how do you kick start these china dirtbikes?

xposur · 07-22-2015, 10:24 AM

So my RPS hawk 250 starts electronically but I can't kick start it for the life of me. Had a battery die by leaving the ignition on and could not start the bike. Not sure if I am doing it right but ignition o , nuetral and kick, it doesn't start.

andyj812 · 07-22-2015, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xposur

So my RPS hawk 250 starts electronically but I can't kick start it for the life of me. Had a battery die by leaving the ignition on and could not start the bike. Not sure if I am doing it right but ignition o , nuetral and kick, it doesn't start.

That's a darn qood question, I have only been able to kick start mine once, and that was after it was warmed up. I've tried many times but it doesn't seem to spin the enging much and if you try to long it appears to "flood" it because mine is hard to start with the starter after kicking it for a minute or 2.

Huck369 · 07-22-2015, 01:20 PM

If the battery was completely dead, there may not have been enough voltage to run the CDI....

Otherwise, kickstarting is an art form..

2-stokes and 4-strokes requires slightly different methods...

or a 4-Stroke, you need to slowly kick it until the piston is at the top of the power stroke, then bring the kickstarter back to the top, and a good hard kick thru should light it up.

bogieboy · 07-23-2015, 07:53 AM

seeing how I have a bad starter relay, I kick mine all thd time.... mine starts pretty easy... usually first or second kick... I do have mh idle set a touch high though... maybe that helps?

dossbag · 07-30-2015, 02:29 PM

Mine is also a pain to kick start.. You have to make sure your on the compression stroke to stand any chance. Just roll it over until it's really hard to press down.. Then lunge on it.
Mine feels like it's not turning the engine over enough.. like the gearing for it is too high. And the pig can kick back too lol
Easier to bump start it in 2nd

culcune · 07-30-2015, 10:11 PM

Be careful on being too aggressive with kickstarting--my old TMEC (which I bought used) found the kickstand needing a new bolt (I think it had issues before I bought the bike). My new TMEC, I just stand next to the bike and kickstart and it seems to work great, which has left my kickstand alone.

Mike7476 · 09-01-2018, 08:13 PM

Have you figured out anything since this post I can’t kickstart mine either I gave up trying

timcosby · 09-01-2018, 10:34 PM

been kicking mine for 8 months. if cold i put it at half choke in the summer winter gets full choke. no throttle. it will usually sputter on the first or second kick then idle on the third. battery totally dead just havent seen the need to buy one yet. did have to wd 40 the balls

while out west because of rust and it didnt want to spin to the open kicking position.

pete · 09-01-2018, 10:47 PM

kick starting a 4T is becoming a lost art these days
with almost every bike having a button..
i'm out of practice so even my TTR is a PITA...
Most of the new bikers never have to kick a 4T
so they never get the hang of it...

..

AresROC · 09-01-2018, 10:55 PM

My Bashan BSR kick started the very first time I tried. Carb is not tuned so to cold kick start I put on choke and twist throttle 1/4 turn. Without the twist throttle it would light up but can't idle on it's own

Cravin01 · 09-01-2018, 11:25 PM

My Bashan Storm would not kick start and it had me a bit worried if I needed it, I did a pumper carb upgrade and now for fun and just to make me gain confidence in it, I kick start my bike when cold almost every time. I swear today it fired in 1 kick, normally 2 to 3 kicks but I'm getting to know what the bike likes.

It takes nothing to get it fired now , If I use the starter it fires in a second. No more long cranks before lighting up. I will be putting a pumper carb on any bike I have from this point forward......period.

ChipToothy · 09-01-2018, 11:29 PM

Mine has a pretty good chunk of metal missing from the kick lever where it collides with the peg. I'd say I have around 600 kicks on it with every throttle and choke position possible and 0 results. The preloading the bowl with fresh fuel via the throttle doesn't help either way either. I was going to just remove the lever since it's useless and nearly chopped in 1/2 but it keeps my pants off the hot stuff so maybe better with it on haha.

