Cold starting my DR250

**meteor** · 16th August 2008, 12:29

Hi all. I'm after your expert advice. My DR250 takes 4 or 5 bursts on the elec start, each for about 6-8 seconds, before it kicks over. I use full/half/quarter or no choke and makes no difference. After that and when it's warm I hardly hear it turn at all before it fires. It's had the carby stripped, filter cleaned, new fuel (96 octane) new battery, new plug. Motor is in top condition. I'm just wondering if that's normal for this type of bike or any type for that matter and if not, is there a trick to cold starts that I don't know about? thanks folks

**awayatc** · 16th August 2008, 13:32

It should start easier then that.....Choke will close off airsuction, so you get a richer mixture.....
If with choke on it still takes a while to start, I would be tempted to look at the inlet manifold itself....
The manifold is rubber welded/glued on to a metal plate that bolts onto cylinder.
If that rubber to metal joint has failed....engine can suck in air from there.
Has happened to a DR I once had....was just a small crack, which could be glued/siliconed back together.
Worth a look, shouldn't take to long to dismantle.....
Good luck

**buggsubique** · 16th August 2008, 18:28

do you give it any gas at all? sometimes I just give maybe 1-2 full throttle turns prior to starting. Very un-technical and probably the wrong thing to do, but I found it works.

**awayatc** · 16th August 2008, 19:47

No such thing as untechnical.....
bikes can be temperamental...or at least very individual in starting rituals....

Mine: 1 start atempt 2 secs without choke, but bit of throttle.....then bit of choke no throttle and off she goes first turn....( that is after sitting for a month ....)

**warewolf** · 16th August 2008, 20:39

DR or DR-Z?

My '01 DR-Z250 was a bitch to start if it sat for more than a week, and got worse the longer it sat. Lots of cranking and/or kicking. Despite being low kays and in good nick, well serviced etc etc. Exactly the behaviour you describe.

Never sorted that out, sorry! The last suggestion (which I didn't try, sold the bike) was old fuel, and that I should drain the carb when I parked it up, so that on starting the carb had a fill of fresh fuel from the tank.

Haven't had any other bike act like that.

**cooneyr** · 16th August 2008, 22:36

Originally Posted by buggsubique

do you give it any gas at all? sometimes I just give maybe 1-2 full throttle turns prior to starting. Very un-technical and probably the wrong thing to do, but I found it works.

Lot of mx/trail bikes (250's/400's) have pumper carbs so giving them a couple of quick turns on the throttle literately pumps a little bit of petrol into the inlet tract. This could help on cold startup.

Originally Posted by warewolf

..... The last suggestion (which I didn't try, sold the bike) was old fuel, and that I should drain the carb when I parked it up, so that on starting the carb had a fill of fresh fuel from the tank.......

Had an RMX (admittedly well worn) that was next to impossible to start when cold. Draining the float bowl before first kicking it was the only way to get it to fire up. If it gets this bad then you need to be looking at the setup again but this may help when desperate.

**meteor** · 17th August 2008, 09:14

Thanks for the replies...
Awayatc: the rubber inlet manifold block is in good nick, looks new. I'll give your method a try...Buggsubique: Am just about to try your method... Warewolf: That's no very encouraging! the bike wasn't sitting for that long tho, only a few days at most but maybe I need to run the carb dry on shutdown and give it fresh fuel each cold start... can but try. Absolutely love the bike tho so will persevere. Any more ideas guys keep them coming. There's bound to be one that works! Cheers all.

**MXNUT** · 17th August 2008, 09:24

Originally Posted by buggsubique

sometimes I just give maybe 1-2 full throttle turns prior to starting.

My DRZ400 is excactly the same. Two full turns of the throttle before cranking and the engine will fire within 3 seconds.If not you can crank it for 20-30 seconds before it will start.

I dont know if DR250 has an accelerator pump in the carby or not.

**meteor** · 17th August 2008, 09:38

Just gave it a try... with no choke gave it 3 full turns of throttle over about 2-3 secs, then stopped, pulled on full choke and no throttle, took about 3 secs to fire from cold (cold for Auckland anyway). BTW motoxnut there's no carby pump I can see on the 250. So thanks guys, great result thus far.

