I just bought one for my kid. Dude I bought it off if said it was real hard to start. I get there and he's Buck 0 5 soakin wet. I plop my fat ass on it and kick it twice and it fired right up. These things sometimes need a manly swift kick to start. You said you were new to them. Just checking. If compression is that good, reeds are ok, no air leaks to speak of, it's prob the carbs that need some tweaking and or cleaning. Adjusting the a/f screws correctly will make the difference between starting with one kick or 13.