How to Kickstart a Yamaha 250C Dirt Bike

Learn how to kick-start a Yamaha 250-cc dirt bike.

Off-road bikers and motocross enthusiasts typically start out at a young age on a small-engine dirt bike. Dirt bikes can be bought with engines as small as 25- or 50-cc, but the more popular engine sizes are the 125- and 250-cc. The 1968 Yamaha DT-1 250-cc dirt-bike is the bike that escalated Yamaha to the front of the market for dirt bike manufacturing according to Yamaha Motor Corporation. In earlier years, these bikes were started by a kick-start mechanism. Though most bikes manufactured today have push-button starts, learning how to kick-start a dirt bike is an essential skill that most dirt bike riders will eventually use on other bikes.

Instructions

1. Grab the clutch and hold it in on the handle. The clutch is a small lever on the left handle.

2. Flip the kick-start down to a horizontal position. The kick-start is located on the right of the engine and is stowed vertically. Move it down with your foot until it protrudes outward from the engine.

3. Push down with your foot until you feel the kick-start tighten. This will be the sign the engine is compressed and ready to be started.

4. Kick down hard on the kick-start. This may need to be done once or twice depending on how old the bike is or your engine's condition. Kicking down will fire the pistons and start the motor. Once the motor starts, turn the right handle slightly forward to give the motor gas and rev the engine a few times.

References

• Yamaha-Motor: History
• Yamaha-Motor: DT-1 250cc
• Top Speed: Kick Starting a Dirt Bike