Need Help Starting Bad!!!

[Mrmonk7663]

I have a problem and I don't know what it is. My foot is about to fall off from kicking my bike over and over. I jumped on the kick starter over 100+ times today and the bike started around 3 times total from this. The battery is 100% dead if that matters. Anyway, needless to say this sucks....but here is what doesn't make sense to me. If I put the bike in 2nd gear, roll it and pop the clutch, it starts instantly on the first or 2nd pop of clutch...why would it start like this and not with the kick starter? the bike has sat up for a while but it still doesn't explain it to me at least. After it starts I can ride it just fine, it will idle, go fast, etc etc.

Thanks and please help,

Michael

[brad the best]

my 450 doesn't start worth a darn unless the battery is charged or i jump it .

are you using proper starting procedure ? tdc with the kick starter ?

old gas ?

[Mrmonk7663]

Yes, the gas is old but if that was the problem then I would assume it wouldn't start by popping the clutch either. I am NOT using the proper procedure for kickstarting, honestly I have no clue what you are talking about. I just kick start it over and over. enlighten me on this?

[doctorchopper]

My 05 450 will not kickstart with a flat battery/no battery either, there might be a pattern here. It will run with a flat battery, but runs like crap at low idle, fine when the revs are up.

[Mrmonk7663]

Hmm, this might have something to do with the ignition since technically you wouldn't have any power to it until the moment of kicking...I don't know. But I did test my battery and it is 100% dead. I'm gonna bet this is the problem, as it wouldn't make sense that the bike woudl start instantly by pushing and popping the clutch. Anyone know where to get a new battery cheap?

[SJMC_DON]

Check your valve clearances if you have not already...

[Mrmonk7663]

Can someone just try to explain why my bike would start INSTANTLY when I put it in 2nd gear, roll, and pop the clutch, and it doesn't start via kick start...If it were my valve clearances, lack of spark, carb problem, etc etc...then it shouldn't fire up instantly and run fine by the first method. I don't understand.

[SJMC_DON]

Tight intake valves might explain what you are experiencing... is this something that has gotten worse over time or did it all of sudden not want to start?

I see it's an 04'... have you checked or adjusted valve clearances on the bike yet?

[Mrmonk7663]

The valves have been adjusted but not recently. It has not gotten worse over time, it just happened. The bike has sat for a few months. Only thing different with the bike now vs prior to sitting is that the battery is 100% DEAD, no juice, and it will not take a charge even if I get it started. I ordered a new battery today it will be in later this week.

[SJMC_DON]

The valves have been adjusted but not recently. It has not gotten worse over time, it just happened. The bike has sat for a few months. Only thing different with the bike now vs prior to sitting is that the battery is 100% DEAD, no juice, and it will not take a charge even if I get it started. I ordered a new battery today it will be in later this week.

Let us know how it goes. There may be something to the dead battery thing:excuseme:

[Mrmonk7663]

Will do. I'll report back at the end of the week. Mike

[DrzDasher]

my 04 did that too, battery was low, then next day was starting fine. Think the float was stuck and flooding out the bike.

[Mrmonk7663]

U Say your bike was doing it too...so are you saying it would start by popping the clutch also?

[brad the best]

ok how to start your wr450

turn on the gas , pull the choke . slowly twist the throttle once , posibbly twice . now don't touch it at all .

flip out the kick starter , push down slowly on it till it gets hard . you need to find top dead center . once you feel the hard spot let it go back up to the top and give it a good mean kick .

it really helps if the battery is charged .

valve clearance can also have an affect , not a bad idea to check them .

old gas never helps even if you can bomb start it .

[rufusz]

Your problem might be, that the battery is shorted (causing a short-circuit, maybe not 100% but enough to not let start your engine). There's not enough power to create the spark. When you push/pull it, the engine rotates several times, thus enough power is generated for a good, strong spark.

1. Try to start it without a battery (I have a yz426 so I don't have a battery, but should work)

2. Replace battery, you can use any type of 12V battery (even from your car, just put it next to your bike) - but if 1. works, than leave that

3. Check spark plug. Easiest way to replace it with a brand new and see if that fixes your problem. The spark could be to weak to ignite properly.

[Mrmonk7663]

Thanks guys. I'll pull the plug and check it too. Thanks for the proper cold starting procedure...seems simple but truly i've never done or heard of that before. And I have a new battery on order it should be here this week. Hopefully this weekend I will have an update on all of this!!!

Mike

[DrzDasher]

yep my bike would only bump start or to get it to kick I had to shut petcock, lean bike over and drain all fuel out, keep petcock off and kick. It would start right up then die. Later in the day, one push of the button and she sprung to life. First time it ever did that. It was also pouring fuel out of the carb vent. Things just fixed themselves. HaVE to remember to keep on tender.

[Mrmonk7663]

UPDATE---I installed the new battery from TurnTech, the 2.5ah small battery today that I got this week. Well, I am happy to report that after having my bike transported 400 miles, sitting cold for two weeks, that it started with OLD gas with 3 kicks. I took it to the gas station and put fresh 93 in and then tried the electric start. It started in about 1- 1 1/2 seconds. My jetting isn't spot on and it is hot and humid here, so I am super happy. With better jetting for the weather, and a clean carb and the ALJ i'm installing soon, the bike should be perfect. It ran fine, hard and strong today too. I don't know why but evidently having a DEAD battery (wouldnt take a charge) hooked up causes starting problems. Now all is well. Thanks for the help in this thread, and keep in mind this problem shoudl you run into something like this in the future!!!

Mike

[brad the best]

glad to hear everything worked out for you , its really lame when your bike won't start .

[Mrmonk7663]

Yah no kidding, it plain sucks when it won't start. Now all is well, and in about a month or two, all will be REALLY well with this beast!!!!