**cooneyr** · 17th August 2008, 10:10

Originally Posted by meteor

Just gave it a try... with no choke gave it 3 full turns of throttle over about 2-3 secs, then stopped, pulled on full choke and no throttle, took about 3 secs to fire from cold (cold for Auckland anyway). BTW motoxnut there's no carby pump I can see on the 250. So thanks guys, great result thus far.

This sounds like you have found a solution to me. The carbie pumps are not that obvious from the outside. To confirm for certain you need to take the boot between the air box and carbie off then get somebody to twist the throttle quickly while you look down the carbie throat. You should see petrol being squirted up from the base of the throat of the carbie if there is a pump.

The DRZ and DR Djebel 250's (I had one) with twin overhead cams have mikuni pumper carbs. I strongly suspect the 03 250 has a pumper carb so the 2-3 quick turns before cold starting will defiantly make a difference.

Cheers R

**meteor** · 17th August 2008, 17:40

Originally Posted by cooneyr

...The DRZ and DR Djebel 250's (I had one) with twin overhead cams have mikuni pumper carbs. I strongly suspect the 03 250 has a pumper carb so the 2-3 quick turns before cold starting will defiantly make a difference.

Cheers R

I was looking for a rubber dipahram, like on a lawn mower... probably why I couldn't find it! Mine is the Djebel XC so must have one in there somewhere. As you can probably tell, my mechanical wizardry is rather limited so will leave it all in one piece. I've cold started 3 times today... all results exactly the same as above. This thread certainly has saved me a lot of time and cursing. Thanks all

**warewolf** · 17th August 2008, 19:29

Originally Posted by cooneyr

This sounds like you have found a solution to me. The carbie pumps are not that obvious from the outside. To confirm for certain you need to take the boot between the air box and carbie off then get somebody to twist the throttle quickly while you look down the carbie throat. You should see petrol being squirted up from the base of the throat of the carbie if there is a pump.

The DRZ and DR Djebel 250's (I had one) with twin overhead cams have mikuni pumper carbs. I strongly suspect the 03 250 has a pumper carb so the 2-3 quick turns before cold starting will defiantly make a difference.

Yep the '01 DR-Z250 had a Mikuni TM33 flat-slide pumper carb. The accelerator pump is very obvious from the outside, once you know what you are looking at.

IIRC on the RHS attached to the throttle cam is a plastic lever that acts on a vertical rod that disappears into the float bowl. When you whack the throttle open, that rod plunges (a plunger, of all things!) into a chamber in the bowl which forces fuel into the venturi.

See TM33 Carb Parts, items 48 and 46.

Your carb may be different.

In fact, you may very well have a CV carb on the Djebel. Dunno if there are Djebel variants, as R's had a pumper, but given the softer setup of the Djebel the CV carb would be a likely match. I have a very vague recollection that the CV on the Djebel returned better fuel economy so made a better adventure bike than the thirstier pumper-equipped DR-Z.

**bart** · 17th August 2008, 21:20

Mines a shitter to start after a week. I give it 10 seconds on the starter, full choke. No go. Out with the 14 mm spanner, undo the carb drain bung about 90%, let the fuel drip for about 30 seconds and do back up. Starts after 5 seconds full choke. Sweet as, but runs like a shitter for about 5 minutes until it warms up.

Handy hint: Don't take the carb bung right out. They can be a bastard to get back in if you're in a hurry.

**cooneyr** · 18th August 2008, 08:38

Originally Posted by meteor

I was looking for a rubber dipahram, like on a lawn mower... probably why I couldn't find it! Mine is the Djebel XC so must have one in there somewhere. As you can probably tell, my mechanical wizardry is rather limited so will leave it all in one piece. I've cold started 3 times today... all results exactly the same as above. This thread certainly has saved me a lot of time and cursing. Thanks all

Excellent - glad it works. I had a 96 Gerbel XC as my first road reg bike. Lots of fun and kinda wish I still had one for doing the gnarly stuff and for the wife.

Originally Posted by warewolf

..............In fact, you may very well have a CV carb on the Djebel. Dunno if there are Djebel variants, as R's had a pumper, but given the softer setup of the Djebel the CV carb would be a likely match. I have a very vague recollection that the CV on the Djebel returned better fuel economy so made a better adventure bike than the thirstier pumper-equipped DR-Z.

It was a while now since I last rode the Gerbel (late 96) but I'm pretty sure it has the pumper carb. As I understand it apart from the tank, head light and gearing they are very similar to the current DRZ though I stand to be corrected on that.

Cheers R