New to Gas Gas, looking for some advice.

[Neilw]

Hello all, I am new to Gas Gas and have just bought a 2004 TXT Pro 280, it has covered very few kms and had a new CDI fitted last year. I have great difficulty in kick-starting it, it doesn't seem to fire. I have a nice blue spark with the correct plug, (Plug and suppressor cap are new) fuel is getting through and if I bump start it, it fires up immediately and runs really nicely, pulling cleanly through the gears and idling perfectly so I don't think there is much going wrong. Could it be a component within the kick-start mechanism, maybe the pawl? Or is it me doing something wrong?
Sorry to start with a question but it is frustrating me!
Thanks,
Neil.

[swazi_matt]

I have an 03 txt and i believe it has more to do with technique in the kick. different to an enduro bike the txt seems to start better the more speed you get into the kick than the length of the kick.

Before i serviced the carb (and when the bike was still new to me and i hadn't developed the right technique) i found that i needed to use the choke to start it always even when warm, no throttle though

[Zman]

The kick starter on the pro versions are fragile. Use the kick start lever to bring the engine to just past the top of the compression stroke and then stop. Bring the kick starter back to the top. Slowly push the kick starter down to engage the start gear pinion, then push it through with force to start it. The idea is to get the engine past TDC, get a full stroke of the lever and take up the slack in the assembly before you actually kick it through.

I was told by a GG trials guru to use extreme care when kicking the start lever. Use care as if you had an important sensitive male bodily appendage between your foot and the kick start lever.

The choke jet in the carb is too lean from the factory. If you are starting it cold turn on the choke and tip the bike to one side or the other and let the carb overflow and pee fuel on the ground. This will give you a richer mixture and it should start easier. An option is to drill out the choke jet or replace it with the next larger jet size.

[Neilw]

Thanks for the replies, I'll go and practice today! I think it is my technique as there is absolutely nothing amiss with the bike when it is running.

[ridered125]

I had the same problem when I got a 2010 Raga edition 250. I bought spark plugs, rebuilt the carb (did have a gas-logged float) and read lots of threads about some gasser trials bikes being hard to start. Nothing helped until I got the right advice.

The worst thing you can do is the TDC drill and then kick it like you are starting an old Harley or twin carb XL 600. Don't do that. I used to do that and would get so tired I could hardly finish a trial. kick, kick, kick, sweat, kick, sit down.

Do this:
If the bike is cold, put it in gear and rock it back and forth 4-8 times. Listen for the piston pumping as you rock the bike. Put it in neutral. Choke on. Throttle closed. Pull out the kicker and don't touch it with your boot until the boot hits the lever on your first kick. Kick it swiftly but not forcefully. Like a jab. It's about speed, not so much force and follow through.

The first time I did it, the bike fired up so well it scared me.

When it's warm, just hold the throttle open and whack the kicker like you did when it was cold. It will start. You will smile.

I love the Gasser trials bikes but nearly sold mine over this issue. Now it's an easy-starting sweet machine.

[Zman]

That starting method is opposite, what I was told by a GG trials dealer that has been around the GG trials bikes since they were introduced to the market. GG spent significant effort reducing weight on these bikes, including reducing metal in the kick start assembly. That reduction in metal also made the assembly more fragile. A fast kick against to an unloaded kick start lever (at the top), will create a large impact force on the assembly as the slack in the system is taken when the starting mechanism actually engages against a stationary engine rotating assembly.

The method I mentioned above for cold starting worked very well after you richen or drill the choke jet or after you tip the bike to the side to get an overfull float bowl which effectively richens the jetting.

Once the jetting is set correctly there was no problem starting the bike warm.

[swazi_matt]

Originally Posted by ridered125

I had the same problem when I got a 2010 Raga edition 250. I bought spark plugs, rebuilt the carb (did have a gas-logged float) and read lots of threads about some gasser trials bikes being hard to start. Nothing helped until I got the right advice.

The worst thing you can do is the TDC drill and then kick it like you are starting an old Harley or twin carb XL 600. Don't do that. I used to do that and would get so tired I could hardly finish a trial. kick, kick, kick, sweat, kick, sit down.

Do this:
If the bike is cold, put it in gear and rock it back and forth 4-8 times. Listen for the piston pumping as you rock the bike. Put it in neutral. Choke on. Throttle closed. Pull out the kicker and don't touch it with your boot until the boot hits the lever on your first kick. Kick it swiftly but not forcefully. Like a jab. It's about speed, not so much force and follow through.

The first time I did it, the bike fired up so well it scared me.

When it's warm, just hold the throttle open and whack the kicker like you did when it was cold. It will start. You will smile.

I love the Gasser trials bikes but nearly sold mine over this issue. Now it's an easy-starting sweet machine.

i use this method, but as zman said, i don't kick through the slack of the kickstart. I get it to where it takes and then "stab" it.
Very diferent to my ec300 where there was more benefit in getting a longer stroke over a faster one