Not close at all. 1 will probably be fine. The GG US distributor saw it today and thought it was a good idea and added that he had a sore calf from slipping off last time he road.

Hopefully Dale will give feedback to the factory, I think he visits them about this time of year, LOL!!!

I have the 2011 Raga 300. I have been told to start the kick stroke up as high as possible to get the longest kick but this approach has not worked best for me. Over time I have found that a shorter kick stroke, started with the kick lever parallel to the ground or just a bit above parallel, has resulted in the most consistent quick starts especially after the engine has warmed up. In watching videos of Adam Raga, this appears to be his method of starting the bike but I could be seeing it wrong.

My theory is that it is harder for my leg/foot to follow the fuller rotation motion of a kick with the lever started up higher. With the lever starting closer to parallel to the ground the intial kick speed is much faster, or can be much faster and stronger, and the result for me is a more effective start. For the 2012 Raga with shorter lever, I can only imagine that the same approach would reduce the chance of your foot slipping off since this method makes the kick motion just a bit more direct.

DBELL, the only part that is shorter on the new kicker is, the amount of the lever you foot actually rests on, or the top bar of the 7 so to speak...