Can't start my '02 yz250f

[gregost]

bought it for cheap and just rebuilt 4th gear. now it runs like a fine machine. the only thing is my unfamiliarity with the manual compression release and hot start. seems it's a fine line between pulling in the compression release lever too far and it not starting and letting it out too much and having too much compression to kick it over.

anybody have any tips on how to best start this bike cold and also once you've been riding awhile? it's going to be a blast once i figure this out.

[gregost]

ok figured it out so i might as well put the info into the post. you use the kick starter and move the piston to top dead center where there is the most compression. then you pull the compression release and move the piston just past top dead center. then let out the compression release and don't use it when you actually kick the kick starter.

for cold starts, pull out the choke, then make sure the kick starter is clicked up as high as it will go and then give it a kick without applying compression release or any throttle. BOOM the thing starts like a charm.

for a bike that has been running do all the above except don't pull out the choke. i tried it with and without using the hot start lever and it started either way.

if the bike floods i usually pull in the compression release, kick it a few times to sort of clear ot the cylinder, then go thru the routine above.

after some experimentation i became pretty good at starting this bike on the first kick. you think with as intricate a procedure as above Yamaha would have given some decent starting instructions but i couldn't find any. maybe this will help somebody else out.

anyway, i just sold my two stroke after riding this bike over the weekend. what a smooth riding power machine. it has a Bill's thunder series pipe and damn it also sounds great! see ya..