how to start xs650!

speez

speez

XS650 Addict
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i can start it but, it needs a long time to worm up, forget about kick start, my proceder is both chokes on pump gas 2 or 3 times start button, sputtering at this poit!, i give it a bit more gas trying to keep it under 2 grand i shut chokes as soon as it kinda runs (10~20 sec.) i try not run the chokes on for not to foul plugs, i haft'a sit there playing with the throttel (revs are still eratic) and all this for at least minumum 5 min. my question is what can i find tune or look at to make it start smoother and not play with it 5 min+ and if i can dream even kick start it! my friends with newer bikes are all waiting for old yeller' to worm up at this point i'm getting flack for over 5 min why i wanted a old bike! any help would be appricited and if you can tell me your starting proceders

thanks,speez
 
..... and properly dial your carbs in. They're probably not set up as well as they could be. That would include both adjustments and jetting.
 
After you've done the above - it's okay to leave the choke on longer than you are, I think.

With the later xs650s you can have the choke partly on for a few minutes which is really handy to address just this problem... People call the xs650 cold-natured.
 
xjwmx said:
After you've done the above - it's okay to leave the choke on longer than you are, I think.

With the later xs650s you can have the choke partly on for a few minutes which is really handy to address just this problem... People call the xs650 cold-natured.
Click to expand...

Very common for most bikes from the late 70's to early 80's.
 
Clean choke circuit, correctly set float valves (and not leaking)
Oh wait I read your specs, now this post makes no sense. Are those REAL VM34's or the MikesXS version? Sorry I can't help with those. Except check your float heights carefully they sound low and or leaky. Try it with some good air filters? Like UNI's? If I start my engine by the time I have my helmet and gloves on she's ready to ride. a minute or two and it's in the sweet spot for the day. Stock BS34's, handle bar enrichner/ fast idle. life is good (and easy).
 
Set cam chain tension, valve lash, timing, carb sync... In that order.
Click to expand...

i finished my rebuild, last fall, tuned the carbs (it was a bit cold out side) and all the obove where done, i might have about 5 klicks on this fresh engine when the bike is wormed up it perfect, idels nicly. i need to retune the carbs a bit for the wormer weather but as for kickstart.. 4get about it guys here are running no starter i'm like:wtf:
 
It should kick.
Took a set of my overhauled of never had gas in them, carbs to a guy, barn find 76, did the valves, cam chain, checked oil for gas, torqued head bolts, points ignition that was UNTOUCHED for YEARS! Weak yellow spark, torch dried, wirebrushed the plugs, hung my carbs and 'tune up fuel tank" on it (you don't think I would run his crap gas/tank through MY newly overhauled carbs do you?) one kick nothing, second kick burble, third kick it fired, ran clean revved idled, the whole nine yards. Shut it off took my carbs back and he started chopping it apart.........
 
I'm running kick-only on a 750cc rephased shaved/ported head with a lumpy cam and it starts great. Heavier to kick, but starts just fine.

What carbs are you running? I have VM34's on mine and love them.
 
i'm running VM34's also, i had tuned them in colder weather, my old bs38 ideled better but they compincate the weather better then vm's i did take out my plugs out and the left is nice brownish' color but the right is a bit black
 
whenever i see this super common scene i say P.P.J. = plugged pilot jets.
over two months of sitting can cause the tiny drop of fuel in the super tiny orifice of the pilot jet to turn into stick varnish. and the simple outside spray of carb cleaner is not going to unplug it, nor the fuel injector/carb cleaner. Strip it,Soak it,Scrub it,Blow it out. I assure you if this is done right
it will fire on the first or second kick (or bump of starter) with minimal choke time.
 
when i stored the bike for winter i took the carbs off and cleaned blew them out and stored them in heated basment last year i took my stock carbs off cleaned tuned them 1000 times! (before rebuild)so i didn't want any problems with new carbs... do you guys leave the choke on for a long time? if do, any problems on fouling plugs? my harley buddies are telling me to turn off choke and hold the throttel so the richer mix won't foul plugs!
 
The choke valves on VM carbs are very aggressive and tend to be almost all-or-nothing in actuation. If you run the engine for any length of time with the chokes on you'll foul plugs. Your buddies are right; you need to give the engine a little bit of throttle until it warms enough to hold idle.
 
at this point i guess i hatfa' live with it, soon i will retorquing engine i'll check my specs for cam chain, valves, timing and tune carbs,
 
Does sound like you are missing something in the carbs. Dirt, set up, something
I use choke far about a minute when really cold then start cutting back and when about half a mile down the road I can take it all the way off
 
The trick with kicking is actually what you do before you kick it. You paw at the lever until you find the resistance of the compression stroke then you tap it just a bit into that stroke, like an inch or two of movement on the lever. Now the engine is in the right place to start so you let the lever rise back to the top of it's stroke then stand on it and ride it all the way to the bottom of its stroke. Usually works better than the starter because it doesn't pull the coil voltage down. Mine is kick only but it starts on the first kick usually.
 
so yesterday i tryed to start it kicking only,cold! 3rd or 4th it started!!i think i hafta start it more often like that so i find the sweet spot, hot i was slowly cranking to find resistance and it started with 2 inches of kick!
 
even my xs650 hill climber when i had the 44mm mikuni's would kick over on half way through with no choke. but you really should follow through all the way with your kick. i learned early on a punched out xr704 on nitro(the one in my avatar). that half kicks will kick you back. i broke my foot (through boots) and got flipped almost off the bike.
 

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