Are you having trouble starting up your yamaha Dirt Bike? There is good news and bad news.
The bad news is that there could be seven or more things wrong; hence there is no one-way solution since you may need to spend time trying multiple troubleshooting approaches.
The good news, however, is that this article has been prepared to show you a list of possible reasons why your off-road bike isn’t starting so that you know precisely the condition peculiar to your motorcycle and how to fix the problem(s).
It’s time to feed the curiosity. Here’s why your bike isn’t starting after several persistent kicks.
So, your yamaha dirt bike won’t start? Try these
Except your yamaha dirt bike operates fully electronically; it needs a healthy spark, a proper mixture of air and fuel, and enough compression from the engine before it can start.
So, if your yamaha dirt bike won’t start, there is a high chance the problem could emanate from any of the above areas.
However, from my trial and error, experience in mechanics, and a little bit of luck, I have observed that the three immediate solutions to consider when a yamaha Dirt bike won’t start are:
- Checking The Battery Life
- Making Sure The Gas Tank is Filled
- Checking The Oil Level
Check the battery life
When your motorcycle refuses to turn over, the most straightforward diagnosis to solve the problem is to check the battery life of your bike. In most cases, the battery is the cause. How?
It could be that the battery has lost its capacity to power the dirt bike, probably because it is not used and sits. Otherwise, the battery may be experiencing parasitic drain.
This is when the battery discharges gradually over time due to the bike’s running computers and poorly grounded wires.
Use a Multimeter, and set it on the 20-volt setting of direct current to check the battery life. If the reading says 9 volts or lower, you need to change the battery because it can no longer power the bike to start.
But if it reads close to 12 volts or slightly below, you need to charge your battery. Then, try starting your motorcycle again.
Make sure the gas tank is filled
If the dirt bike has been inactive for a while, say around five months or more, then you could consider draining the tank and filling it with fresh fuel.
Chances are that the fuel in the dirt bike has gone bad, which is not a good thing, especially if the motorcycle has a carburettor.
There is a connection between a bike that won’t start and old fuel in cycles with carburetors.
Check the oil level
Oil reduces the friction expected to happen within internal engine parts while you run your bike. A low oil level could be why the motorcycle won’t start because more friction leads to more heat, eventually leading to the engine melting together and locking up.
So if your bike refuses to start, consider checking the oil level. The required oil capacity is usually marked on the side of the yamaha Dirt bike’s engine case.
The average four-stroke bike will tank 1000 ml or cc of oil, while two-stroke dirt bikes take around 600 ml or cc.
Check your spark plug
Spark plugs tend to be the reason why your yamaha dirt bike won’t start and to fix it, you will need to change it or clean it.
Only wash the spark plug if you have not done so before but if you have washed it up to 3 times I would recommend that you get a new spark plug. Also make sure the spark plug boot is pushed in.
How to wash a spark plug
- To clean your dirt bike spark plug, get a bowl and add some fuel into it.
- Now, remove the spark plug and immerse the head inside of the fuel.
- Leave for at least two minutes for black soothes and hardened oil to get soft.
- You will need a brush, a painting brush is okay and if your bike comes with one, then it’s okay to use.
- Brush the spark plug until it is clean from soothes and oil inside out.
- Continue this process until you can no longer see any soothing black particles on the spark plug.
Wrong Jetting
Too much or no jetting at all can cause your dirt bike not to start at all. Your bike might not also run well because of this. Two scenarios are involved.
Too much fuel in the combustion chamber or engine won’t let your dirt bike start and this can be as a result of flooded combustion chamber.
The combustion chamber needs plenty of air and moderate fuel to work, that said you need to check if you are jetted correctly.
Jetting a dirt bike correctly
So instead of writing it down for you to follow, you can watch this 10 minutes video that teaches you how to jet a carburetor and stop fuel from flooding the combustion chamber.
After jetting your dirt bike, I think it should start now. If it doesn’t, onto the next step of troubleshooting.
Maybe your bike has been laying around?
If you have not used your yamaha dirt bike in like 2 years, it should be a normal thing which you can fix in blow.
Change the gas in it, yes because the old gas would not work. Refill the gas tank with a new gas and give it a try and that should quickly solve the issue.
The Choke isn’t Working Properly
If your yamaha dirt bike won’t start, the choke might not be working or not on. One of the famous issues with choke is it won’t stay up, it goes back down when you cold start it or it won’t stay up at all.
Although you could change the whole choke for a 30$ fee, I am going to share how you can fix it.
You will need a zip tie and what you are going to do is tie it around the boot. Not too tight that you can’t move the choke up yourself. Also do not tie it faint that it goes back down after using the zip tie.
Precaution: Your choke should not be up always unless your mechanic has said so. It is not good for your yamaha dirt bike choke to stay up for long.
Clean The Air Filter.
You have tried cleaning your plugs, adjusting the choke, and doing a refill but your yamaha Dirt bike refuses to start, yeah? Here is one last thing you should try and it should work like magic.
Clean the air filter, the air filter might get a lot dirty and that’s not good for the health of a bike. You remove and clean it well and if it’s beyond cleaning, you could replace it and that should help with fixing your yamaha dirt bike not starting.
