Somewhere it is fed by 240V L1 and L2. Either one is sufficient, anywhere. Even back at circuit breaker.
If it has 3 wires to the motor (one for a starting winding), it would be more difficult to measure the right one there.
Have a meter with "inrush"? Not all meters give an accurate peak reading.
Also take running current, to compare. I expect starting surge to be 5x rating for running current. Could be more than 5x actual measured current depending on load.