rotax 500 starting help PLEASE.

[mick znone]

guys, this is my current bike, an armstrong mt500 rotax kick starter. when i bought it i had read about the temperamental starting but just thought it was winging from younger guys. however i now know its true. ive replaced the worn out amal carb with a new mikuni but its still a bugger to start. is there someone on here that could explain why the mt500 rotax is such a swine to start, ive had dozens of kick start bikes in the past and they all started if set up ok. any clues please

[z1bman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17eoe7Yn5p0

[mick znone]

thanks z1b man, but this is just not practical, how often do you ride bare foot

[z1bman]

make sure the valve clearances are not tight. is the valve timing set correctly? have you got the correct voltage at the coil. make sure the stator has not sheared the key on the crank & is firing in the right position

[Pigford]

From COLD

1 Turn fuel on
2 Choke on
3 Ignition on
4 NO THROTTLE
5 Just over TDC
6 Kick like fook

If it don't start by 3rd kick.....

Choke & Ignition off
Hold de-comp & throttle open & kick several times... then start from #1

[z1bman]

or buy a bmw f650 this one that i sold in 1997 had over 100 thousand miles on the clock

[mick znone]

ive tied many suggested methods of starting, all work sometimes but usually only if there is no audience but can anyone explain why a rotax is different? or am i wrong.

[gordon62]

Hi all,
MT500 are not the best of starters"s had the goverment not been so tight when the order went in for these they would of had a electric starter, they rejected the extra 50 quid or so cost..true that is...
they can need a bit of a nack...my own MT500 was fitted with a mikuni which helped, but still not perfect, I believe there is a fix by increasing the pilot jet size, which required drilling, I believe Steve at motocarb can do, I was going to have mine done, but had to sell so did"nt have it done,
http://www.motocarb.co.uk/ you could also try the mt riders club http://www.mtridersclub.co.uk/ they can be helpful
my own MT was not too bad, but from time to time it would be hard to start or would cut out from pull away, normal for these....
here is mine.. now sold

[mick znone]

ive seen that bike before Gordon, very nice. im in the mtriders club but asking about starting problems is an almost daily event on there. i thought i would try the question on here and see what comes. really i think i was hoping to understand if its something to do with it being "rotax" ?? and just see if there were any other ideas to add to the mix. i just remember other kick start bikes starting after a couple of kicks back in the day.i think i need to get the bike up to Minter for a fix up maybe.

[jimmock]

Mick,

Have you tried towing behind an ARMY Land Rover??

[mick znone]

Mick,

Have you tried towing behind an ARMY Land Rover??

now, i am currently looking for a land rover Jimbo, a nicely restored series landy will be my imminent purchase, i will pass on the results to you personally in a PM

[gordon62]

I had a series 2a ex-Army landy LWB a few years back, in green no less
what a tool.....when it snowed, everyone call me out, made a few qiud

[mick znone]

i will be charging for the services of my landy to help make up the fuel costs being a builder i can carry a fair size trailer and muck away all rubble, the rubble can go on my every crumbling lane that wrecks all vehicles i buy. but i do like the lane because it keeps some people away

[harrythemagnum]

Left kickers can be a bit awkward, I've had a few, Husky 610, CCM and a KTM, if you're tall some kick with the right leg off the bike.
My best technique was to keep the throttle closed when kicking, but when it fired "catch it" with the gas.
Worked for me.

[garyd]

So what's the technical reason it's a sod to start.

Intake length too long.......poor route from carb to valve?

It's just an internal combustion engine so there needs to be a design fault that's causing this.