Have you ever started a cold 84 CR500?

I leaned it over til it puked some gas, aka “poor man’s tickling” and she started right up! 

I had one, put an aftermarket (PVL?) Ignition system on it and it was MUCH easier to start. Got rid of the slight pinging in warm weather and made the powerband much more consistent and predictable.  

Wish I still had that one...

I had a 87” and the kick back is no joke. 

This.  Just like Maico 490s, they love fuel.

Also,  decompressor saves wear on kickstarts and knees.

I use to kickstart my '84 CR500 all the time, actually I ended-up splitting the Teflon guide in my artificial knee, so, I can start them but I aint gunna anymore ;-)

It was the first open bike I ever rode , I was riding a 1980 KX 125 at the time . It was shall we say an enlightening experience.  I can't remember if I started it or if it was already running when I got on .

I remember when I was 5 or 6, my dad was towing a friend on a 85 500 with his 1941 dodge weapons carrier to pull start it. I was in the small bed of the truck watching and I remember it taking quite a few tries before it fired up. 

This sounds like an Airplane "Do you like to hang out around the gymnasium?" type deal 😂

I heard a story Wednesday night, mate of a mate sold his 80's CR 500, then got a call 6 months later asking if he wanted to buy it back... Turns out the guy kicked it over when he got it home, fractured his ankle, and the bike had sat there untouched since then.

It took him the 6 months to call it quits and get up the nerve to ring the previous owner and offer it back.

Lol I’m a little young for that one, I had to look up that clip from airplane 

'84 CR500 was an underrated bike. It was great. Good pick.

Nope, but I’ve kickstarted an ‘89 CR500 and a ‘90 YZ490. Starting them was the scariest part of owning them. 

I had a 83 CR480., can't remember the trick anymore but I liked the left handed kick on it when it was cold

Always shut your 500 off on top of a hill ,everyone knows that.

Ahhhh the good old days like qualifying at me 1st national at Red Bud in 1984

Like Manny said about leaning it till its squirting a little gas from the carb.

When you kick it you cant give it a wimpy kick like its a 125 you have to push on the kick start till its at the compression stroke them kick it hard and a full hard kick till its hitting the foot peg.

Yes. You move the kicker by hand through the stroke until you feel the "click". It will be down about 1 inch of throw from the top of the kick starts full throw.

This puts the piston at TDC. The hold it at and angle until the carb pisses insures the bowl is full. Then putting it I'm gear and rocking it forces the compression to pull fuel into the motor so when you get it at TDC and kick it with ape power, it had enough fuel to go up the transfer ports.

Different year but I could get my 1989 motor started in about 5min and sometimes 2nd kick. Once mine was hot, I could half kick it and it would fire.

Lump's right about the full kick deal. If you did all the prep right, it would start in 1-3 kicks every time as long as they were solid kicks.

If you kicked it like you were afraid that it was going to start, you were going to struggle. 

I have broken my femur before, yes. 

I can’t believe that the Honda was any worse than my 83 KTM 495….!  That thing was absolutely horrible, and left side kickstarter. The kickstarter felt so damn high that your knee was nearly at your shoulder, and I’m a fair bit taller than most. 

I had an ‘84 CR500 in the early 90’s. I acquired it from a friend who scattered the top end. I rebuilt it and took the cylinder and head in for a bore job and to have the head cleaned up. Luckily, the shop it took it to had a tech who was very familiar with the ‘84 500. He reworked the head squish dimensions and reworked the compression reliefs in the sleeve. 
 

To my surprise, it was the easiest 500 to start. It would fire first or second kick cold or hot. Zero pinging. My starting drill was:

-lean bike over twice and have fuel puke out each time

-put bike in second gear and rock back and forth

-cycle engine through a few strokes with kick starter to further prime engine

-bring engine to TDC

-return kickstarter to top of stroke and kick like you were trying to send the kickstarter through the ground. Lol

The bike was all stock with a 0.50mm oversized bore and reworked head. I got lucky! Haha

My buddy's dad had one and neither of the two of us 80 lb kids could get the kickstarter down on that thing for the life us. I could kickstart my dad's TT500, though.

Yes, first kick just about every time. Raced one for many years, still have 3 of them.  No special trick other than getting stroke right. In our harescramble series it’s Le Mans style start.

“If you can start it, you can ride it.” 

That TT500 could be vile when hot.  I rode one all over Europe.  When I stopped for gas...I'd just push it out of the way...let it cool down and she'd fire up eventually.  It was just too embarrassing trying it at the pump.  But it was a fine ride otherwise.

I remember the old SC500 liked to bite.

These were always really fun to start too, all just to hear the brap of the super trap

In 1985 I raced a 1985 CR125 and a 1984 CR500. One or two easy kicks and the 125 fired up. The 500? Tip it to gas the cylinder.  Get to something like TDC and kick firmly.  And hope. 

I rode my 84 CR500 at Unadilla at the USGP. It was my best pro finish with 18-19 moto scores in the 500 class. Overall though, I liked my 83 CR480 better. 

I have an '88 in the stable.  A custom wound stator made starting much easier.

Super trap on it?

Yes, and there's definitely a knack to it. Next question is have you ever done a gate drop on a 2 stroke 500 starting in 3rd gear? GREAT FUN on Michigan sand tracks!