Solo bump-start technique?

[LS1Bandit]

I'll tell ya how it happened at the end of the post, but I found myself at the bottom of 17 yesterday with a dead battery. The area I was in was pretty flat, and it would've been pretty dangerous to try and get to an area that wasn't.

I've never tried bump-starting my bike solo before, but I really didn't want to have to call AAA (actually, I just realized I forgot to renew my membership, so that wouldn't have helped anyway) and surprisingly, in the time I was sitting there not a single moto went by.

To compound the issue, I have a lot of luggage on my bike that makes it very problematic to just hop onto the bike (my normal mount procedure is to stand up on the peg and then swing my leg over). So the only technique I could think of was to run alongside the bike and bump start it while next to it. I had all sorts of visions of disaster with this - I envisioned the bike jumping out from me as it started and shooting into traffic, or me slipping and falling and dropping the bike, or any number of other results, most of which were not good.

But I decided to give it a shot and on the 2nd try I successfully bump-started it without a single calamity befalling me or my bike. arty

Since I was successful, I guess I should be happy with my technique. However I'm curious if there's any better solutions. The only other possibility I could think of was to pop off my luggage so that I could hop on more easily, bump-start it, and then put the luggage back on.

So how did this happen? Well, a bit of a comedy of errors. I've installed aux lights and a GPS on my SV. I ran the numbers when deciding what lights to install, and these basically push me close to the edge of the SV's power generating capabilities. Since max power generating doesn't occur until about 4K RPMs or so, I've always had it in the back of my mind that if I'm idling for a while I should turn off the aux lights. But that happens so rarely, that I've never had to do it, and thus it's not really part of my regular thought process anymore. I've been running these lights for the last 35,000 miles without issue.

But as luck would have it, I got stuck behind some slow-moving xmas trees up the hill, so was put-putting along for a while, and then on the downhill side (coming down bear creek rd) I was still stuck behind some slow xmas trees and decided to give my throttle hand a break since I'd been riding twisties for 3.5 hours without a break. So I coasted the whole way down, but never thought about turning the aux lights off, which I should've done anyway irrespective of the battery issue since I was just stuck in slow-moving traffic.

As I approached the bottom of the hill I noticed my fuel light turn on, which confused me because I had just filled up in Felton (less than 20 miles away). Then I noticed my GPS had turned off. I thought "Oh great, some kind of electrical gremlin." So after getting to 17, I immediately pulled off into a little turn-out so that I could diagnose the issue.

When I turned off the bike the GPS immediately came on. At that point I said, "Oh shit! I know what the problem is!" And sure enough when I tried to start the bike I got zippo. Of course in hind-sight, I should've figured it out right away, and since I was just getting to 17 and could open 'er up a bit, I would've been fine if I hadn't pulled over and turned the bike off.

Ah, c'est la vie. Fortunately, it all worked out for the best, and I found a few new roads to add to my repertoire (namely Zayante Rd, and Hicks Rd). 5.5 straight hours of twisty fun, and the only break I took was to bump start my bike (and also to get fuel).

 

[barts]

You don't need to jump on necessarily; I've always bump started bikes as the o.p. did - by pushing them running along side in second gear w/ the clutch held in it, and then quickly letting it out. If the ground is wet, traction can be a problem, but this usually works pretty well.

I guess it might not work so well on a one liter twin, but it doesn't require balancing side saddle....

The part about being ready to pull in the clutch is right on...

 

[Roundboy]

Great ideas! Moike sounds like he's done this quite a few times...

(I know you had a totally different issue with aux lights and coasting etc etc. this is for other readers) The prevention/preventative (spelling?) idea too...check that your bike is functioning properly before you leave home with a bad R/R or dead battery.

 

[weasel]

Mike covered it. (2nd gear)

 

[CruisingRam]

Being an old bike guy- I mean, the bikes are old- and batteries suck, I have done this many times, /what Moike said, except, you really have to run like hell. You may suffer a heart attack and die.

 

[moto-rama]

~ Put the bike in 2nd gear....

..................

Again, let me restate it, when the engine fires. PULL IN THE CLUTCH! I can not stress this enough. You'll go for a wild ride if you don't.

You can say that again!

Hold on there , Trigger...

 

[barts]

Being an old bike guy- I mean, the bikes are old- and batteries suck, I have done this many times, /what Moike said, except, you really have to run like hell. You may suffer a heart attack and die.

If you're in danger of dying of a heart attack from push starting, you should spend more time on a bicycle and less on the motor cycle... that said, I do remember wearing myself out trying to push start my bike at 8000 ft and 30F one cold fall morning in Colorado; I'd left 20-50W oil in the bike (worked well in the 120F Mojave desert earlier that trip). My fellow riders helped out w/ pushing until we got the fire started...

The good part about push starting your bike is that it helps make that $100 new battery purchase seem more justifiable.

 

[Mike T]

2nd gear FTW...i push started my bike by myself a few times...shits tiring...*smokers lungs *

 

[PhaTeLeSS]

I bump started my JETTA this way a few times. That fucking sucked.

 

[Sane_Man]

So what's the purpose of the Aux lights?

