Crash/push start - How?

[Hex]

Ok so I have never had to do it, but what do you know, this morning the battery sounded rather flat and dieing. I dont have a battery charger but I do have some large hills in northland which I am on one. How do I crash start? Is it... Ignition on, Clutch in, 1st gear, Rolling, clutch out?

[The Pastor]

wack the bike into 2nd or 3rd hold the clutch in and sit on it and get someone to push you when you get up enough speed dump the clutch.

EASY!

[Cajun]

what renegade master said

use 2nd than 1st, wait until you are doing turn key on go down hill, with clutch in, and wait until you are doing 20km/h or so dump the clutch and hopeful bike will start, (remember to be ready to pull that clutch back in.

[slinky]

wack the bike into 2nd or 3rd hold the clutch in and sit on it and get someone to push you when you get up enough speed dump the clutch.

EASY!

wat he said.

ignition on and be in 2nd or 3rd - NOT 1st.
u won't need a push cus u gotta hill tho! n if your wondering how much speed to get up... not much.

[Hex]

God, I hope this is gonna work, our its a long way back up the top :P

[The Pastor]

I think somone said somthing about bikes being hard to push start with the clutch in? Kawasakis have some cool clutch thing that makes push starting with the clutch in easy but other bikes you have to put into neutral and then wack into gear when up to speed

[Spyke]

I think somone said somthing about bikes being hard to push start with the clutch in? Kawasakis have some cool clutch thing that makes push starting with the clutch in easy but other bikes you have to put into neutral and then wack into gear when up to speed

ive found that if you cant get it into the right gear while you've got the clutch in and not moving, rock the bike backwards and forwards as you change to the right gear. this makes the gears mesh together easier.
but please correct me if im wrong.

[xwhatsit]

I find it perfectly fine using the clutch push starting, no hill involved. I have to do it about 50/50 with kickstarting, so I have to do it even on the flat. Clutch should be fine unless it's about 5 degrees outside (in which case the oil doesn't seem to want to let the clutch move) or the clutch isn't adjusted correctly.

I do it in first gear, as my bike needs high revs before it'll fire, and it's OK -- should be even easier on a four cylinder bike. The only thing you have to do (at least on a single), is put the bike in gear first, then roll it backwards until it stops and goes hard. This turns the engine backwards until it's at compression, so it won't lock the rear wheel when you dump the clutch.

Another thing to do is to stand on the pegs (assuming you're going down the hill), then when you dump the clutch, bang your arse down onto the seat. This also puts weight on the rear wheel to stop the engine from locking.

All of this should be way easier with a four-banger, singles are just a bitch to get underway.

[gijoe1313]

Aha! I wondered when Xerxes would rear his head! He is the master of the running bump start. I am always fascinated and amazed every time I see him perform this complicated, dark art.

[Shadows]

Another thing to do is to stand on the pegs (assuming you're going down the hill), then when you dump the clutch, bang your arse down onto the seat. This also puts weight on the rear wheel to stop the engine from locking.

Yep, commonly referred to as a bump start, rather than a crash start (and "crash" just sounds wrong anyway).
Bumping at just the right moment compresses the rear shock providing the rear tyre more positive contact with the road, which is much more effective than just sitting on the bike and dumping the clutch when up to speed. The latter will more often then not result in the rear wheel skidding and the engine not turning over.

[Waylander]

Had to do it with my bike for the last couple months so.. yea....


No one else seems to have mentioned this but you have to hit the startbutton as you dump the clutch.

[scumdog]

Hmmmm.......

[scumdog]

My XL350 did it best in 3rd - and no risk of 'skidding' the rear tyre, - and it never had a 'start' button.

[Shadows]

No one else seems to have mentioned this but you have to hit the startbutton as you dump the clutch.

I've never had to do that. What for?

[lti]

Had to do it with my bike for the last couple months so.. yea....


No one else seems to have mentioned this but you have to hit the startbutton as you dump the clutch.

No. That would be like having to turn the key at just the right moment when trying to push start a car.

There is no reason to push the starter button. The whole point of bump starting is making the bike turn the engine, not the starter motor.

Make sure the kill switch isnt on though :P