I also have to do this procedure on the wife's 2006 XT 225. I've experimented with her bike, and every time I run the gas out when I know its gonna sit for more than a couple of days and I go to start her bike, it fires up every time, not most times, or 9 times out of 10, but every time! And I have also tried it the other way, and if I don't run the gas out, it won't start...EVERY TIME!!!, so for me this shut down procedure works, and I don't care if I ever really figure this out, as long as what I am doing works, and for 3 years it has.

 

Good point Deej.
Never tried that but it makes sense.
But since putting the pumper on, the problem seems to be gone.
Summer is coming so the bike will sit idle more so I'll see how it goes.

 

While in the carb' bowl the hydrocarbons evaporate due to the relative large surface area in relation to the volume of Petroleum. (large area/small volume.) No hydrocarbons, no ignition.

 

I must have a good bike, I've never ever run into a hard start problem.. If the bike is cold, I pull the choke and one crank it's started..

If it's hot, I don't pull the choke, one or two cranks and it's started.

weird!