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XR600 Starting Procedure?? XR600 Starting Procedure??
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  #1  
Old 18 Dec 2006
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XR600 Starting Procedure??
Hi,
I've been on Google and Ask.com and have found no real answers on starting the older XR600's.

I just bought the bike, and well, it is my very first dirt bike/kickstart bike.

And the friend I bought it off of can start the bike on 4-5 kicks cold almost all the time and 1-3 kicks warm.

I've never worked on single cylinders with a decomp system.

My basic understanding of starting the bike when cold is:

4-5 kicks with choke on, kill switch on, decomp on, and 1/4 throttle.
Decomp off, choke on, cylinder at TDC, with 1 BIG kick.

It doesn't work!! I'm there kicking it at least 30 sometimes or more.

But once it starts, it's smooth and RESPONCIVE!!!

Plug looks pretty much dry with a little wetness on the first spark plug thread, and the spark looks like a pretty nice blue to purple spark.

Mind you, I can't give it a real nice kick while looking at the spark. It's pretty hard.

Questions are:

1. Should the plug look Really Wet with that starting procedure?
2. How do I tell, when I'm at TDC for starting?
3. Should I be getting more Spark?
4. The bike likes to keep a high idle for a few seconds whenever I ride it. Could this be an indication of my starting problem?
5. What's every bodies starting procedure for there XR600?

I'd take it to a shop, but they won't work on anything older than the 90's

And sorry for the long post. I'm trying to get an answer in one reply

Like always, thank you for your help and time!

-Michael
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  #2  
Old 19 Dec 2006
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Hi Michael

Tricky isn't it! I've got an '87 twin carb XR and my approach is roughly like this:
Is it more than about a week since I last started it? If so then undo the float bowl drain screws to flush them through with fresh fuel.

Petrol on, choke on, no throttle, decompressor lever in, kick bike over 4-5 times. Let decompressor out, find tdc with kickstart (turn it over with the kickstart until you feel compression), ease just over tdc slowly, make sure throttle is shut, long full weight kick.
If it doesn't start, find tdc etc and repeat once. More than this is a waste - you've flooded it.

Still no start? - Choke off, open throttle fully, hold decompressor in and kick through at least five times (its flooded and you're clearing out the excess fuel). Start again with choke on etc as above.

A couple of things are important. First the throttle must be shut when you're trying to start it. Secondly the starting kick must be a full weight, get the engine moving as fast as possible type of kick.

From memory this is pretty much the proceedure Honda give in the XR handbook.

Hope this helps
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  #3  
Old 19 Dec 2006
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I've not had a 600, but I've got a 650 and a 400, and I've had a couple of 250's also. They're all a little different, but the same in that you'll get to know it. Try not to loose heart, or your temper, as once you get the hang of it the bike will start fine.

It's hard to explain, but I think I usualy kick mine over a couple of times with the decompressor in before giving it a prod. Get it juuust past TDC, let the kick return to the top for the best swing and then give it a nice firm shove. Don't stamp on it, try to think of it more like a push. I've got a mate who used to begin his kick about 6 inches above the lever... he broke it. You need to have your foot almost taking the strain before you kick.

My 250's wouldn't respond to any throttle at all, but the other two need a little as the lever reaches the bottom of the swing. Experimenting will see you right with the 600.

If you drop it (or rather when you drop it), you'll find this the worst time. Again they're all different, but you need to clear it out before it'll go. Decomp in, throttle fully open, five or six kicks and return to your normal proceedure. I sometimes need to do this a few times to get it going, depending on how upside down it was.
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  #4  
Old 19 Dec 2006
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XR600 Starting Procedure??
I will try it again today, but if I don't write back, I guess that means I'm getting close!!!!

It's not that I'm frustrated and mad, it's just that I'm disappointed.

I thought I would have the hang of it by now.

It't pretty hard to find TDC, cause I've never had to do that with any of my other 4 cylinder bikes.

Weighting in at 148lbs. and 6', you have a rough idea on how hard it is to start the bike......

Would anybody have any answers for my other questions?

1. Should the plug look Really Wet with that starting procedure?
2. How do I tell, when I'm at TDC on the firing stroke for starting?
3. Should I be on the Intake stroke?
4. Should I be getting more Spark?
5. The bike likes to keep a high idle for a few seconds whenever I ride it. Could this be an indication of my starting problem?

Thanks for the help, once again!
-Michael
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  #5  
Old 19 Dec 2006
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Hang on in there Michael! Once you get the hang of it it's pretty much 1st / 2nd kick. Works for me and I'm 5' 8"

Finding tdc is easy. Swing the kickstart out and move it down with your foot. Depending on where the engine stopped it'll move easily for a while and then feel like its meeting resistance. Thats the piston coming up on the compression stroke. If you continue to push slowly it'll move and then free up. That's the piston just gone over top dead centre (tdc). What I do is move the kicker with my foot till I feel compression, pull in the decomp lever and ease it a bit further (a couple of inches on the kickstart). Thats the start point for the long swinging push type of kick that skidder mentioned.
You dont need to know about any other strokes. Just after tdc on the compression stroke is the starting point. Start from there and go for it with your kick. Start anywhere else or do it half heartedly and it may kick back.
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Old 19 Dec 2006
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Getting a hot bike started after a fall will be lesson 202. See you then!
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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!
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