01 YZ426 starting regimen?????

[obxnc]

First off.. GREAT forum.. I just picked up an 01 YZ426 lastnight. I watched the previous owner hold the decompression lever and kick it 10 times, then halfway hold it and barely turn it over, then he stomped it and it fired. Is there a reason behind the 10 initial kicks???

I brought it home and tried the same trick and I couldn't even turn it over. I am 220 and I couldn't get it to budge when it came time for me to "kick" it. Luckily my neighbor (14 Year old) was there and his dad has an 02 426. He got her running for me . ? I felt like an idiot... But anyways, all he did was hold the decompression lever and kick it about a third of one stroke, then release the lever and stomp it. The monster came to life... All day today, that is what I did.. Just a third of a turn then whomp it. Fired first kick every time.

So again... Is there a reason behind all of the initial kicks with the decompression lever in????

By the way, I love the bike.. It has a tons of power.. Love the forum and am looking forward to surfing these pages quite frequently..

[racer8]

10 kicks to prime the engine.

Then one to get it over top dead center.

ignition/light off!!!!

[642MX]

You need to buy a 450 exhaust cam, some shims, a decompression plug and forget about the starting drill. At the top of this forum is all the info you need about the 450 cam install.

[sirthumpalot]

BEFORE you pull the decomp lever, FIRST slowly kick it until it's rock solid. THEN pull the decomp lever, then kick about 1/3, then release the levert and stop it.

What you have to do is get it to the start of the compression stroke, that's where it's rock solid. Pull the lever and kick it about 1/3. Now it's most of the way through the compression stroke and you're able to kick it. When you stomp it you'll give the crank and flywheel enough momentum to carry it through a full compression revolution and if it fires then presto it's running.

Warning: Myself and some others have realized that if you fire it and run it for 30 seconds then turn it off (such as "hey buddy listen to this), then you may foul a plug and next time it will backfire but not start without a new plug. The trick is when you start it to show to a buddy, don't put it away until you've run it up to full temp. Hope this helps, have fun!

[obxnc]

Thanks for the quick responses... I follow sirthumpalot's method except I just get on it and pull the lever first.. (I do not kick it til it stops..)

I guess if that is all I have to do to start it then I really don't need the 450 exhaust cam.. It isn't much of a drill.. I was just wondering if I absolutely HAD to do those 10-20 kicks (like the manual says) with the decompression lever pulled or something would go horribly wrong in the future. ?

Thanks again...

[rlp1]

We never do the 10 kicks thing. I don't really know what that's all about, but ours starts and runs perfectly fine just doing the drill listed above.

[642MX]

I guess if that is all I have to do to start it then I really don't need the 450 exhaust cam.. ...

Thats what I thought also, until my fiancee bought a 03 YZ250F with the automatic decompression cam. When I seen her start it with about a half of a kick when it was on whatever stroke, I went ahead and ordered my cam. Its the second best mod you can do. (Rekluse is the first).

[99wr400]

Get it to top dead center, kick it like you mean it, and you're good to go.

[YZippy]

http://www.motocrossactionmag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=5EDCB77963CF46C192671F136A5B98CA

Learn it. Love it.

[Jeremiah]

Once you've got it...you'll love it. Easy as can be...well...until they came up with the automatic decompression system on the 450s. But...other than that...it's as easy as can be!

[MNellis]

I guess if that is all I have to do to start it then I really don't need the 450 exhaust cam.. It isn't much of a drill.. .

You say that now while your sitting in the driveway and everything is peachy keen. Try riding or racing in the woods for about 1/2 hour or so and kill the engine or maybe fall on tight right hander starting up a hill.......now, you're balancing the bike, pulling in the clutch and messing with the hot start and and holding the compression release.

It sometimes becomes an issue at that point.

[Satch0922]

I agree...get the cam and you will love the bike. First time you crash, your dog tired and it's 98 degrees outside...you will wish you did.

Besides.....this is 2006.....embrace technology that came out in late 2002! LOL

[palmdaleRider]

If you dump the bike, the cylinder can become overly rich. 10 kicks with decompression, and full throttle can help clear the richness. Actually 2-3 will clear the richness, but in opening the throttle you will have squirted some extra gas in there, so additional kicks are required.

[obxnc]

Great info!!! I just started reading up on the 450 cam mod. There are tons of pages on that..

This is my first 426 and I took the sellers starting drill as the way the book said. I looked at the manual again and there was the little "degree" symbol after the 10-20 on the initial start. So I guess he read it wrong and has been turning it over 10 times before he started it "everytime" since it was new. I just knew it couldn't be that hard to start. Anyways, thanks for all of the tips and such. The bike is completely stock witht he exception of pro taper bars and riser. The front tire is even original with hardly any wear.

Kick until it stops, pull in the decompression lever and kick 20 degrees, release the decompression lever and kickstarter, then stomp and the monster breathes... AWESOME!!

Also, I brought it home in the evening and when I started it the exhaust glowed to the point it looked like it was going to melt... Scared the hell out of me and I almost took it back. Then I got on here and saw that it was normal.. WHEW!!! THanks alot again.. This forum is great... My first stop in troubleshooting or just chewing the fat.