How to Start a Dirt Bike?
Do you know how to start a dirt bike? Well, it’s quite simple. Just insert and turn the keys and that’s it. But actually, it’s not! Dirt bikes don’t have keys. They either have electric starts using a power button or by kicking the pedals. But again, it’s not easy as well.
If you are a bike lover and are looking to get new dirt bike for you, first of all, congratulations. And second, do you know how to start it? If you haven’t ridden any dirt bike before, you most probably don’t.
But worry not. In this article, I will be guiding you on how to start a dirt bike in some simple and easy-to-follow steps. Also, I will be sharing some key tips about riding a dirt bike as well.
What is a Dirt Bike?
Before we get to know the crucial steps for starting a dirt bike, we should first know what a dirt bike actually is. I know most of you guys who are reading the article know about dirt bikes, but I am writing this section for those new lads who have just heard the name of the bike yet and don’t know much about it. So, let’s have a brief look at dirt bikes.
A dirt bike is just like a usual motorbike that has two wheels, a handle, and a seat. Made to experience the adrenaline of the off road tracks! These are non-street-legal motorcycles that allow you to let the beast inside you come out and roar. Unlike regular road bikes, these bikes lack headlights, brake lights, and mirrors. The best thing about getting a dirt bike is that you don’t need to have a legal driving license to ride them.
Well equipped with small engines, gas tanks, and stiff suspension, they allow you to soar over high jumps and pass through trails with almost no impact on your back and spine.
They come in different models and if you are learning them for the first time, I will recommend the 50 cc model for you.
Types of Dirt Bikes
Dirt bikes are mainly of two types depending on their engine types; the 2-stroke dirt bikes and the 4-stroke dirt bikes.
For people who don’t know what a stroke is, it’s like the motion of a piston. A two-stroke dirt bike has two motions of the piston while a four-stroke dirt bike has four.
Two-stroke bikes can accelerate faster than four-stroke bikes but are unstable at the same time. On the other hand, the four-stroke bikes are much more stable and can pick up top speed in a while.
When you are learning how to start a dirt bike, which kind of stroke engine it has plays a huge role. In the further sections of the article, we will learn to start both the two-stroke dirt bikes and the four-stroke dirt bikes.
Learn to start a dirt bike
In this section, we will learn to start a dirt bike. Apart from the electric start, dirt bikes are usually started in two ways known as the hot-start method and the cold start method. And that is what we are going to learn today.
Below, I have mentioned some simple and easy-to-follow steps that will help you start your dirt bike, whether a two-stroke or a four-stroke, using the hot-start method and the cold-start method.
How to cold-start a dirt bike?
Cold-starting a dirt bike simply means starting it when the engine is cold. In other words, if you are starting your dirt bike for the first time of the day, it will be a cold start. Usually, if you aren’t active enough, you keep kicking the bike over and over again and then blame the bike for giving poor results. But is your bike really giving you poor results? You first need to check a few things before saying this.
Follow the simple steps mentioned below to start your dirt bike without kicking it hundreds of times.
- First, check if the gas tank is full. And if the bike has a petcock, check if you have turned the gas tank ON? If not, do it right away
- Now pull the choke or starter valve (in case the bike is still not starting)
- Make sure the bike is in neutral and then hold the front brake and the clutch lever in
- Now kickstart the bike. 9 out of 10 times, the bike will start.
If you are riding a two-stroke bike, swift kick is the best way to start your bike with ease.
However, if you have a four-stroke dirt bike, the swift kick method might not work. In such a situation, you will need to roll the kickstarter i.e. gently crank the engine by gently pushing the kickstarter up and down. It will heat up the engine and will make it easy for you to start the bike. After rolling up the kickstarter, make a full kick and enjoy your favorite offroad adventure.
The issue with the newer model bikes
Currently, a newer model of fuel injected dirt bikes is introduced in the market. Unlike the other regular dirt bikes, it doesn’t have batteries. Instead, it comes with a capacitor that stores energy and operates like a battery to power up the fuel pump and the injector. The capacitor loses its energy when you sit on the bike for a long period of time. And when the capacitor does not have energy, the bike wont start.
To fix the issue, simply roll up the kickstarter to charge the capacitor and get your bike started again.
Once you have started the bike, let it heat up and then turn off the starter valve and the choke and go wherever you want on your favorite dirt bike.
How to hot-start a dirt bike?
As you would have guessed, hot starting a dirk means starting it when the engine is still hot. For example, if the dirt bike stops in the middle of a ride due to a crash or clutch mishandling, the only way to get it started is by the hot-start method.
In such situations, riders often get angry and try to start the bike in frustration. But the bike wont start. I can understand the frustration when you are riding in a race competition and all your competitors are riding the 8th round while you are stuck on a mountain hill, still trying to complete your 4th round. But panicking in that situation wont make the bike start. You must relax.
Calm yourself down and follow the below mentioned to get your dirt bike started again and make a comeback in the race.
- Put the bike in neutral and hold the front brake and clutch levers in
- Roll the kickstarter gently to a full stroke on the compression stroke.
- Now, avoid twisting the throttle over and over (as you do in frustration). This floods the engine and makes the process more difficult.
- Simply kick start the bike
And you are all done. Compete in the race again and make the best comeback you can. When you are panicking, this process might seem to you to take 5 minutes. But actually, it’s just a 10-second task.