What gear do I use to . . . .

[RnB Fan]

What gear should I use if I need to crash start my bike? Should I have the choke open or closed?

Battery died last week and I had to attempt to crash start my bike (electric start only). Found two very helpful gents who must have damned near pushed me half the distance to my house trying to crash start the bike but it just wouldn't fire. As I have never had to crash start a bike before I was looking for any advice on how to.

[Hitcher]

What gear should I use if I need to crash start my bike?
Running shoes and shorts sounds like an idea.

[ManDownUnder]

depends how cold - but a bit of choke won't hurt - leave the throttle closed to get an ok mix to start firing with and crash start it in the lowest gear you can

If it's a 250 I'd expect 1st to be ok, although 2nd might be needed if the tire locks up (unlikely).

crash start overview.
0) Park the bike at the top of a slope if possible...
1) Put Bike in gear, turn on - get ready for ignition
2) Push/roll bike while in gear - get up to speed
3) Jump onto the bike and as your butt hits the seat release the clutch. The downward pressure as you bounce onto your bike gives the rear tire better grip (if it's needed to avoid the wheel locking up due to the engine not spinning over)
4) Go easy on the throttle to start with... let the bike turn over a few times if you can - before pulling in the clutch... it's less likely to die straight away as the wheel is spinning the engine so it'll keep drawing fuel through

If you can - make sure the plug is clean and the bike is tuned - your story of pushing it for miles sounds like you either have a tuning/spark plug problem, or you had the throttle wide open (thereby drawing in a lot of air along with the fuel... effectively reducing the fuel/air ratio to a point it's not wanting to ignite)
I think that's it

[Str8 Jacket]

RnB you work in the KPMG building dont you? Come down one really freezing cold arvo at 3.30 and let you practice on my bike... Be warned though my man just about took out the bus stop outside work trying crash start the sucker once...

[vifferman]

Use second gear to bump-start your bike.
On some bikes, it's actually desirable to push it in neutral, as there's too much drag with it in gear and the clutch in. Then whack it into gear as you leap aboard.

And don't call it 'crash starting' - bad karma. It's not too hard to overbalance and crash the bike, so don't tempt the BikerGods. It's bump-starting, because as you let the clutch out, you bump down on the seat at the same time, to maximise traction. And on some bikes you really need that, believe me! On the FahrtSturm, it locked the back wheel up very easily, so it was very tricky to bump start.
As for throttle etc. - depends what your bike's used to when you usually start it with the starter. If it's full choke and no throttle, use that. If it's a little throttle and no choke, then that's what you do.

I suspect I'd be screwed bump-starting the VifFerraRi, as it needs electrickery to prime the injectors.

[Ixion]

Here y'go. The gospel. According to me.

The important and usually overlooked bit is the *pulling backwards against compression* . This is really important on a 4 stroke single

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=277456&postcount=4

This will start Manx Nortons so it will certainly start a Djebel. (Heck, I'd rather bump start it than spell it!)

EDIT> Um, bear in mind that some electrical systems (those with non permanent magnets in the alternator and CDI ignition) WILL NOT bump start if the battery really is *dead* flat. They need enough juice in the battery to energise the alternator magnets so it will generate more juice to fire the CDI unit. Dead flat, no will start no matter what.

EDITY EDIT: Um, Doesn't matter with your 250, but in case someone tries this with an older bike - did I remember to mention - F'GAWDS SAKE DON'T FORGET TO RETARD THE IGITION!

[Motu]

Yep,you need to pull it back onto compression,very important with a single - 2nd or maybe even 3rd depending on gearing.Also,depending on your size - seeing as it's a dirt bike with a fairly tall seat,it's a bit of a leap onto the seat....doing a scoot with a foot on the peg gets you on the seat quicker.Mind you,I've seen a guy on a Super Tenarie just walk the bike forward while astride the bike to bump start...on the same bike I'd be pawing the air.

[RnB Fan]

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I won't need to worry too soon but you never know. Thanks for the offer STR8 - I'll pass at the moment!

[Ixion]

RnB you work in the KPMG building dont you? Come down one really freezing cold arvo at 3.30 and let you practice on my bike... Be warned though my man just about took out the bus stop outside work trying crash start the sucker once...

Uh, your bike is a 150cc two stroke? Just lean it over on the side stand and spin the rear wheel with your hand!

[Rosie]

RnB you work in the KPMG building dont you? Come down one really freezing cold arvo at 3.30 and let you practice on my bike... Be warned though my man just about took out the bus stop outside work trying crash start the sucker once...

