xr600, are they hard to start

[Paul-P]

my dad just bought an xr600 and some people have told us that they are deathly hard to start and you can get injured? is any of this true?

[Owyhee]

my dad just bought an xr600 and some people have told us that they are deathly hard to start and you can get injured? is any of this true?

I am a weak 140lbs and have no trouble starting my 1999 600 hot or cold. It has stock jetting and is a little rich for my altitude. When cold it's a three-kick starter and hot it's a one or two-kick starter.

I suppose you can get injured starting a 600 if struck by lightining or a meteorite while kicking it over. Other than that your dad will be fine.

If your dad has a twin-carb model (1985-1986?) it is possible to for the bike to be a hard starter. If he feels uncomfortable with twin carbs take it to a shop and they'll fix him right up for a small (ahem) fee.

"O"

[Beyond The Pale]

my dad just bought an xr600 and some people have told us that they are deathly hard to start and you can get injured? is any of this true?

Setup properly, it's not too bad to start. It's a 600 so it does take a good kick to get it going. There is an anti kickback mechanism that is quite effective. As long as it's working, it will not kick back very hard if at all.

Like Owyhee said, proper jetting really helps. The bike come very lean and that makes them harder to start.

The stators are also known to go bad. That leads to a weak spark and difficult starting.

[XRsteve]

The early bikes are sometime hard to start. The twin carbs and decompression cable from the kickstarter have to adjusted properly. Newer ones seem a lot better.

[xr650rkyle]

Have a 1995 600r, Couple years ago I had to replace the stator coil and the exiter coil. Because it would not start. Now it starts on 2-3 kicks cold and 1st kick every time when hot. THe 600 is alot easier to kick than my 650R....

Just find the hard spot to kick it over!

[moto_x2005]

88 xr600r it sucks to start cold, but runs great

[Owyhee]

88 xr600r it sucks to start cold, but runs great

I thought you were going to sell me that 600?

"O"

[brichter]

Adjust the valves, adjust the auto decompressor (in that order), it'll kick over easy peasy.

I had mine kick back before I adjusted the valves & auto decomp, I limped for 2 weeks, and I had my boots on! ?

[moto_x2005]

I thought you were going to sell me that 600?

"O"

Haha u still want it, thats funny how long have u been askin me?

[cbaranski]

I have a 96 with a 630 kit in it with a 10:1 piston, it starts first kick hot or cold.

[SniperTeamBravo]

I suppose you can get injured starting a 600 if struck by lightining or a meteorite while kicking it over. Other than that your dad will be fine.

Now thats some funny stuff!

[rmhrc630]

Not my XR600 - I got estart to start the mother on those cold mornings when the oil is like syrup and the engine feels as heavy as lead

[LotsOfBikes]

When I was racing, I could light up the XR600R so fast that the guys on the Two-stroke 500's were impressed. When I was racing, I only tipped the scale at 130lbs.

I have never had trouoble starting the XR600's, any one of them that I have ridden.

[XR6's_rule]

I owned a few XR600's and I never had any trouble starting them either (unless they had a problem), but then I've been a thumper rider my whole riding life. There was a bit of a routine to it though, you had to get her just past TDC and give her a little throttle as she fired when cold with choke. They would start dead easy no throttle kick just past TDC when warm. Worked everytime for me. My new CRF is just as easy using the same routine, although the kickstarter is a bit higher - not quite as easy to get a good kick at.

[creeky]

Take the time to learn the proper starting drills and you will have no problem starting your "Six-Honey".

[jeffdab]

Before i bought my xr600 ,i heard people say these are pigs to start,i went

and bought one anyway, the bike starts first or second kick every time,

all i can say is there must be alot of wimps out there, enjoy what is one of the best four strokes out there. ? jeff

[Fetona]

Like it has been said, the 600 has a certain drill you must follow when starting. I had an 89 XR600 for 9 years. It would often start on the 1st kick. When it started getting hard to start I knew there was a problem, it was the stator. After I replaced it, it would start on the 1st or 2nd kick. I live at around 300ft above sea level and the temperature here in Camarillo CA is pretty temperate. When I went up to big bear and the temperature dropped to near freezing, it did get much harder to start in the morning.

[XHMXR]

I know none of you guys ever fall down but----I do ---and if it floods when it falls you can just about kiss your leg goodby. I have seen times when you would have to kick it 15 times to get it cleared out. I'm not a 130 pound hero that can get it started with just a half a kick. Im a 230 lb guy and usually I can start it without a big deal in warm weather but as posted when it gets cold out take the car. You will end up with a right leg thats twice as big as the other and have to let out the seam on your pant leg.

[exaresix]

If the carb is clean then this is an easy bike to start, but if it has been sitting with bad gas and the jets and passages are partly plugged, then the bike will make you beg for mercy.

If you tip it over and it floods, you just hold the throttle wide open as well as the compression release and kick it over easily about ten times. This usually clears the flooding and it will start.

[bigtooth]

I suppose you can get injured starting a 600 if struck by lightining or a meteorite while kicking it over. Other than that your dad will be fine.

Now thats some funny stuff!

First off: That is some funny stuff! thanks, that helped this morning, while i'm sitting at work hanging out on TT ?

Second:

I have a '91 600 god bless her soul that bike has taken a pounding over the years. My starting routine:

Choke all the way on

Decompresser in - 3-4 good kicks, no gas

No de-compress, 1 - 2 kicks, it will build up compression

Let the kick starter come all the way up then hold the decompresser and push slowly, you will feel almost a click as you hit TDC.

then no decompresser and 1 good kick, she starts everytime, cold, hot, doesnt matter.

Then only time I ever feel kick back from the kickstarter is if I dump it and flood it and try to start it wide open, which doesnt work anyway. If flooded just kick it with the decompresser wot, then try the normal routine. Repeat if necessary.

Good luck to you and your dad.