I wanted to check procedures for starting a big Harley V-twin with dead or depleted battery when you're stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Push or compression engine starting:
If you can get the bike to a downward incline spot on the road, is it better to put in 1st or 2nd gear, before rolling bike and releasing clutch and hitting the starter? Has anyone tried this on a big V-twin on level ground and your by your lonesome? I can roll my bike reasonably well on level ground but getting any kind of momentum is impossible.

Jump starting:
Odds are a motorcyclist with a dead battery would need a jump start from a car or truck, and as long as donor battery is 12 volts its okay, right?

Ensure bike is in neutral.

Then, positive cable to positive cable. Negative of donor battery to frame of bike, any particular place on frame better than others?

Start engine of donor vehicle, rev engine, run for a minute or so, and then try cycle starter.

Is that about right or did I miss anything?

 

I dunno, my thought is that if you have a dead battery on an EFI bike, push starting would not work because you'd need the fuel pump working. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Don't start the donor vehicle! I don't think you can push start one in 1st gear. Maybe 2nd

 

On a downhill slope I have started mine in second gear. I would think first gear would just skid the rear tire. As long as there is enough battery to run the fuel pump on injected bikes, I would think it would push start. I have jump started my previous bike. I see no need to start the donor vehicle.

 

You cannot push start an efi bike that has a dead battery , needs battery power to run fuel pump and fire the injectors . It is not like a carbureted bike with gravity feed fuel . You can jump start from another bike or car with a 12 volt system , do not start the jumper source vehicle and unhook cables right away . Be careful , computers and electrical components and repair are costly - best choice is use a battery tender after each ride , and yes i mean each ride and of course be sure to turn bike completely off and do not leave in accessorie mode for very long listening to the stereo .

 

I stopped to help a guy with a bad starter clutch on a '09 bagger. His battery was good, so his fuel pump was working. When I suggested push-starting it, he wanted me on the bike and he pushed. I used 2nd gear. After about 3-4 times, it occurred to me to ask him how close the key fob needed to be for the bike to start. He dropped the fob in my shirt pocket.
Bingo...it fired right up. Boy, was he happy.

 

Done it twice on my EFI bike. 2nd gear seemed to work the best and if receiving a jump dont have the donor car running. It will kill your VR.

 

It's a bitch,, your young and strong if you can accomplish a start!

I just go straight to the battery with the negative too, no messin around.

 

There's been some articles written in American Iron or American Rider about EFI/electronic ignition bikes. Not only do you need enough voltage for the ignition to fire and the fuel pump to work, but the engine also has to turn over more than once before the electronic ignition will fire, to prevent kick back. That's why a kick starter conversion won't work on bikes with electronic ignition.

If I remember right, you need 9 volts. I converted my Triumph Trident t150 to electronic ignition, and I know I need 8.5 volts before that system will produce a spark.

 

If you have enough battery for the pump to pressurize the injectors but not enough to crank the engine, it will work.