bikes.

Make sure you learn these differences before you buy.