Welcome, Brewster! Hope you stick around.

 

That's a problem I plan of fixing! Kickstarter, Steering Stabilizer, Big Bore, and Pumper carb are all in the planning stages.

 

my 2001 KLX 300 is a bitch to start, now I know why

 

I did the above mentioned "breaking off the ears" on the factory cams, but I have aftermarket forged cams now, so no worries. The Brewster method works, and he is very affordable. I did it myself so I wouldn't have to wait two weeks for the slow military mail to Japan, otherwise he would have done mine for me.

 

On the KLX300, the change in ACR timing only makes it easier to kick the engine over, just like lowering the compression ratio. Hard starting can usually be traced down to the intake valves have lost their clearance or the pilot circuit in the carb isn't properly metering the fuel at idle to 1/4 slide opening.

Ride on
Brewster

 

Bumping a mouldy one.

I'm accumulating the parts I'll need to add on a kickstart (for emergency use only). From the reading I've done, it sounds like the idler gear was updated somewhere along the years in the lineup. Can anyone tell me when? And what about it was changed? And would it be bad to use one from a 1995? Or anything else I should know about this gear? I think I have almost everything I need, except I'm not sure about this, and I guess I need to find an older foot peg mount.

 

Question for the KLX250 owners here -- how many of you have installed a kick start, or wish that you would have? I've considered a kick install, but am wondering if its really worth the effort.

 

From what I've heard but cannot confirm, the updated idler gear has a larger inside diameter bushing. I don't know what year they made the change, maybe 2002.

Ride on
Brewster

 

I get the ease of pressure on the idler gear. However i hear no one talk about proper procedure!! Kick the engine over until the kicker hits resistance, push 3/4 stroke through, return to 12 o clock position, kick full and will fire with ease. If not there's a tuning issue or valves. I follow this religiously and my high compression 97 klx300 fires every time cold or hot! Also if bike stalls you will need to find compression stroke(resistance). If you shut off with kill, simply push 3/4 Kick return12 o clock full kick. Fires every time!

 

50,000 miles on an e-start only KLX650 no problems. I never ride off road alone so if I did need to bump start I'd have help - or a tow. 17,000+ on the 250 no issues. I locked out the compression release as no other 250 has one and after proper jetting it is almost an instant starter.

You can kick start without a compression release, I did it occasionally on my SR500. Ease the piston just over TDC compression then give it the heave ho. All the CR does is allow you to get over TDC without effort.