A little while back I put new rings in my TLR200 and now she has better compression and more grunt. However my impression is that the engine is running hotter - i have no real way to measure it , it just feels hot.

The plug is browny grey and clean.

I also notice that the engine idles higher as it warms up and it is harder to start ie: takes more kicks. It stalls easily when cold and tends to kick back much more often than it ever used to.

Any suggestions welcome

I would start by checking your spark timing. It may be too far advanced. Next check the valve clearances.

Timing isn't adjustable - so I will double check the valve clearance

Air leak - running lean ?

Plug doesn't suggest a lean mix and there is no colour change on the ground strap or porcelain so again no indication of timing ( and it can't be adjusted ) so I valves are the main suspect .

Cheers

It might not be that much,very little extra air is needed for a higher idle speed,the plug colour is a fairly blunt instrument for checking mixture strength - Co from the tailpipe is far more accurate.The harder starting is also a good indicator of air not pulling fuel out of the jets,but seeping in elsewhere.

jon - very true and I had a similar issue with my Cota few years ago - ultimately it was a combination of carbie and timing issues. I will do the routine leak tests and maybe replace the o-ring on the carbie mount just to be sure.

A good quick check, is run the motor then spray WD40, carb cleaner, or anyting exept paint, at the carb joint, and see if the revs change, fluid willseal the joint temporarily. and if you use something like carb cleaner it may increase revs .... up or down is a bad thing..

My Tlr 250 had the same problems which was an easy fix , fitted a new CDI unit and carb kit , all these i got through Shed Works (paul), bike was transformed , and at a cheaper price than i expected.

Well last weekend I did the WD40 check with no obvious change - but I tightened the carbie just a bit more to be sure. Then I checked the valve settings - inlet was correct at .05 while exhaust was .08 ( only 1 thou ) but I adjusted that. Then I backed off the decompression release by quite a few turns.

So tried it out and initially still not as easy to start as it used to be (pre- ring job) and still kicking back. I then had to make quite a bit of adjustment on the idle mix to get it right and took it for a ride. The engine was smoother and no sense of overheating. There is a typical 4 stroke lag if you crack open the throttle but generally felt good - and no sign of engine revs increasing when warmed up. But still a lot harder to start - I mean I am used to this old crate starting first kick and now it is 3 ,4 or 5 kicks to get her going. Maybe time for new plug.

Still hard to start and kicking back, sometimes on every kick. I am worried as I know the starter gear on these is not too strong. If CDI wouldn't I expect some other symptoms - engine runs fine apart from this issue.

have you checked the timing with a timing strobe light? Kicking back when you try and kick start usually means the spark is happening too far before TDC. Just because it is a CDI does not mean that the spark timing will be correct - may have happened when the camchain was off to replace the rings

Is it harder to kick? My TLR is super easy to kick. Almost feels like no compression. Maybe adjust the compression release to lower the starting compression more?

I have heard of people using richer jets and advancing the cam timing by 6 degrees for more low end power. Have not tried it myself yet but plan to. Sometime...

I have backed the compression release right off and that appears to have fixed it - not sure why and I haven't had time to do a full test but has started from cold twice now without a kickback.