85 250es starts off kicker not e-start batt is good and starter

[HamboneKS]

That's such a simple troubleshoot!!! Hadn't thought of pulling the plug to watch for spark, duh.
I tore into the kill switch yesterday, and both wires running to the switch have continuity to ground, which seems weird.

[HamboneKS]

I got everything put together and tried the electric start with the plug out and it has spark while cranking. Put it back together and it wil just crank and crank and then backfire really loud. It will start sometimes if I let off the button at exactly the right moment. So frustrating, maybe it's just a kickstart bike

[Hair Bear Bunch]

Fresh plug? Older plugs can break down under compression.

[HamboneKS]

I'll give that a try. I narrowed the plug gap and it did a little better. Maybe just a weak spark