Hello,

I've got a 55w that's almost impossible to start after a long ride. When cold it starts right up, but when hot I have to kick for ages. I've played around with the fuel screw (tried 2.5, 3, 3.5 turns out) sometimes I get it right and the bike starts even after just turning it off, but then after a long ride it's impossible again.. The valves were adjusted by a mechanic about a year ago (maybe I should double check this myself?). I've cleaned the carb multiple times a few weeks ago.

Would be so thankful for any tips or ideas. Getting really tired of not getting it right.

Thanks!

/Alex

I’d guess stator. These guys (Scottie and Andy who’s brains I’ll be picking shortly, and mezo) experience helped me some years back. New electrex stator and whoosh.
She would have same symptoms when I’d stop to fuel up. Sometimes I reckon I’d lost a pound in sweat kicking her. And the embarrassment.
The guys advised it would break down when the oil was hot even though it would test ok in the workshop, cold.

Thank you for your answer.
Little confused on why the stator would be a problem for kick-starting tho? Isn't the stator just for charging the battery?

The main windings (white) are for the reg rec/ battery charging etc, but two coils are for the spark generation. All part of the stator.
Then separately there’s the pick up for timing.

Ok got it. Just so I understand, how does that effect hot start? Spark is great and it’s easy to start cold. Just want to understand before I do something drastic. Thank you!

Not my findings, but the guys on here, who advised that you could test in the garage and have good resistance readings, but you’d get different readings after the windings were sat in hot oil.

Strobeck wrote: Sun May 18, 2025 8:18 pm Ok got it. Just so I understand, how does that effect hot start? Spark is great and it’s easy to start cold. Just want to understand before I do something drastic. Thank you!

Your symptoms for a hard to start bike after it’s hot sounds similar to others with a failing stator.

I can’t give you a technically accurate reason for why a hot stator is prone to failure (that’s more Andy aka motorang specialty) but it has popped up on this forum over the years.

I’d suggest taking stator coil readings when it’s cold and hot and seeing if there’s a difference. I’ve also had CDIs fail intermittently due to heat.

Intermittent issues are always fun. Keep us posted with an update!

Ok got it, thank you so much. If the stator is the problem - any idea why it may have gone bad so that I not just swap it and break another one? Thanks

Age more than anything I’d say, possibly helped anytime the oil is low?
Really (fairly) easy job to swap. Check the neutral switch wire for damage while you’re in there. Can’t remember if I held it in place with electrical tape or a bit of silicone, to stop it getting pinched in the casing when fitting.

Alright, sounds good. Yeah low oil has probably happened on a bike as old as this.
Any idea where to buy a new stator? Checked kedo.com without luck. Also someone on another forum said it could be the CDI, is that also a possibility?

Thanks!
/Alex