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]

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

 

[stainlesscycle]

i warm the bike up till its very hot.. put it in second gear, slip clutch a bit to bit to gain traction, pull clutch in, kill it with kill switch. at 10 seconds i turn throttle wide open, i push the kicker through past tdc, hold throttle wide open. when i see flag begin to move, kick it and slip clutch to keep front on the ground.. my starts are usually very good - as long as there's not a giant long straightaway before the woods, i can usually get the holeshot into the woods. the starts are the easy part - everything else is hard!

depending on what line i start on, i can get a practice kick/start when the lines in front of me go..

i also watch the flagger when the first line goes so i can see if they have a pattern....

if there's a big long straightaway i usually get overtaken by a bigger bike or 2.. i gotta get over that 40-50mph fear barrier. i know there's another gear there, but i have a tendency to back off before i run outta speed....

if you practice starts for just 10 minutes once a week, you'll be so much faster outta the start....

 

[wyldman]

The key is keeping oil between the clutch plates. If you release the clutch, you squeeze out the oil,and it adds drag. A dragging clutch makes it hard to start.

Bike need to be warmed up, and jetted well. If you are waiting for other classes to start, fire it up and clean it out between each class leaving. Always do this in neutral, and not in gear. You don't want to heat the clutch up and add any drag.

When it's your turn,pull the clutch in,rev it once to clean it out,and shut the bike off with it in second gear, and keep the clutch held in. Use the kill switch to shut it off. Do NOT let the clutch out at all until the flag drops ! A few seconds before the start,slowly put weight on the kickstarter until you feel resistance (compression). Now let the kick start lever return to the top, and hold your foot there and don't move. When the flag drops,kick it HARD. Follow all the way thru,don't just jab at it. A good kick is important. If done right, it should fire right up,and you dump the clutch and go. By the time your foot has kicked all the way thru, you should be 15 feet ahead of everyone else.

Everybike is different, so you will need to practice and find what amount of throttle is needed to get it to start the best. I usually find on a properly jetted bike, kick it with the throttle closed, and as it first starts to fire,roll the throttle open and dump the clutch. You need to practice to see what you bike likes, so you are 100% consistant.

A lightweight trans oil can make all the difference too. A bike with 5W40 will start much easier in gear than a bike with 15W40. Make sure you clutch is in good shape,with no warped steels or a notched basket.

Also watch the starter. Focus on his elbow,not his hand or the flag. The second he twitches,you kick and go.

Once mastered, you should be able to get a good start 99% of the time. The next thing you need to do is learn to keep it to yourself. I made the mistake of telling a bunch of people I race with, and now they are starting as well as me !

 

[iancp5]

The next thing you need to do is learn to keep it to yourself. I made the mistake of telling a bunch of people I race with, and now they are starting as well as me !

You'll have the whole world doing it at this rate!