starting problems

[joemani28]

I recently bought a 2002 XR250R.  I rode great for the first few rides.  However, when kick starting the bike the kick start lever would get real still after every few kicks.  I did a valve adjustment the other day and now the bike has a smoth kick for about 5-8 kicks and then get very hard to kick.  It will eventually become loose and kick freely again before repeating the hard kick.  I tried to push start the bike and it seems to want to go and then the rear tire locks up.  I pulled the spark plug out and while out the engine will rotate allowing my to use the kick starter without the jam that it does with the plug in.  Any suggestions.

[Trailryder42]

Assuming you're not mistaking the compression at Top Dead Center as there being something wrong...........

You should always start your kick from TDC(the hard spot).

Is the manual decomp cable still installed? If not, there's a possibility that a PO might have also removed the auto decomp mechanism on the cam, assuming nothing else is wrong.

You say you set the valve clearances. Did you run into anything unusual while doing that?

What spark plug is in it?

When push or bump starting, do it in 2nd or 3rd gear. Will roll easier when you dump the clutch and keep the wheel from locking up when in 1st. Learn to use the manual decomp at the same time when doing this and the procedure will be even smoother.

This bike being new to you and being unfamiliar with it, your problem could be operator error or you could actually have a mechanical problem with the engine. Its possible you've got something intermittently hanging up in the transmission, a broken piston ring hanging up on a port.....could be almost anything.

Start by draining and catching the oil to see whats in it.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Trailryder42

[chev4u]

Hello my name is john. I have a 2002 xr250r I bought new I carried it to a shop to have the top end rebuilt over a year ago. They bored it put a weisco piston new valves new tensioner new timing chain new valves the whole nine yards. They have never been able to get it to start since. They've kicked it towed it. And even tried to start it with their dyno. They've been over the timing marks countless times and all is dead on. It's getting gas. It has good compression and blue fire galore. It has us all stumped. Is it possible the cdi could go bad and cause it to be firing at the wrong time? I'm losing my patients with them and I want my bike back and running. Any clue on what it could be thanks in advance. John

[Oil Baron]

Hello my name is john. I have a 2002 xr250r I bought new I carried it to a shop to have the top end rebuilt over a year ago. They bored it put a weisco piston new valves new tensioner new timing chain new valves the whole nine yards. They have never been able to get it to start since. They've kicked it towed it. And even tried to start it with their dyno. They've been over the timing marks countless times and all is dead on. It's getting gas. It has good compression and blue fire galore. It has us all stumped. Is it possible the cdi could go bad and cause it to be firing at the wrong time? I'm losing my patients with them and I want my bike back and running. Any clue on what it could be thanks in advance. John

 

 

The shop sounds stupid.

[Twiggy0ne]

Hello my name is john. I have a 2002 xr250r I bought new I carried it to a shop to have the top end rebuilt over a year ago. They bored it put a weisco piston new valves new tensioner new timing chain new valves the whole nine yards. They have never been able to get it to start since. They've kicked it towed it. And even tried to start it with their dyno. They've been over the timing marks countless times and all is dead on. It's getting gas. It has good compression and blue fire galore. It has us all stumped. Is it possible the cdi could go bad and cause it to be firing at the wrong time? I'm losing my patients with them and I want my bike back and running. Any clue on what it could be thanks in advance. John

You didn't mention if any carb work was done. You may get more responses if you start a new thread.

[Twiggy0ne]

I recently bought a 2002 XR250R.  I rode great for the first few rides.  However, when kick starting the bike the kick start lever would get real still after every few kicks.  I did a valve adjustment the other day and now the bike has a smoth kick for about 5-8 kicks and then get very hard to kick.  It will eventually become loose and kick freely again before repeating the hard kick.  I tried to push start the bike and it seems to want to go and then the rear tire locks up.  I pulled the spark plug out and while out the engine will rotate allowing my to use the kick starter without the jam that it does with the plug in.  Any suggestions.

Take some time to learn the starting procedure for your bike (search the forums). Hopping on and kicking like it owes you money won't get you anything but a sore leg, ask me how I know. With everything properly set up, it shouldn't take 5 kicks to start, much less 8...

If it still gives you trouble, you can start eliminating other possible issues.

[Trailryder42]

Hello my name is john.

I agree with Twiggy, its never good to tack onto someones elses thread with a problem of different circumstances. You need to start a thread of your own. Because your problem won't be figured out or fixed with just one reply. A long drawn out troubleshooting conversation gets lost and is hard to keep up with and remember what thread it was a part of when it was a hijack of someone elses thread.

Just copy and paste your question from this thread into a new thread of your own.

[joemani28]

I've been working on cars and small engines my whole life and this one threw me.  I adjusted the valves according to specs and afterword I could get the bike to kick freely.  Last night I readjusted the decompression valve and now it spins freely.  The manual doesn't tell me anything about how to properly adjust the right front exhaust valve.  Now that I got it running.  Can someone provide me the information on the adjustment. 

 

When I adjusted the valve at .005, the decompression lever  would not touch the valve lever.  I backed it of and not it works but it is nowhere near.005.  

[Trailryder42]

Look on page 3-9 and 3-13 of the Honda Service Manual. Its under the "Maintenance" section.