Removing battery pack from Insight

I just picked up a used 2001 Insight yesterday with 70k miles on it. The
fact my warranty will void at 100k, I got to thinking about the life of the
battery pack. Now, I realize that the combustible engine does the vast
majority of the work, and the car will still drive just fine without the
electric assist. So, I was wondering if there would be any negative effect
on the car if I had the battery pack removed once it stopped holding a
charge (in the far future).

The only problem that comes to mind is getting the engine started. As I
understand it, the electric assist motor turns the motor initially, so I
would have to have a generic engine starter installed that runs off the car
battery. Can anyone think of anything else?

 

There should alread be a starter and a 12v battery there as a backup for IMA
system failure. Without the battery pack to act as a load you will probably
have voltage spikes in the electrical system and you will probably miss the
torgue of the motor/generator when your accelerating from a stop.