Do kick start bikes need to be crash started sometimes? (my KR only has a kick start, so I presume yours does too).

[Ixion]

If the battery is completely flat and you do not have magneto ignition (ah, fond memories of the Lucas K2F mag. Battery? Wod that? ). But, much less likely than leccy start thingies, cos a battery has to be realy flat to not give a spark with a kick start.

The best of all worlds of course is to have both . And why manfacturers ever stopped fitting rant rant rant ,,,,,,,

[crashe]

But folks remember that some bikes CAN'T be crash/bump started.

I did it to my bike when I left the key ON...
I crashed started mine and it went for a short time (like 20 minutes) and then DIED and refused to go again.
Damn heavy bike to push up Newton gully hill up to Kyber Pass.
I ended up doing more damage to the bike.. The thing that kinda sounds like Regulator but it aint that.. is what I blew up and had to have a replacement put in.

I was told that for my bike that if I ever get a flat battery to ALWAYs use a battery charger.

So some bikes can not be crash/bump/jump started at all.

[Jonty]

Wouldn't recommend it with a Beemer

[Ixion]

I've bump started von Klunken several times. No difference, though as someone noted, you need enough juice left still in the battery to get the FI stuff working.

(Yes, it *IS* farkin hard work pushing it!)

[Motu]

The XS650 is the only bike I've come across that won't pushsart - they have a different sort of alternator than other bikes....The XLV750 wouldn't pushstart,most of that was opperator weakness,but also the fuel pump didn't work below 10.5 volts,which is why it stopped in the first place....

[Ixion]

Wound coil field magnets. You need electricity to generate the electricity to start the motor to generate the electricity you need to generate electricity you need to .............. , well, you get the idea, catch 23.

[XP@]

Having the confidence to get on to a moving bike is really important if you are going to crash start one.

1. Stand on the left.
2. Work out where your foot peg and where you can put your right foot without getting too close to the gear lever. (this bit is really important)
3. With the bike in neutral and clutch in start pushing.
4. when you have enough speed put your right foot on your left peg and step up on to the bike.
5. Now if you have enough speed (your going down hill) swap feet and sit properly on the bike. You can do this by jumping up a couple of cm or sitting side saddle on the seat. Then get your right leg on the right of the bike by standing on the left peg and swinging your right leg over the back.
6. Change in to 2nd and drop the clutch, and be ready to ride in side saddle for a while.

Arses... if you can follow that your doing better than me! If someone wants to make a video of me showing how it's done then I would be happy to meet up one lunch time.

[crashe]

Two options:

Get some idiot to push the bike while you are sitting on it... :whistle:

or

Push the bike to the top of a hill, get on the bike and freeroll down it and then drop it into gear (or already have it in second gear), when you have built up enough speed.........:scooter:

[Squeak the Rat]

My manual actually states "Do not push start your cool motorcycle" or words to that effect.

Any one know why that is the recommendation?

[Korea]

My manual actually states "Do not push start your cool motorcycle" or words to that effect.

Any one know why that is the recommendation?
Because push-starting is Oh-so-uncool! :rofl:
...sorry, couldn't resist.

[Motu]

Get some idiot to push the bike while you are sitting on it... :whistle:


Speedway bikes are started by a pusher - I been da Pusher Man.But I've also seen them started by hand - 15:1 compression alky burning with no gears - just lean over on the right peg and lift the rear wheel,and pull it through on the rear wheel...they start easy.

[eliot-ness]

Until the mid 60s all road race bikes were push started. Easy on the small stuff,125/250cc. Not so easy on the 500 singles. The routine was straight forward. Ride to the start grid and just over the line. kill the engine and ease back behind the line in gear bringing the piston back against compression. When the flag dropped three steps and bounce down hard on the seat dropping the clutch at the same time, wind the throttle open, left foot on the peg and swing right leg over just in time to change into second gear. With a start line up of around 30 bikes you needed to pray hard that nobody in front stalled or dropped their bike. With a road bike the technique is the same but use second or even third gear to make it easier, declutch and blip the throttle when the engine starts.

[SlowHand]

Uh, your bike is a 150cc two stroke? Just lean it over on the side stand and spin the rear wheel with your hand!

Yeah, but its so much funnerer to run along side a 250 two stroke, at Greenlane Shell forecourt.

Dam that was a stellar effort.

[FROSTY]

as an alternative --for a lousy fifty bucks-buy a jumper pack --literally a jump start battery in a small box. --saves a shit loada effort