DR600 won't start, kicks back

[BigBob]

Hi Barry, timing is fixed so it either sparks at the right time or not at all.
If the bike has been standing then in all probability the carb is gummed up with petrol residue and needs to be removed and cleaned out thoroughly.
If you are not familiar with the procedure then get a manual as the Holy Book will become your best friend
As for kicking back ......... they all do that if the ritual is not followed to the letter.
Ease it over to TDC and then kick it like you are kicking a rapist off your mother (well, that`s the advice I was given and it worked for me)
Once the carb is set up and with fresh petrol a good manly boot will have it firing up first time.
The original front end was appalling, with the world`s most criminally inefficient front brake so I`m not surprised it`s been changed.
I put a 91 DR650 complete front end on mine and it transformed it.
Put up a photo of your forks and we`ll have a guess.

[BigBob]

Can`t say those forks are at all familiar. Obviously off a much later moto x bike.

[spendango]

Like Bob said you need to get the bike to TDC then a fraction past it let the kick start come back to the top then pretend your smashing a pedo's face with your boot they can be a c..t to start when warm

[Fletch 63]

I know this is an old thread but I thought I would add my experience off DR 600 starting. I pull in the manual de comp lever, slowly push down kick start until lever pops up. then let kick start up again. Then give it a swift kick and usually it starts first or second kick. Leave throttle closed until it fires. Full choke if cold,no choke or half if hot. If bike as been stood for a while some times a couple of twists of throttle before starting can help ( pumper carb so injects fuel) . If storing for winter I turn off fuel and run until it stalls, drain float bowl and usually no problem starting in spring. In my experience if bike is set up right you should not need to stamp on kick start like a ten ton hippo. I believe all this will eventually result in is a broken kick start shaft which are getting harder to find second hand these days.

[GrahamW]

I had a KLR 650 and fitted a kick start to it, it was kicking back and hard to start at one point and it was an air leak between the carb and the intake. Strangely once it started it would go alright.