Motorcycle Repair: 1973 yamaha dt 125, yamaha dt 125, falcon

Question
Hi there i bought me an old yamaha dt 125 like i had when i was young, i know the bike pretty well, thing is i  can push or pull start the bike and it will run fine all day, but the min i turn it off it will not kick start, cannot get it to kick start ever but it runs great , any help PLEASE, Thanks

Answer
Hi Brent.
 It sounds a lot like you have a small compression loss or a problem with the ignition circuit.  It isn't enough to prevent the bike from firing, but it is just enough to prevent it from starting normally.

To be sure, you need to check compression against what the manual says it should be.  Then check the ignition circuit to make sure that every component is within standards and that all of the wiring has no shorts.

My money is on the compression being just enough out that it is preventing proper starting.

Good luck and ride safe.
FALCON