It's not the 09 thats crap.
It's all of them.

That a new bike straight out of the showroom wont start when left unused for even just a week or 2 is total crap.
Call it as I see it.
I call it a fault. Not a characteristic.

There is no excuse for it.
IMO its bad design and engineering.
No other bike I have ever owned have I had to go through some sort of weird routine so I can start it next time I want to use it.
I've had plenty of CV carbed bikes, no issue.

Maybe if you park it facing magnetic north that will help.

Imagine having to do this with a car.

Has anyone tried complaining about this to either the dealer or Kawasaki?

 

I agreed totally with this evaluation!!!
Kawasaki should be embarassed that this is a problem with a bike that has been around for so long. This is the first Kawasaki that I have ever owned and I like the bike, just not the crappy starting! IMO

 

+1, thankfully we don't have to kick the pig over.

 

It would probably start easier. My son has a little 50cc that has electric start and a kickstarter. If it sits a while, I can't get it to start with the electric start but as soon as I kick it a couple of times it fires right up.

 

I think most kick starters actually spin the engine faster than a starter motor.

 

Even though i did the "run the bowl dry" method just last Saturday, I tried to start mine today to prep for tomorrow's romp in the storm, and the bike wouldn't start (using all the recommendations of leaning over, etc). I think these bikes do suck in that aspect....

 

you have to lean it over until fuel comes out of the vent tube then upright it pull the choke and then turn over. It seems every time I dont let the fuel come out the vent tube it wont start.

 

I dont have any problems with mine, turn on the fuel, pull out the choke, wheel it out of the garage, turn it on and hit the magic button, fires first or second kick of the starter motor.

When its warm, first kick of the starter and we are away.

Paul
________
Essential Vaaapp Vaporizer

 

same here.. mines never not started. ive layed it over probly 30 times and it fires right up. last week it was 17 degrees and it fired right up. i dont know why u guys are havin issues

 

I've been wondering the same thing. There are a few of us out here that have not had any problems starting these bikes. If we could figure out what's different, we might save a lot of headaches for the guys with hard-starting bikes.