Question about compression rekease 200x

[mwgreene13]

Hi,
I have recently just replaced the engine on my '83 185s with a '84 200x engine. The question that I have....is there a compression release on this engine ? I cannot seem to find anything (even in the manuals) and it is very difficult to kickstart. Just to make sure there was nothing else wrong in the kickstart, I removed the plug and the kickstart works very easily....but put the plug back in and the kickstart is very difficult..

Thanks

[dcreel]

There is no compression release on the 200x, but you can use the 200 head that comes with a compression release on the 200x cylinder. You can even use your parking brake actuator and cable to use the compression release. Our 200X is fairly easy to kickstart though. What do you know about the motor? Has it had a higher compression piston put in it?

[bobotech]

All the compression release does is to open the exhaust valve slightly. If you take the plug out, then that is doing essentially the same thing but on a much grander scale.

[rdlsz24]

My 200x was hard to kick after rebuilding the top end until I figured out how to do it. You have to make sure you are on the compression stroke when you kick and it should be easier. Mine goes a hard kick that I do slowly, let it up, push it down slowly again and it will catch just at the bottom of the kick, let it up, and then it is easy and ready to kick fast. I can kick and kick all day and it won't start but if I do it this particular way it usually starts in 1 or 2 tries. I stand next to the trike and kick backwards. The kicker won't bash your shin that way if your foot slips.

Rob

[harryredtrike]

you dont need a compression release for a kick start

[Grizzlypeg]

Mine's got a higher compression piston, 10.25 to 1. I find the best way to kick start it is to make sure you aren't kicking on compression from up too high. All you need is the bottom 1/3 of the kick downward. If you kick from up too high, its unwield and shin damage is awaiting. I kick with full choke till I hear a pop, then switch the choke to middle and it usually fires up on first kick thereafter, then choke off and keep the revs up for a bit till it warms up.

[mwgreene13]

I am not sure if anything was done to the motor when it was rebuilt a couple of years ago. It is possible that a higher compression piston was put in....I just thought it was somewhat strange that it was so difficult to kick...If I push it slowly it does eventually hit an area where it is much easier for 3-4 kicks and then gets difficult once again. I was actually afraid of breaking something in the kickstart due to the difficulty.

Thanks everyone for the information...

[swampthang]

This might sound crazy but are you giving it alot of gas when your kicking it? I had a 185 that if you gave it to much when you was pulling on it it would do the same thing.

[Grizzlypeg]

I am not sure if anything was done to the motor when it was rebuilt a couple of years ago. It is possible that a higher compression piston was put in....I just thought it was somewhat strange that it was so difficult to kick...If I push it slowly it does eventually hit an area where it is much easier for 3-4 kicks and then gets difficult once again. I was actually afraid of breaking something in the kickstart due to the difficulty.

Thanks everyone for the information...

I don't think it will fire on the "area where it is much easier", that would be the exhaust to intake strokes. You get it to fire on the compression stroke, and that's the hardest stroke to move it through. Give it the good hard jump on the compression stroke, just don't let the kick start pedal way up, its too hard to push from up top, and unnecessary.