General Four-Stroke Starting Procedure

1. If the engine is cold, it may help to turn up the idle screw slightly to aid in warm-up and give the engine a little extra fuel.
2. Turn the choke to full on.
3. Pull in the compression release lever, if so equipped, and push the kick-starter through 3 or 4 times. This will prime the engine with fuel.
4. Without the compression release lever pulled in, slowly push the kick-starter around to get the piston to top dead center. You'll know this when the kick-starter becomes hard to push down (indicating compression stroke).
5. Allow the kick-starter to return to the top.
6. Pull the compression release lever in and push the kick-starter down just a little (around an inch and a half or two). This gets the piston just past top dead center.
7. Let the compression release lever back out and bring the kick-starter back up to the top.
8. Now push the kick-starter down with as much force as you can and it should fire up. If it doesn't, wait a few seconds and try the procedure again.

Honda XR650R Starting Procedure by Ken A. Moore

Cold engine (cool outside)

1. Do not twist the throttle, no matter what you think or feel, or you will flood it.
2. Choke full on, ignition off.
3. Pull in compression release and kick the engine 4 kicks. This primes the engine.
4. Ignition switch on, choke on. Slowly kick the engine until TDC (the hard spot), then stop.
5. Pull in the compression release and gently push the kick leaver so the engine is just past TDC, then stop. Release the compression release lever.
6. Now give her a nice firm kick of the kick starter. Don't touch that throttle! She should fire up. If not, go back to #4.
7. Move choke to 1/2 position. Don't touch that throttle!
8. After about 60 seconds turn off the choke. Don't touch that throttle!
9. After about 2 minutes and the engine is getting warm, you may now slowly twist the throttle but go easy until fully warmed up.

For warmer conditions use 1/2 choke for initial startup.

For engines that are already warmed up, go just past TDC and kick with no throttle. Make sure the air/fuel screw is adjusted correctly and the idle is a little on the high side for a little easier starting on cold days, then turn it down after warming up.

Yamaha WR250F Starting Procedure by 250f canuck

When I start my WR cold:

1. Turn on the choke.
2. Give it 2-3 shots of gas by cracking the throttle wide open. This causes the accelerator pump to squirt gas into the carburetor bore.
3. Then use the kick-starter lever to ease the engine to top dead center (TDC). This is where it gets a little harder to move.
4. Then bring the lever back up to the top of the stroke and jump on it hard. Make sure you kick all the way through the stroke. If you are of shorter stature, it helps to have something to stand up on under your left foot. You will get a bit more leverage this way.
5. Shut the choke off after the bike has been running for about 30-seconds.

Got a Four-Stroke Starting Procedure?

If you have a starting procedure that you've found works well for a particular make and model four-stroke dirt bike or ATV, please email it to us and we'll add it to this page. Don't forget to reference Four-Stroke Starting Procedures. Thanks!