[Subbu-500]

Hmmm...so there was some truth in what the service adviser said. Arizoni, are you saying i need to engage the clutch while kick starting? I have done that only when the bike is in gear....this might just be another stupid question...

[Arizoni]

You will find you cannot kick start the engine if the clutch lever is pulled in.

Also, never try to kick start the engine while the transmission is in gear, even if it is up on the center stand.  If the engine does start with the transmission in gear and the motorcycle falls off the center stand it will either stop the engine or it will motor away all by itself down the road.

[Subbu-500]

I thought so too. About starting the bike when in gear, i had to do it only once when the engine just died while i was on the move and in the middle of busy traffic. So i simply engaged the clutch and hit the button and the bike came to life...i just rode away. But i guess my question is still unanswered ...is kick starting often, not advisable? If not, why?

[JVS]

Always use the kickstarter. Save your sprag. Use the e-start in situations like you described - when it stalls in traffic, or you're in a hurry.

The only side-effect of kickstarting the bike is a huge smile on your face, which shouldn't be an issue 

[Subbu-500]

Thanks JVS just what i wanted to hear.

[gremlin]

....................  If the engine does start with the transmission in gear and the motorcycle falls off the center stand it will either stop the engine or it will motor away all by itself down the road.

Any personal experience you'd like to share with us ?

[FastDoc]

I've heard of a few leaking kickstarters, so I use the button mostly.

[Arizoni]

Sometimes I use the kickstarter but usually use the electric one on my 2011, G5.

I have never heard of a real problem with the kick starter in a UCE but I checked out what needed to be done to fix it if it ever failed.
The Kick Starter Return spring is pretty easy to replace.  The right sidecover, transmission output drive sprocket and the starter spring cover just have to be removed to get to it.

If something else breaks like the pawl spring or the pawl we're talking major tare-down.  The entire engine/transmission must be totally taken apart because all of the important stuff is inside the engine/transmission case.

The thoughts of needing to do that sort of major surgery doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling about using only the kick starter.
Hell, by removing the left sidecover, the clutch, duplex chain and chain tensioner and the crankshaft output sprocket you can replace the infamous Sprag Clutch.
Compaired with fixing a major kick starter problem, that's a walk in the park.

[FastDoc]

My thoughts exactly.

[adi-4004]

Now that I know now to kick start...

I always try kick starting twice. If it doesn't work then ES it is. Kick start always works on the first try when the engine is warm. With a cold engine sometimes kick start doesn't work.