RE: best engine?
None of the "high end" race engines are pull start. Most racers are fanatical about performance, and the one-way bearing on the pull start creates far too much drag (although not noticeable by mere mortals) so manufactureres don't include them.
I don't like pull starts because they break and require extra maintenance. A starter box may be a pain to lug around, but its reliable and beats the arm pump that a pull start can give. If you are bent on a pull start though, *cough* OS RG *cough*.