250-500cc 2000 WR 360 Starting issues

Hey guys,

To be honest I'm starting to get very frustrated with this bike. I've had this bike for a couple years now and its never really started with ease. There is no decompression head on the bike. Just got the bike out with the intention of getting it running right. First off, when I put the bike away last year it took 25-35 kicks to even start it. The bike had a weak spark. Today I installed a new coil and plug boot kit from Hall's. Tested the plug out of the cylinder and had plenty of spark. Fresh gas in the tank. Same problem, actually this time I couldn't even get it started. Do not know what to do next. When the bike does run it runs great no problems and plenty of power. Once I shut it off it will give me problems once again. Could it be carburetion issues? Reeds? I just don't know where to head next. Any help would be appreciated!

Matt

It was stood for a year? I dont know where your based but do you know if your octane ratings in pump gas has changed, but theyre about to put 10% ethanol in our uk gas, so if the pump has changed fuels it could be jetting or timing.

Im guessing your in america.

P.s. Ive got a home made decomp head im not using if your interested.

I'd advise cleaning your carb out. Old gas is bad, old gas with ethanol is even worse. Just pull the float bowl off, clean it all out with some carb cleaner. Pull out the jets, clean them out with some safety wire and carb cleaner. Put it all back together, make sure you have fresh fuel in the tank (dump the old stuff into your lawn mower). Pull the plug out, if it's wet pump it through a few times without the plug in to dry it out a bit. Put plug back in, use the choke, don't twist the trottle and do the whole bring to TDC, push it through one, then bring to TDC again and give it a strong kick all the way through.

If it doesn't fire in 3-4 kicks, then you might want to check the plug again, see if it's wet. Fuel + compression + spark = boom. If it didn't have compression, you'd be able to tell, and you tested spark, so it almost HAS to be fuel.

What Msmith said about kicking I find works really well with my wr300. No throttle, add choke, and the tdc double check kick. Very different than other smokers to cold start (no throttle). Hot start for me requires tdc double check and it requires throttle.

How many turns on airscrew? I put mine back to 1.5 out. Cleaned carburetor with an ultrasonic cleaner and it has never started so easy. The old way was lean it over on left side till flooded and fuel pouring out the overflow. Then stand it back up and choke still on. Two stabs and fires right up. I think most ways of cleaning carbs just cannot get them clean the way an ultrasonic does. That's my 2 dollars worth and a couple of carbs cleaned with the machine and they have never started so easy.

My symptoms exactly with my 01.....installed PWK carb...still had to kick 20-30 times...thought it had decent compression at the time.....it ran good till I would kill it. ..eventually blew lower main bearing. ...After $800-900 rebuild it runs fantastic, starts 1-2 kicks. ...great compression. ...my motor was tired...i bought used with no history. ..should have rebuilt immediately. ...but now runs strong! ! First 2 stroke in 30 years. ..oh well...good luck

Thanks for all the replies guys. Took the carb apart and there was something in the pilot jet clogging it completely. Starts a lot easier than it ever did but still takes a little time. Got some tuning to do I guess.

Matt

Unlucky or what, my 360 starts second kick, i do have the decompressor head fitted, but even my 250 starts easy must be carb issues.

had an almost exactly the same (is that proper grammar) problem with my 99 360, turned out to be the ignition, the one that goes in the cases, the one that when you pull the cover off you feel you wallet being sucked towards it
runs great now, but working on a decompressor head as it's still stiff to kick
now on my 93 360 what a dream to start never did anything to it first or second kick anytime anywhere, early cylinder design so it does not need the decompressor
I still wonder why they changed the cylinder port layout, the early one had a wider power band and the later one does not in my opinion have enough more on the bottom of the power band to justify the difficulty the static compression adds to kicking the miserable thing over
ride an early and a late model and you will love the early engine but want the later suspension