You can prevent "Kick-starter" failures:
The kickers often fail due to "bad" leverage at the "top of the kick" and, in some cases, at the very end of "the kick".
When the lever is at the very top/pre-engaged...people often end up pushing outward on the lever as well as downward...this creates a load on the "barrel" of the lever (where it wraps around the base/shaft mount) that the aluminum part wasn't really designed for.
Also, when we "Jump" on the lever and it kinda "Slams" into engagement/compression...the same thing...the aluminum lever takes a hellova load.
Same thing when the lever is kicked hard all the way till it stops against the foot-peg...especially when you've got the huge IMS pegs.
My solution: I push the lever gently 'til it "engages" (actually, it's always engaged...I push it to about 10-15 degrees past "straight-up") and Give it a good "JAB": BUT!, I don't let it slam into the foot peg.
The reason: When you bail during "Vegas to Reno" ('97...Won it!, '98 also...Am. Over 25...) ...and jump up and pick up your bike as fast as you can...and BREAK the KICKSTARTER out in the MIDDLE OF THE DESERT...and scream every cuss word you can while killing yourself (trying and eventually succeeding at...) push starting your bike in a SANDWASH!!!!! Well, you learn how NOT to do that again!
So, I haven't broken one since...oh, and of-course, the guys at Team Green had one at the next pit and put it on in seconds...and laughed at me for bringing in the broken one in my fanny pack...Duh!
Oh, and a motor with clean KIPS valves and a good top-end doesn't take much of a kick...let it get old and..well...you know.