Other Reasons Why Your yamaha Dirt Bike Won’t Start – How to Fix it
| REASON | CAUSES | HOW TO FIX | |
| `1. | Wrong Gear | Happens in kick starter yamaha dirt bikes where you will turn off the motorcycle while it’s in gear and forget to put it back into neutral. | Consider putting your motorcycle into neutral and try starting it again. |
| 2. | Bike’s engine timing is off | The timing was not set properly by someone who has previously taken your engine apart and reassembled it together without professional supervision. | If you aren’t experienced in fixing the bike, do not attempt to fix this yourself. Have your timing fixed by an expert. |
| 3. | Engine is seized | Old/dirty oil, lack of lubrication, rust, and grime build-up in the cylinder walls. | Depending on the severity, you may need to take this one to the store. |
| 4. | Cracked spark plug wires | Constant heat or extreme weather conditions. | Replace the spark plug wire |
| 5. | Air is obstructed | Dirty air filter hasn’t been cleaned or replaced | Replace your air filter in the air box and even your pod filters. |
| 6. | Faulty ignition coil | Poorly functioning spark plugs cause an overload in voltage. | Replace Ignition coils |
| 7. | Faulty starters | they’ll eventually become dysfunctional over time | Purchase and fix a new starter |
| 8. | Cold temperatures of the bike | Sometimes ice buildup within the carburetor makes it impossible for the fuel and air mixture to get through some of its parts. | plug in a space heater and blow it directly onto your engine and carburetor for at least 20 minutes to warm it up to get it started |
| 9. | Faulty Spark plugs | Either the ceramic coating is cracked, or the distance between the two points on the end of the spark plug isn’t set properly. | buy new spark plugs and replace all other ones. |
| 10. | Fuel injectors is clogged | Your motorcycle sits for a really long time | Use specialized solutions to clean your fuel injectors like the one I use (Amazon) |
What Does It Mean When a yamaha Dirt Bike Is Smoking?
yamaha’s dirt bikes are pretty different from most other off-road bike brands. The meaning behind the smoke emitted from a yamaha dirt bike is determined by when the smoke comes out, how long it emits, and the kind of smell that comes with it.
If your dirt bike does not smoke but suddenly starts, then it could mean that It’s burning off the condensation or there is a leaking valve seal.
If it is a two-stroke bike, there is no cause for alarm, as smoking is typical for these bikes. If otherwise, other possible meanings are that there is too much oil, the piston rings are worn, or even worse, the motorcycle is experiencing overheating.
A faulty crank seal or blown head gasket can also contribute to why your yamaha dirt bike smokes.
Should A 4-Stroke Dirt Bike Smoke?
It is general knowledge that two-stroke dirt bikes are inevitably smoky. On the other hand, it MAY be abnormal for a four-stroke dirt bike to smoke.
What you want to pay attention to is the color of the smoke. Blue smoke means the four-stroke dirt bike has oil burning off, whereas white smoke means water is burning off.
It is plausible for four strokes to smoke a little at start-up as the condensation burns off; it should be clean afterward except for an issue.
Why Does My yamaha Dirt Bike Turn Over But Not Start?
The common reason why a yamaha Dirt bike would turn over but not start is that the gas tank may be empty, but the gas gauge reports a full tank. Aside from this, you aren’t engaging the clutch or aren’t putting the transmission in neutral to get started.
Problems in electrical connectors within the motorcycle and battery connector cables could also be why your bike turns over but won’t start.
How Do You Force start a yamaha dirt bike?
If you’ve got to start the yamaha motorcycle by all means necessary, even after it won’t turn over by self-start and kick start, the best option is to force start the bike.
Step 1: Keep the bike in 2nd gear
Step 2: Then, run the cycle at 10 KMPH speed
Step 3: Immediately release the clutch.
Step 4: The movement in the bike piston will force the bike to start. Close the clutch afterward.
Alternatively, you can force-start your yamaha bike by placing a center stand and shifting to gear 4. Afterward, rotate the bike’s back wheel with some speed.
Caution: These methods should only be used for emergency cases. Continued force starting your yamaha bike may damage your gearbox. Repairing this is twice the cost of repairing your kick start (if it was faulty) or fixing whatever makes your bike not start in the first place.
Why is My yamaha Dirt Bike Not Getting Spark?
If there is no efficient flow of electricity within the bike system, the fuel vapor will not ignite, and the spark plug won’t be activated.
So the main reason why the yamaha dirt bike isn’t getting spark is that there is a blockage in the current due to a problem with either the spark plug or the ignition system of the motorcycle.
When your motorcycle isn’t getting a spark, investigate possible failures in the ignition coil or the starter assembly.
If it appears like something beyond your ability, you should reach out to a professional to fix the spark problem.
Wrapping up
A typical yamaha dirt bike needs a spark, fuel/air mixture, and compression to start correctly. If a problem emanates from these systems, you could face a challenge starting your Yamaha dirt bike.
You will see that most of the troubleshooting approach shared in this article is centered around these elements.
In a nutshell, we’ve covered some of the basic steps you can take to get your yamaha motorcycle started and back on the road again. If your yamaha bike won’t start after all these troubleshooting, it is safe to say you need to take your bike to a professional mechanic
I hope you found this helpful; then remember to share with a riding pal.
I dedicate time to sharing my experience and knowledge on riding hard and safe off-road. You can check out other related articles that are sure to improve your riding experience.
