the only advantage to being able to pedal one of these bikes is to easily get it home if it breaks down.
if the engine dies and won't re-start, you can still pedal it home.
But, NO you do not NEED to be able to pedal the bike to get the engine running.
Just coast down a hill, incline, or push the bike with your feet, and pop the clutch.
the engine will start and you can take off.
i ride both of my bikes this way and i have done it for going on 4 years now with no clutch problems.
I NEVER pedal my bikes...I start and stop using just the clutch and i give a little push off the ground with my feet when i take off from a stop.
The pedals on my bikes are just places to put my feet.
One of my bikes has a coaster brake and a caliper brake, so when i need extra stopping power, i apply the coaster brake in conjuction with the caliper brake.
my other bike has a free wheel, and only a caliper brake in the rear (it's a schwinn occ chopper). as a matter of fact, i have the cranks set up so that you couldn't pedal this bike even if you wanted to. Both cranks are in the down position, so the pedals act only as foot rests.
since they are 3 piece cranks, you can rotate them around to whatever position you want.
This is what works for me, and like i said, i've been riding my bikes this way for almost 4 years now and i'm still on the original clutch pads.
I only weigh 150 pounds, and both of my bikes are small, 20" frames.