Cravin01 · 09-02-2018, 12:09 AM

I hear ya ! I couldn't get mine to fire at all either, I was extremely happy when I did the upgrade. I can't figure why it would be so hard to kick when it would start relatively quick with the starter?

ChipToothy · 09-02-2018, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cravin01

I hear ya ! I couldn't get mine to fire at all either, I was extremely happy when I did the upgrade. I can't figure why it would be so hard to kick when it would start relatively quick with the starter?

Not being an engine guy I really don't have a clue. Yours all of a sudden was all good when you upgraded the carb so it has to be a fuel issue? About every other week I have to increase my idle screw a mm or it starts dying at every red light in town so maybe like that it's just another problem created by the stock jetting limitations. Does your lever smack the foot peg when kicked lol?

I had completely forgot about roll starting. That would have saved me 2 round trip walks with a battery in hand to the autozone a month ago lol.

pete · 09-02-2018, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cravin01

I can't figure why it would be so hard to kick when it would start relatively quick with the starter?

Cranking speed..

.

07-22-2015, 10:24 AM	#1
xposur Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Des Plaines, IL Posts: 85	how do you kick start these china dirtbikes? So my RPS hawk 250 starts electronically but I can't kick start it for the life of me. Had a battery die by leaving the ignition on and could not start the bike. Not sure if I am doing it right but ignition o , nuetral and kick, it doesn't start.
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07-22-2015, 01:20 PM	#3
Huck369 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Somerset, KY Posts: 686	If the battery was completely dead, there may not have been enough voltage to run the CDI.... Otherwise, kickstarting is an art form.. 2-stokes and 4-strokes requires slightly different methods... or a 4-Stroke, you need to slowly kick it until the piston is at the top of the power stroke, then bring the kickstarter back to the top, and a good hard kick thru should light it up. __________________ Huck 2013 Honda NC700X 2013 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone 2016 AJP PR4 2022 Templar X 250 2021 Sondors Metacycle AMA Life Member
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07-30-2015, 02:29 PM	#5
dossbag Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Michigan Posts: 162	Mine is also a pain to kick start.. You have to make sure your on the compression stroke to stand any chance. Just roll it over until it's really hard to press down.. Then lunge on it. Mine feels like it's not turning the engine over enough.. like the gearing for it is too high. And the pig can kick back too lol Easier to bump start it in 2nd __________________ 2014 Bashan Storm 250 Enduro 1998 Harley Davidson Fat Boy 1993 Suzuki GSX600F - Rebuilt 1995 Harley Davidson Chopper build from ground up. 1983 Yamaha XJ900 REBUILT! 1971 Triumph Daytona 500 - Restored 1987 Yamaha FJ1200
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07-30-2015, 10:11 PM	#6
culcune Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 9,035	Be careful on being too aggressive with kickstarting--my old TMEC (which I bought used) found the kickstand needing a new bolt (I think it had issues before I bought the bike). My new TMEC, I just stand next to the bike and kickstart and it seems to work great, which has left my kickstand alone. __________________ "They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you got to ride it well..." TGB Delivery Scooter 150 TMEC 200 Enduro--carcass is sadly rotting in the backyard
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09-01-2018, 08:13 PM	#7
Mike7476 Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Connecticut Posts: 40	Kick start Have you figured out anything since this post I can’t kickstart mine either I gave up trying
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07-23-2015, 07:53 AM	#4
bogieboy Join Date: May 2013 Location: finger lakes NY Posts: 2,046	seeing how I have a bad starter relay, I kick mine all thd time.... mine starts pretty easy... usually first or second kick... I do have mh idle set a touch high though... maybe that helps?
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09-01-2018, 10:34 PM	#8
