We are all at the mercy of the flaky Freeride starter. Its a sad thing this starter. A bolt-on affair hastily adapted by KTM engineers. Seems to work OK as a “re-starter” for the big bikes, but for us who love/hate the Freeride, we don’t have the kick start backup like the big bikes do.
Here is the collective wisdom on maintaining a good starting system and how to reliably start the bike,
Enhancements to the Starting System
A well tuned bike.
If your jetting is off, it will make the bike hard to start. Make sure your jetting is as good as you can get it.
Good starter cables.
The positive cables from the battery to the starter relay to the starter, must be clean and show no signs of corrosion. If you see white dust or green dust on the wires around the mount lugs you may have to replace your cables.
Good connections.
All of your connections must be very clean. Battery terminals. Positive cables. Starter relay connections. Positive connection to the starter. The starter mount to the engine. Negative cable from the battery to the frame. Clean them down to bright shiny metal. Use a light layer of dielectric grease to keep corrosion from degrading the connections. Make sure all connections are tight.
A negative cable right to the starter.
Get #8 (good) or #6 (better) welding cable. Have them crimp eyelet connectors to either end. Run the cable right from the battery negative to one of the mounting bolts on the starter.
Updated bushings.
The bushings in the starter can wear out and introduce a lot of frictions. These should be replaced with nice bronze bushings. XRC (New Zealand – Facebook) are highly regarded.
Updated bendix.
If you have a 2014 bike, you probably have the old bendix and crown wheel. This is too hard of a gearing for the starter and should be upgraded to the later model.
pictures of the bad bendixand other starter stuff
2012-2014 250/300 xcw stock bendix part number is 55140026100
2014 Freeride 250 stock bendix part number is 55140026200
Check your freeplay.
See Jeff Slaven’s video on how to check the starter freeplay: https://youtu.be/bhNym9f7uvM
Cracked bendix.
If your starter seems to just “spin”, it may be that the weld on the bendix is cracked, and the gear is spinning on the shaft. Get a magnifying glass and inspect it very closely for a fine line.
Too loose causes problems.
The crown wheel of the starter system needs to have the correct amount of shims to run right. Check page 133-134 of the service manual (section 18.4.22).
Keep the starter mechanism well greased.
Here is the KTM tech bulletin on the problems with the 2 Stroke Starters.
KTM 2 stroke starter motor tech bulletin
The wet mod.
Jeff Slavens put out a video on immersing the starter gears in oil. “The wet start mod” Some have tried it and it works for them. Others think it is a mess and not needed if the system is well maintained. Make up your own mind.
Slavins Wet Starter Mod
Block the lower vent with red hi temp silicone seal
5W, 3W fork oil ATF
120ml
Slavins Vent modification
45150022000 – little epastic elbow vent.
Stator case vent for wet start mod
A good battery.
Even after all the above, if your starter is groaning upgrade to a more powerful battery. Try one of these:
- Earth-X
- Antigravity
Its cold outside.
Lithium batteries need a little warm up when cold. Give the starter a quick jab, wait 10 seconds, then repeat this a couple more times. Then give the starter a long press.
Always use the voodoo.
The voodoo kill switch start actually works, and it puts less strain on the system when starting.
While the bike is cranking, flick the kill switch. Just a brief on and off. The theory behind this is that the high current starter cable is inducing noise into the CDI and it is unable to work properly.
(Note: #6 has reminded us, that the voodoo kill switch trick does not work reliably without: suspending a dead chicken directly over the bike, making offering with the blood, and correctly chant the druid chant for KTM starter motors. This must be repeated at exactly the stroke of midnight on the night before each ride … )
Too much to turn.
Sorry folks but hi-comp heads just put too much stress on the starter system. If you cant start it, you cant ride it. Better to have a good starting stock freeride, than one that does not start at all.
Unplug when stored.
Unplug your battery when stored. Any parasitic loss will kill even a lithium battery. You can disconnect it at the starter relay under the seat.
Lean into it a little bit.
A little more voodoo, but it works for some… (thanks BigBird2)
(1) Make sure the gas is on (or on reserve it the tank is less than half full) and the choke is on.
(2) Then lay the bike on its left side for a few seconds until gas runs out.
(3) Give it a start…
New Starter or Rebuild?
Here are some forum postings and videos on rebuilding the 250/300 xc started motor.
New starter motors from Arrowhead and Rocky Mountain have been reported to be better than OEM. The Rocky Mountain starters are inexpensive (like $35).
Finally, what it means to have a Freeride with a crappy starter…
Diagnosing Starting Issues
Press Start Button, nothing happens, no click, no sound at all.
- Starter relay fuse blown. At the starter relay pull both fuses (one is a spare) an check them both with an ohmmeter. Replace if broken.
- Poor battery. Measure voltage between ground and the starter relay (large bolt closest to front of bike). If over 14 volts, battery is good. If under, try charging battery and then see how it runs.
- Starter switch broken. Jump blue-red at starter relay to ground, if engine turns over – check starter switch wiring or replace.
- Starter relay broken. If all the above is OK, and you do not hear a click when pressing the starter, then your starter relay needs replacing.
Press Start Button, hear a click, but engine does not turn over
- Poor Battery. See above.
- Corroded cable and/or connections. Jumper a known good battery right to the positive of the starter motor and a ground location close to the starter. Use 8 Gage or better jumper cables. If engine turns over OK, then your cables or connections may need cleaning and or replacement.
- Worn/seized bushings. Tear down your starter gearing and inspect the bushings.
- Bad starter/brushes. Remove starter and take to an auto electric shop.
Press Start Button, starter spins freely like an electric drill
- Bendix not engaging. Remove bendix and check operation. Rotate in one direction and it should expand. If not, replace.
- Bendix gear weld cracked. (see above). Replace bendix.
KTM Freeride 250 