CRF's Only Forums

Hi, All.

I've been riding on the road and racetracks for 30 years and recently bout my first dirt bike. Got a deal on a 2009 CRF250R from a friend that owns a mechanic's shop. He rebuilt both the top and bottom end on the bike. I got out to to the local motopark here in Queensland and took it for a ride. It took a lot of kicks to get it started, and then rode it for a while. Then it stalled when I fell off, and getting it started again was near impossible unless I bump started it. I used the hot start lever, but that didn't seem to help much. The first day out was a huge workout getting the hang of this bike, and the different riding style but I was mostly tired trying to start this damn thing.

I was told that fuel may not be agreeable. Running 98 Octane fuel from BP. (Australian Blend)

Any tips would be great. I took a lot of ribbing from my 2 buddies who brought their 2 stroke KTMs which both fired on 1-2 kicks every time.

Welcome to the site !!

Did your friend ride it at the same elevations you do ?? , it could be that its jetted for a different altitude , or the Pilot Jet has clogged due to sitting with fuel in the carb , either of which are easy fixes , when starting it after falling are you using the Hot Start Lever and NO throttle ?? , this would be the starting procedure for a bike that has been warmed up and has stalled or laid on its side and ended up rich from the fuel pouring down the intake tract , if you touch the throttle even while using the Hot Start , it will still struggle to start because using the throttle changes the mixture that the Hot Start is trying to achieve to get a flooded bike to start

Also , VERY IMPORTANT , when starting a stalled/tipped over bike , it must ALWAYS be in Neutral , trying to start it in gear will usually end up in frustration and a sore leg , the drag from the clutch will slow the engine enough that it will be all but impossible to start while in gear

A little more info like elevation your riding , and where your friend rode it (elevation) would help , what jets are in it ?? (Pilot and Main) and if it did sit for more than 1 month with gas in it would be nice to know , these are all factors that could lead to your issue

The Octane should be fine , they run here on 91 , does your fuel contain Ethanol ?? , and does it pop thru the muffler when you let off the throttle when riding ?? (not on the stand , but under a load when riding) , this would be a indication of a lean condition , has the plug been checked/replaced recently ??

When its cold(the bike itself) how does it start ??

It sounds like it could either be jetting is off , or a clogged jet (depending on exact symptoms) , but a little more info is needed , you also might want to post in the Jetting section of the forum , as we have a resident Carb Guru that knows more about diagnosing carb issues than anyone (leardriver) , you might try to PM him , but if anyone can figure out your issue , its him , and having the answers to the questions i asked will help him diagnose as well

Need to work out if you have a carb problem or valve or timing issue. All will cause starting problems.

Like the BP fuel but can leave soot in some engines. Currently use Caltex Vortex 98 in Honda and son's Kato.
We had a impossible to start KTM till cleaned carb and pilot so they shouldn't laugh, it can happen to any one.