QuestionHello and thank you for your time. 1987 Honda trx 250x. 4 stroke performance ATV. Will not kick start when cold. ATV can be drug start and then she will run fine and as long as the engine is warm, will kickstart anytime.
Still in descent shape, I think it is worth keeping if I can keep it out of the Honda shop.
I had similar symptoms with a 4 stroke Kawasaki Mojave. Never got it fixed and got rid of it.
AnswerRichard, start with the basics. Valve adjust, compression check and verify the ignition timing, if possible. If you have around 150psi or more then the engine should be sound enough to start easily when all other factors are correct.
If the bike has been modified with different cams, piston, exhaust system or carb/intake then you have to do some step-by-step adjustments until you get the carburetion calibration correct.
If the engine has been apart, perhaps the cam timing is off a tooth.
When it is cold, get a new spark plug, connect the plug wire to it and lay it on the engine so it is grounded. Kick start and check for spark. Check the spark plug cap to see if it has gone out of range resistance-wise. Should be around 5k ohms when removed from the wire and checked from the plug side to the wire side.
Honda carbs have a spring loaded piston in the carburetor that governs the choke for cold start problems. Be sure that the mechanism is free to move inside the carb and that the cable is functioning properly. There may be some adjustment for the idle mixture that may need attention.
Cold starting requires good compression, a clean spark plug, a good spark and fuel mixture coming from both the idle circut and the choke circuit.
Bill Silver
