Kick starting a small single

[Peterthepillo...]

I have a monkey bike retrofitted with a chinese (lifan) 100cc pitbike engine. There is no electric start, the motor is a Honda pattern thing and could not be more basic or traditional.

I always seem to make a hash of kick starting it, it seems very tight over compression and either doesn't fire with too little choke, or kicks back with too much.

I am sure that one day the kick starter will just break the forces seem excessive. I had hoped that it would lose some tghtness over time but this hasn't happenned yet.

Once it's running it is just fine.

I wonder if there is a procedure for getting these things running that newbies like me have never had to learn.
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A passage broad, smooth, easy, inoffensive down to hell.

[robocog]

Worth checking the valve clearances are set right and timing is where it should be (valves and spark)

My DR was a pig to kick when the cam had eaten into the head and cover (causing randomly variable valve timing and lift/duration)

Soon as this was fixed it kicks over nice and easy and starts as it should without kickback or so much compression it felt like I was going to snap something

Regards
Rob
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Needs a bigger garage...