3 Ways to Start a Honda XR150

Updated 14/02/2025

Before We Begin

Before you even begin to start your bike, make sure:

The ignition is ON.
It obviously makes sense to turn this on or you wil lget absolutely nowhere.

You are in NEUTRAL.
This will lessen any friction in the engine and make it easier to start.

The kickstand is up.
Generally, this is a good idea if you are sitting on the bike or you are attempting the Bump Start. (Keep it DOWN if you are not on the bike )

Note: There is no ignition cut-off on the kickstand.

Starting the Honda XR150

Now, you can begin powering up the ‘little buffalo’ as I call her. Here we are going to show you 3 ways to start up the Honda XR150.

1. The Electric Start

This is the simplest and easiest way to start the Honda XR150. All you need to do is: turn on the ignition, check the bike is in neutral, have the kickstand in the correct position and now press the electric start button. Voila! She fires up.

There is usually no need to twist the accelerator (gas). The bike will start and then idle without any input on the accelerator.

Now, you are ready to drive away. Have fun.

2. The KickStart

If your electric start does not work for some reason (most likely a dead battery), the next best option is to kick start the bike. It is quite simple and as this is only a 150cc, it doesn’t take much effort.

On the right side of the bike is a large silver lever, which you can move out from the bike and rest your foot on. It will be loose and then it will feel firm. That is the point at which you want to ‘kick’ start the bike. It is actually more of a strong push downwards from the leg that will do the trick. One good push will get the bike started and then you should return the kick start lever back to its original position. They hurt a lot if you hit yourself with them.

Now, you are ready to drive away. Have fun.

3. The 'Bump' Start

This is definitely the hardest work of the 3 methods and can be a killer in the Summer. It is most preferable to find a small incline or hill to do this on but you rarely get a choice in this.

So, you make sure the ignition is on, the bike is in neutral and the kickstand is UP. Then, you run as fast as you can whilst pushing the bike. Once you have gained enough speed 10kmh or more, the technical operation begins. You hop onto the bike, pull in the clutch, shift UP into 2nd gear and wham! Let the clutch out all at once.

You will feel a slight loss of momentum but, hopefully, the engine will rev into life and you will then be accelerating away.

Now, you are ready to drive away. Have fun.

Cold Starting the Honda XR150

Now, this business of starting bikes is all well and good but sometimes it is a little cold and hard for the bike to get going. This is where the choke lever comes in and you can use it in conjunction with any of the methods above.

This lever is situated in the heart of the bike on the carburettor. It has 3 settings: fully OFF, HALF ON, and fully ON. When you first try to start the bike you can flip the lever to its highest position. This will give the bike a lot of fuel and hopefully it will start.

Once it is running and maybe idling you can reduce this to the first position and then fully OFF. You should not drive away whilst the choke is on because it affects the acceleration of the bike. You might not be used to this and it is potentially dangerous.

Another reason for turning the choke OFF before you drive away is that it uses a LOT of fuel and we should try not to waste this.

Now the bike is idling well and you are ready to ride. Have fun.

Why Choose the Honda XR150

The Honda XR150 is an excellent bike for Vietnam. She is light and agile and has enough power for most situations. The bike is great for both on and light offroad and it won’t break down easily. It is very easy to drive and manouvre in traffic here and other drivers of think you are bigger than you really are. Also, mechanics all over the country are becoming familiar with the bike so it means you can get parts and repairs.

She won’t get you up the toughest enduro hills but there are plenty of great roads out there that are not as tough as hell to drive. There is also a lack of power but when you are here as a tourist and are not in a hurry you’ll find she purrs along just as fast as you need.

Now you are ready to drive away. Have fun

You are now fully aware of how to start the bike and can use several different methods to do this. Now, you can get out on your own ‘little buffalo’ and start ripping through the vietnamese countryside. You won’t look back