Dead engine starts?

**honda_power** · 4th May 2010, 15:29

Anyone here good at dead engine starts? Looking for a few pointers as im always mid to back of the pack - motocross starts im normally towards to front somewhere.

Some guys are able to rocket off as soon as the bike starts... not me - allways end up playing catchup getting covered in mud or dust. I guess its just practice, but how to do guys do it?

**scott411** · 4th May 2010, 15:53

i have holeshotted a few in my time,

i always start the bike in nuetral esp if it is a four stroke, they always seem to fire better, i also use a holeshot clip as it lets you get over the bike easier, and stops the wheelstands

**Ride it till the red** · 4th May 2010, 15:54

Being 2 stroke I'd have said you had the best chance. Will your bike kick in gear? On my CR I'd kick it with the bike already waiting in second and a handful of gas already wound on. As it screamed into life the clutch gets dumped and the rest of the throttle cracked open. Seemed to work alright. but as you say, practice is the key to anything.

Edit, yeah as Scott said, 4 stroke I'd always pick neutral but the 2 bangers never ever needed it. Never had a holeshot clip myself but it;s probably a good investment if your serious about it.

**B0000M** · 4th May 2010, 16:16

another pointer is gently kick the bike over a until you get the feel for when the hard to kick section of stroke is coming up, then get on and give it 1 good kick!

**scott411** · 4th May 2010, 16:53

even with 250 2t's i was not perfect everytime with starting it in gear so used to start them in netural, KDX200's and 125's i used to start in gear,

**honda_power** · 4th May 2010, 17:58

Sounds like just a bit of practice then. Yeah i know I should be better off with my smoker, but im just downright horrible at them. Iv never really given it much thought until today when i was watching last man standing, david knight has his bike accelerating forward before the thing has even fully revved up if that makes any sense. Wouldn't starting in neutral slow you down a lot seeing as your right foot would be on the kickstart and your left foot would be on the ground?

**B0000M** · 4th May 2010, 19:59

not really , as you kick your right leg down then put it on the ground and move the bike into gear... one motion if you get the idea- theoreticly you would lose split seconds, but the bike is so much more likely to start in neutral than in gear that those split seconds are kind of an insurance against starting failure

**Ktmboy** · 4th May 2010, 20:17

Originally Posted by honda_power

Sounds like just a bit of practice then. Yeah i know I should be better off with my smoker, but im just downright horrible at them. Iv never really given it much thought until today when i was watching last man standing, david knight has his bike accelerating forward before the thing has even fully revved up if that makes any sense. Wouldn't starting in neutral slow you down a lot seeing as your right foot would be on the kickstart and your left foot would be on the ground?

Correct. I seem to have a fairly good record (did I ever tell you about my T100 start....another time perhaps) any way, practice is the key and as the kick start is moving down with the bike in 2nd gear the clutch is being let out. Bugger this nuetral gear stuff as its a race. If you get it wrong then it goes wrong no matter if the bike is in gear or not.

We did some testing on electric vs kick start on two bikes the same and kick start won out every time. One of the probs with electric was that you couldn't hear the motor going especially on a 4t. Practice is the key.

**CRF119** · 4th May 2010, 20:31

Id hate to do one of them on my CRF. Thats why ive avoided them lol. I think it would be a balance thing.

**Rupe** · 4th May 2010, 20:57

I remember reading that if you start the bike in neutral hold the clutch in put it in gear and hit the kill switch with the clutch still pulled in. The key is to keep the clutch in till you have to start, then kick and release the clutch in one movement on the start.

Never tried it though so could be horse shit...try it!

**B0000M** · 4th May 2010, 21:19

Originally Posted by Rupe

I remember reading that if you start the bike in neutral hold the clutch in put it in gear and hit the kill switch with the clutch still pulled in. The key is to keep the clutch in till you have to start, then kick and release the clutch in one movement on the start.

Never tried it though so could be horse shit...try it!

i can see the logic in this. removes the sticky clutch issue

**Ktmboy** · 4th May 2010, 21:25

Originally Posted by Rupe

I remember reading that if you start the bike in neutral hold the clutch in put it in gear and hit the kill switch with the clutch still pulled in. The key is to keep the clutch in till you have to start, then kick and release the clutch in one movement on the start.

Never tried it though so could be horse shit...try it!

I reckon that would be well worth checking out.