timcosby Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: robertsdale alabama usa Posts: 1,007	been kicking mine for 8 months. if cold i put it at half choke in the summer winter gets full choke. no throttle. it will usually sputter on the first or second kick then idle on the third. battery totally dead just havent seen the need to buy one yet. did have to wd 40 the balls while out west because of rust and it didnt want to spin to the open kicking position. __________________ 1991 harley heritage softail classic 2016 hawk kaw h1 400 tripple 13' long chopper in progress 2009 johnny pag bar hog 2004 hd electra glide ultra classic shriner edition 1997 harley davidson 1200 sportster 1972 harley davidson amf sx250
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09-01-2018, 10:47 PM	#9
pete Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: ChCh , NZ Posts: 2,262	kick starting a 4T is becoming a lost art these days with almost every bike having a button.. i'm out of practice so even my TTR is a PITA... Most of the new bikers never have to kick a 4T so they never get the hang of it... .. __________________ 09 XT660R ... 06 TTR250 ... 80 Montesa H6 125 Enduro... 77 Montesa Cota 348 MRR "Malcom Rathnell Replica"... Current resto projects.. 81 Honda CT110... 80 Kawasaki KL250A1... 11 Husaburg TE125 enduro... "sold" along with another 31... Lifan 125 Pitbike.. "stolen" ... KIWI BIKER FORUM...... http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/content.php All the best offroad rides in NZ... http://www.remotemoto.com/ E-mail... xtpete1@gmail.com
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09-01-2018, 10:55 PM	#10
AresROC Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 193	My Bashan BSR kick started the very first time I tried. Carb is not tuned so to cold kick start I put on choke and twist throttle 1/4 turn. Without the twist throttle it would light up but can't idle on it's own __________________ BaShan BSR 250 DB-41H 2018 Red BS250GY-18D JFG Racing Exhaust . Adjustable Shock 320mm . Brozz Digital Gauge . Renthal Fat Bar . 428 17x46 Sprocket . Fender Eliminator . Wheel Truing . Fuel Tank Repair . Keihin PZ30 Main-115 Pilot-38 Needle-1Washer Fuel Mixture-1/2 BSR Chronicles - "Project leads to more projects!" Yamaha WR250R Suzuki GSX-R 600
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09-01-2018, 11:25 PM	#11
Cravin01 Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Forney Texas Posts: 498	My Bashan Storm would not kick start and it had me a bit worried if I needed it, I did a pumper carb upgrade and now for fun and just to make me gain confidence in it, I kick start my bike when cold almost every time. I swear today it fired in 1 kick, normally 2 to 3 kicks but I'm getting to know what the bike likes. It takes nothing to get it fired now , If I use the starter it fires in a second. No more long cranks before lighting up. I will be putting a pumper carb on any bike I have from this point forward......period. __________________ Visit me on YouTube at "Project Next"! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6KTCi2GVbfRDv-2XCqHhsg?view_as=subscriber 2017 Bashan Storm Keihen PZ30 Pumper Carb,115 main jet,35 pilot jet, gutted factory exhaust, Sambo Digital Speedometer,LED blinkers, H4 headlight,D.I.D X-ring chain 428,17/42 sprockets,UNI cone filter.
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09-01-2018, 11:29 PM	#12
ChipToothy Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 819	Mine has a pretty good chunk of metal missing from the kick lever where it collides with the peg. I'd say I have around 600 kicks on it with every throttle and choke position possible and 0 results. The preloading the bowl with fresh fuel via the throttle doesn't help either way either. I was going to just remove the lever since it's useless and nearly chopped in 1/2 but it keeps my pants off the hot stuff so maybe better with it on haha.
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09-02-2018, 12:09 AM	#13
Cravin01 Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Forney Texas Posts: 498	I hear ya ! I couldn't get mine to fire at all either, I was extremely happy when I did the upgrade. I can't figure why it would be so hard to kick when it would start relatively quick with the starter? __________________ Visit me on YouTube at "Project Next"! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6KTCi2GVbfRDv-2XCqHhsg?view_as=subscriber 2017 Bashan Storm Keihen PZ30 Pumper Carb,115 main jet,35 pilot jet, gutted factory exhaust, Sambo Digital Speedometer,LED blinkers, H4 headlight,D.I.D X-ring chain 428,17/42 sprockets,UNI cone filter.
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