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Is it worth it on a new Khaos or do they start easy enough on cold days?
Electric start
- Thread starter uofm
- Start date
I’ve found that starting a sled on a cold day is best using the old rip cord. Starters don’t like the super cold to crank the engine over. After it’s warmed up, the starter is handy.
My 2019 850 has it. Never failed started down to 25 below I like it.
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Not sure if you ride bike at all but I've compared it to going from a Softail to a bagger with a radio. It'd be hard to go back.
How hard do you ride? If you ride hard and are winded a lot, get the e start
How hard do you ride? If you ride hard and are winded a lot, get the e start
U
To old to ride hard. But this helps burn a few extra calories. I found 3 2020 Khaos. One is a 850, 2 of them are 800 but only 1 has electric start. It happens to be the plum crazy color which is the color I like the least.
I have an old shoulder injury that I forgot about until a few years ago when I had to start my sled way to many times in 1 day.
Then at 39 yrs old I rode an old mans 850 with Estart and ended buying one myself.
My buddy that's a very active rider at 35 rode my sled and this winter on a deep day and now is looking for the parts to put e-start on his sled.
My 19 yr old son out rides me now and is buying a new sled with it as well.
Bottom line I feel is that you have be a 1% Top Tier rider to really notice the difference in weight/performance in having it but 99% of the rest of us can't tell it's there until we turn the key.
I'm not a great rider and often find myself in some quirky situation where it's tough to give it a good pull, but easy to turn the key.
If it comes down to not liking the color of the sled, a nice wrap will make it what you want. Design your own from mild to wild.
Cold or not, I turn the key to start and my shoulder has not bothered me on the hill since going this route.
Then at 39 yrs old I rode an old mans 850 with Estart and ended buying one myself.
My buddy that's a very active rider at 35 rode my sled and this winter on a deep day and now is looking for the parts to put e-start on his sled.
My 19 yr old son out rides me now and is buying a new sled with it as well.
Bottom line I feel is that you have be a 1% Top Tier rider to really notice the difference in weight/performance in having it but 99% of the rest of us can't tell it's there until we turn the key.
I'm not a great rider and often find myself in some quirky situation where it's tough to give it a good pull, but easy to turn the key.
If it comes down to not liking the color of the sled, a nice wrap will make it what you want. Design your own from mild to wild.
Cold or not, I turn the key to start and my shoulder has not bothered me on the hill since going this route.
E start is a no brainer if you think about how many times you start and stop during the day. I was one spending $100 a pound to take weight off and would have said no way. Don't know anyone that has tried it for a day and said it sucks. I put a wps battery and bikeman battery box on my old 16 axys and it took 12 pounds off. Get a lightweight can and your back to about even. That battery still works but he didnt ride it since he bought a 163 kaos this season. Maybe once he had to pull with the rope otherwise always started in the morning. A buddy and i rolled sleds over on a steep sidehill to get unstuck. It was an awkward pull. It was so deep it was a struggle to get on your sled. I had an xm and could just reach the button. Started it and crawled on. I the watched my buddy struggle for a good minute to get his pro started. He has electric start. I have bad shoulders and an alpha. That is the worst combo. Hardest starting sled out there. Takes me three pulls. Probably guys that could get it in one when warmed up but i cant pull hard enough. My alpha wouldn't start after first trip out to run it out of trailer and into shop. I needed to hold throttle wide open. I couldn't do it on cold motor. Drug in shop with my wife's sled. Buddy came and held throttle and it took about 12 pulls. Keep saying i won't go without it and next year will be my 3rd year, on an alpha, without electric start and hating every minute. My wife's kaos will have electric start.
I need both of mine replaced and they said I am too young to do it so i just suffer through it. That is why ive had a bunch of doos. Steering is twice as easy. They just have a bunch of stuff i don't like. The alpha is the hardest steering of all of them. I am ussually good for 2/3 of the day as long as i don't hit anything that jars it. Sometimes if i ride hard and then we sit around i stove up. I then just hang on the mountain bar trying to sidehill. It hurts to much to put sled on its side so i am married to trying to ride on 2 skis.
Not sure if you can feel the weight on the kaos but i know i could on the older ones with wider front ends. The alpha or the doos you can't tell if you put a lightweight can on.
I went back on forth getting estart on my 20; no regrets! And the 850 can be a beeeyaaatch to pull the first time of the day. IMO it's night and day difference starting cold with an 800 vs 850. I rode often when first start of the day was about 0 give or take, no issues and my sled while stored covered, it's in a storage unit with no heat and no insulation.
t30mg hit the nail on the head: Bottom line I feel is that you have be a 1% Top Tier rider to really notice the difference in weight/performance in having it but 99% of the rest of us can't tell it's there until we turn the key.
t30mg hit the nail on the head: Bottom line I feel is that you have be a 1% Top Tier rider to really notice the difference in weight/performance in having it but 99% of the rest of us can't tell it's there until we turn the key.
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Getting older here. Never have another one that isnt Estart. I dont notice any weight differences and the dealing with the battery maintenance is much more enjoyable than pulling 30 times a day. I start mine with the pull start first every am, and from then on its a quick turn of the key. No brainer if you ask me.
Spot on! If one is concerned about weight, just get a lithium battery from WPS (saves 13# or so - as i recall). Wont start it on a cold morning, but just pull start the first of the day, and twist the key the rest of the day - LOVE IT!!
x3 - when huffing and puffing after getting out of a good stuck, sure is nice to turn the key and go. Pull start first time out of the day. Yes Lithium battery for $105, saved the 13# for a net gain of 3-5# max for having estart. Non-issue.
Went back to pull start after 5years on e start.
And... it’s not a big deal.
First cold start is two pulls at worst. After sled is warm it’s literally a flick of the wrist on these new sleds.
Nothing like the old pia carb sleds once flooded from rolling over.
I like not having the battery to easily access belt drive and no more intermittent Bendix from the 60’s sounding like it’s grinding itself apart.
Add a can with no e start and it’s noticeably lighter when getting it unstuck.
poo estart is garbage, cat not much better either. Doo is the leader in that area
I wont argue the principal of design quality but how does that help the OP?
FWIW, my Poo estart and WPS battery are both 2 years old with 1300 miles and still work great!
I say the opposite because if yo ride hard you will appreciate a sled that is 30lbs lighter. They start with a flick of the wrist anyway.
E-start is a band-aid for hard starting sleds.
Either our sleds all have issues or you have a wrist like Popeye ?
E start is a bandaid for concrete workers with bad shoulders. I would also say your spot on on your ride hard theory.
Polaris' e-start adds 30 pounds? Not 20??
