Starting pit bike engines will take some practice. All pit bike engines have relatively high compression ratios and require a "quality over quantity " approach in order to ensure quick start-ups and avoid mechanical mishaps. It is important to follow this routine the first few times when first attempting to start your bike.
- Slowly kick the engine over until the kick start reaches a compression stroke (the point in which the kick start lever is hardest to push down.)
- Slowly continue to press the kick starter until the engine rotates slightly through the firmest point in the compression stroke.
- Allow the kick start lever to return back its top rest position
- With a quick and balanced motion - Move down forcefully on the kick lever. These motors need a strong, quick kick to get started.
- If you fail to follow this procedure, especially with longer stroke engines or 125cc + bores you can cause serious damage to your crankcase, clutch and transmissions assemblies!
Tips to Avoid kickback
- Hold onto the crossbar pad with your throttle hand while kicking the bike over to avoid twisting the throttle open by accident
- Before start up - turn the idle screw on the carburetor in a turn or 2 (turn the screw back out to normal idle setting once running.)
- Use a digital CDI with variable ignition timing at start-up, this will help reduce kickback and allow the bike to start much easier compared to the stock CDI unit.
- If ignition timing is adjustable it should be adjusted to the minimum
- Furious, repeated kicking will not get the engine started - firm, full stroke kicks are the only way to get them to start first kick, every time "Quality over Quantity"
- The throttle must be completely closed when you kick the engine over or it will kick back EVERY TIME.
- A small blip of the throttle may be used when the engine is hot if required but NO more than 10 ° opening of the throttle in any case
