Racing start - dead engine tips please

[stay_upright]

Didn't know whether to post in here or the racers forum anyway how do you get the perfect dead engine start (engine is fully warmed up) ?

I.e. how do you guarantee the bike will fire and rev quickly 1st kick?

Can you start in gear? (would be better if I could)

Do you jet your bike specifically for starts? I guess richer is better but at the moment my bike is lean off the bottom.

When pushing the kickstart what is the two 'bumps' i.e. resistances you feel? I would have expected to find one point that is difficult to push the kicker through and that would be top dead centre but there seem to be two hard bits one almost immediately after the other....

Any help is appreciated my starts are terrible

[jeffd]

1. When you kill the bike have it in gear with the clutch in.
2. Pick up a YZ yamaha kickstarter or a newer gasgas one.
3. Get a magura clutch master cylinder - it has slightly longer throw and will disengage the clutch a tad more.
4. Run shell 15w40 diesel rated oil - here in the U.S. this is branded as "Rotella".

jeff

[Gasser300]

Thats exactly how I was told to do it and it works.

When the line ahead of me started and took off I started mine too then clicked into gear and killed it while holding clutch in.

Worked too.

[stay_upright]

Originally Posted by jeffd

2. Pick up a YZ yamaha kickstarter or a newer gasgas one.

jeff

What's the difference?

[Gasser300]

I think they are longer and makes starting the bike easier

eh?

[goody]

When I shut off the engine before a dead start I always used to stall it rather than using the kill switch, when you use the kill switch it cuts the spark but the last couple of revolutions of the engine still pull fuel through making the plug wet, if you stall it it stops the engine dead and leaves the plug dry ready for the race start. It's what I was told anyway and seemed to work but then I never raced many of those type of starts, timecards are much more civilised!
Got a rekluse now so couldn't do it if I tried!

[motorhead]

I would tell you but...What class do u race?

[c-152]

As a C class rider it doesn't much matter for me but I start the bike when the first row leaves, then stall it and do not start it again till its my turn. When in gear, I let the clutch out and rock it back and fourth a few times to "prime it". Then just hold the clutch and and wait.

I have both left it in gear and started in neutral (seems to be the best option for me if I had trouble getting it started before the race due to improper jetting or cold weather). For a C classer, I have pullout first or second with leaving it in neutral (I guess us back row guys are more tame).

[Keg]

The best thing I do is just warm the bike up normally and then turn it off normally.

Then I select 2nd gear and roll the bike backward until it is hard against top dead centre. That way there is one revolution before it sparks. It is the same principle as pushing a 4 stroke kicker past top dead centre using the decomp lever.

Make sure the kicker is at its very highest point before kicking. don't lean on it too hard before starting as it will push the piston down.

I just stab at the clutch lever and pull it in and let it go in one action and hope the bike is going.

[ramcclure200]

What helped me was jetting so it idles clean.
my routine is warm up motor then on starting line crank it in neutral then whack the throttle a few times while still in the revs hit the kill button, then i'll put in 2nd gear and do the same thing, then wait for the flag.
If you want a good start bike needs to be in gear or you already lost.
Kick starter needs to have resistance as high up in the kick as possible.
listen to your motor when it lights turn throttle to build revs and start feeding clutch out then more gas to keep revs up until clutch is fully engaged, then keep it pinned and get ready to go into 3rd.

one thing that helped me on hare scramble starts where there are rows in front of you is to practice your start with the row in front of you so if you botch the cranking you have 1 more chance to get it right.
The whole technique takes alot of practice but when you get the hole shot you got bragging rights