If the issue is seeing better, have you thought about installing HID's instead?

Installing a volt meter will let you see when you are using more power then you are generating.

 

[MrCrash]

You might have to have your weight on the bike to keep the back tire from locking when you engage the clutch. If the rear tire is still locking when you're on the bike, you might have to do the "butt bump" - a quick jump into the air, landing with your ass on the seat to prevent the back tire from locking.

Also, if you're clutch has a lot of drag to it when engaged, it might be hard to get it up to speed. I know my 500 lb ZX-6 is. I've bump started it in the past by running with it in neutral and leaping onto the bike before engaging it.

 

[07chuck]

3rd gear even....

 

[Sidewalk]

Installing a volt meter will let you see when you are using more power then you are generating.

That is what I was going to say

I got a nice one from Aerostitch for about $30. It included temperature and a clock too.

I've bump started it in the past by running with it in neutral and leaping onto the bike before engaging it.

That is what I normally do.

 

[LS1Bandit]

First, in case you missed it in my tl;dr post, I was successful in bump starting the bike. My concern was primarily that I could foresee all sorts of potential disasters with my technique and was wondering if there was a better one.

I'll admit, I hadn't considered side-saddling it. Thanks Moike for the detailed write-up. I wish I had a motard or something to practice that technique on - I have some visions of it going pretty badly the first time I try it.

So what's the purpose of the Aux lights?

To help see better, and to help be seen better.

If the issue is seeing better, have you thought about installing HID's instead?

Yes - however there are a couple reasons I haven't - the first is that every conversion kit I've seen is actually illegal, and for good reason - because the light isn't directed/limited properly and can cause problems for other drivers.

But the more important reason I went for the aux lights is that I do a lot of riding in the twisties at night. I find it very helpful to have the aux lights angled "up and out" so that they point into the turns.

Installing a volt meter will let you see when you are using more power then you are generating.

True. Though I did test it with a voltmeter after installing to make sure it was doing what I expected. And I suspect that this incident will help remind me to turn off the aux lights when I'm idling for long periods.

 

[Sidewalk]

First, in case you missed it in my tl;dr post

Look at the title of your thread...

the light isn't directed/limited properly and can cause problems for other drivers.

But the more important reason I went for the aux lights is that I do a lot of riding in the twisties at night. I find it very helpful to have the aux lights angled "up and out" so that they point into the turns.

So, you won't consider one set of lights because they will blind drivers. Instead you install another set of lights and intentionally angle them so that they will blind other drivers

True. Though I did test it with a voltmeter after installing to make sure it was doing what I expected. And I suspect that this incident will help remind me to turn off the aux lights when I'm idling for long periods.

The idea is to have a meter on the dash so you can monitor at all times. So when you are riding in the situation and look down you will see that the battery is running low and turn off the extra bits until the charge comes back up.

 

[notveryfast]

After push starting my superhawk a billion times Ive found the easiest way is to just run along side it in 2nd without jumping on. After about 20 feet on flat pavement you should have enough speed to let the clutch out and get the motor to turn over.

 

[LS1Bandit]

Look at the title of your thread...

Looking ... nope - don't see anything wrong. As I said:

My concern was primarily that I could foresee all sorts of potential disasters with my technique and was wondering if there was a better one.

So, you won't consider one set of lights because they will blind drivers. Instead you install another set of lights and intentionally angle them so that they will blind other drivers

I probably should have elaborated because I thought that comment might come up. The aux lights can be turned on or off at any time, and I normally only turn them on when they're not going to cause a problem for others.

The idea is to have a meter on the dash so you can monitor at all times. So when you are riding in the situation and look down you will see that the battery is running low and turn off the extra bits until the charge comes back up.

Yeah, I understand the idea, and I agree it's a good idea.

 

[CruisingRam]

If you're in danger of dying of a heart attack from push starting, you should spend more time on a bicycle and less on the motor cycle... that said, I do remember wearing myself out trying to push start my bike at 8000 ft and 30F one cold fall morning in Colorado; I'd left 20-50W oil in the bike (worked well in the 120F Mojave desert earlier that trip). My fellow riders helped out w/ pushing until we got the fire started...

The good part about push starting your bike is that it helps make that $100 new battery purchase seem more justifiable.

1) I live in Alaska- it is always cool, at best
2) My bike is heavy- not harley heavy, but heavy
3) you have to run fast for a long time
4) I have been winded by my bike when I was still running triathalons

5) It totally justifies buying the best battery money can buy- the odyssey:

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/

I have started my bike at -40f with this battery, no foolin.

 

[corrupt]

<SNIP>
But the more important reason I went for the aux lights is that I do a lot of riding in the twisties at night. I find it very helpful to have the aux lights angled "up and out" so that they point into the turns.
<SNIP>

Could I see photos of your setup, or a description? I love riding at night, but yeah, it is hard to see around bends without external lights.

 

[LS1Bandit]

Could I see photos of your setup, or a description? I love riding at night, but yeah, it is hard to see around bends without external lights.

Well, it's not the best picture of the lights setup, but here's a photo I have laying around:

The lights are attached to the radiator.