[mayonaise_invasion]

just recently my 450 started doing this thing where the kick start has no resistance and is loose. kind of hard to explain but it feels as if it is not engaged at all, just freely rotating. maybe every 10th kick it has a small bit of resistance. havent torn it apart yet. thoughts?

 

[WintrSol]

Just to be sure - you do know the kick start turns the engine through the clutch, right? If the clutch is disengaged or slipping (badly), it won't turn it over.
The kick start gear is extended by a helix inside the transmission, which could be sticking, instead of extending into the transmission gear; I wouldn't expect it to apply partial drag, though.