Lack of Kick Start Compression - '98 FC501

My FC501 has very few miles, and ran fine before if stored it away for about two years. I am now getting ready to sell, and went through everything, new gas, cleaned our carb, adjusted valves, etc, etc. All the pre-ride stuff. Just before working on it, I just kick it through a few times and noticed at I did'n't always get the kick lever to stop as it usually did when reaching TDC. I removed the de-compression cable right after I got it and used the same routine I did on 510 Husky I had, that is gently kick through till you feel the hard compression at TDC, nudge it just past and then kick through. Thought whatever it was would be corrected after I adjusted the valves, but no luck. I can just kick it though most of the time as if I had a compression release on???? Remember I don't have a compression cable attached at all??? Any idea what the problem could be? Could I have a sticky valve or a broken valve spring? Is there an adjustment for the compression release even if the cable isn't attached???

Thanks for any ideas on what to check...

Ooops...Disregard that statement about removing the decompression cable. It is connected. Guess it had been too long since I looked at it! Any way..can anyone out there with tell me ho to check for the proper adjustment on it? I am doubtful it is the problem...but maybe I will get lucky!

Thanks. I will try it.

Thanks Husabutt and Dsducati, yesterday I rechecked valve clearance (yes still a little iffy even with the bent feeler gauge and adjusted the auto-decompression cable. While I was there, something I had never done before, I checked the freeplay on the rocker arms and found none! It was unclear to me from the manual just what to do (push on the rocker screw...what???), but when I loosened the lock screw on each side, ...play was put back into the rocker that seemed right. I tried to use a gauge, but the Shop manual didn't even say how to check, or how to adjust if too much play is introduced? Turning the screw didn't seem to do anything???

Anyway, someone should document how to do this procedure correctly.

Bottom line, after putting all back together, started on the first kick..hurray! Thanks for the tips. In a way I hate to sell this bike...still like it, and it has so few miles on it (original tire still looks good!), but I hurt my left leg a while back, and have a "new" 2002 KTM 250 RFS with the magic button that will suite my fire roading just fine.