My 250 almost always requires 2 kicks. If I stop and immediately restart, 1 kick will usually do.  But if it's stopped long enough to walk a section, it will probably require 2 kicks to restart.  One the other hand, if the bike has been sitting for months it may start on a single kick.

My 280 is somewhat more recalcitrant.  It probably takes an average of 2.5 kicks.

I have some theories as to why this might be so, but I'm wondering if others have managed to make theirs a 1-kick starter.   This really doesn't matter during practice or if ridden as a trail bike, but during a competition it saps my limited energy.  Both bikes have Easy-Start kits.  I'm a bit of a lightweight at 142 pounds (64.5 kg).

 If it starts within two kicks, you are golden. Very few bikes are one kick wonders.

3kicks from cold, first 2 to prime the fuel pump and the third to fire it up. One kick when warm but I also use the easy start to charge the system

Canada280i, does ambient temperature have an effect on your bike?  Mine seems more likely to start on 1 kick when it's cooler outside, 50 F (10 C).

I'd be happy it started at all, mine was terrible!

Can’t say that I have noticed it affected by temperature, seems to be pretty consistent regardless, and we do get some temp swings here in Canada 

2 hours ago, phatdoave said:

I'd be happy it started at all, mine was terrible!

Just need to be set up right, there are lots of things to mod to make them start easier, easy start battery assist, slot the hall sensor to mod the timing, make sure the tps is set correctly etc etc

2 hours ago, canada280i said:

Just need to be set up right, there are lots of things to mod to make them start easier, easy start battery assist, slot the hall sensor to mod the timing, make sure the tps is set correctly etc etc

I liked it when it was running right but I didn't realise when I bought it that I was a development rider. 

Mine was a tricky one to start even with the easy start. I tweaked the throttle rest pin a touch and now it starts easily with one kick when warm and will tick over in gear with the clutch pulled in. 

 

Ideally id like to get the ecu/fi set up properly and not my bodge. Anyone know anyone with the right software in or near South Wales?

2-5 kicks on cold start, 3-4 average. Mostly 1 kick with warm engine, sometimes 2 when I don't give sharp enough kick in some tricky balancing place.

 

I have the 2013 TR280i wich is the super-high compression engine (even more compression than the red OSSA racing head sold separately so mine is VERY hard to kick!) and I don't have any batterypack start assist anymore, found it helped just a little but created lots of fuss with wires and battery weight.

 

I've found those factors to look for on easier start that makes the start assist battery pack not a requirement:

-correct TPS voltage and a bit higher idle (and I've tuned 50-100rpm higher than OSSA manual recommends)

-it's important to keep the stator side chamber very clean (so it generates a good voltage, good practice is to pull off the magneto time-to-time and clean the inners)

-a flywheel weight I have helps on starting too

-on cold 1st and often 2nd kick are to get the capacitor full (it steals all the voltage then, so don't waste your energy too much on first kicks hoping it makes it better but actually it doesn't help much, I give 60-70% of my kicking power just to get some voltage into capacitor first), then on 3nd or 4rd kick the capacitor fires the volts out and starts on nice sharp kick (when warm the capacitor is full anyways, so 1st kick start most of the time)

Edited December 11, 20187 yr by tsiklonaut

With my ‘super easy start’ (tiny 12V batter to activate fuel pump) it starts 1st kick when warm every time -  IF I give it a good kick.

when cold, 1 or 2.  For me, it is picky on a good kick.  My Beta 4T is completely different, it seems to like a slow ‘push through’ kick or it won’t start well at all.  

Just pulled my ossa out, dusted it off after a year without being started and it started on the 4th kick, set them up right and they start just like any other bike

So what does everyone think about the kick start lever hitting the footpeg?   Most annoying.

There's no way I can start the 280 with leg-strength only.  I have to have give it a full body-weight straight-leg leap.   When the 250 is warm, and I'm feeling lucky, I can occasional start it with just leg-strength.  But it does not do my knee any good.

It is only a quadrant gear rotating the flywheel so rotating 5he gear lever beyond the useable stroke would not do the engine any good. Not ideal hitting the peg hangar but nothing to be done unless you put a rubber tube over the shaft to soften the blow

34 minutes ago, canada280i said:

It is only a quadrant gear...

Very insightful observation!  That had not occurred to me.  I have the head off one of the motors now, and it's easy to feel what's going on when you "kick it over" by hand.