2009 RMZ250 Hard to start
 

Only got the bike yesterday, and it works really well, although I havn't pushed it until it's broken in.

However, this is a pig to start when cold. Very high compression felt through the kickstarter, and takes many kicks to get going. Eventually it did go (after two strange backfires out the exhaust), but leg to tired from trying to start it. And I shouldn't have to push a new bike down a hill to start it.

Once warm, it usually starts second kick with hot start lever on, so that's fine.

I'll guess I'll call the Dealer,...hmmm.....I thought these bikes had an automatic decompression system? If mine's wokring, only an elephant could kick start the bike if it wasn't working.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong......any thoughts?

Update: Getting better, probably from break-in. But also, seems if I gently push kickstart vs jumping on it, I get better results. Maybe the centrifugal decompression system starts coming "off" if I kick it too fast? hmmmm..........

Ah-hah....a little reading and I found out the carb has an accelerator pump in it. Twisted the throttle on and off about 3 times to prime engine, engaged choke, and started on third kick. Much better.

hmmmm....not a lot of activity on this forum.......

2009 RMZ250 Hard to start
 

I had the same problem when I switched to pods. Its been so long, I dont remember what I did to fix it.....seemed to be a heat saturation issue

Did it only start doing this when it got hot out?
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It starts fine when cold, now that I have the technique down. Starts fine when hot. However, if I start it cold, and then shut if off after about a minute (like when I move the bike from the shed to the garage for cleaning or something) I can still have trouble when I try to restart it. Not sure why, although it seems to be struggling for gas. It certainly is a lot better since broken in, so "no", this isn't something that "came on" later in the bike's life or as the weather (outside temp) changed.

Try the repair store.

A follow-up...when the engine has been started, but then stopped before it can get to normal running temperature, it will re-start easily if both the choke and hot start are operated at the same time, plus a shot of the throttle just before the kick.