Softail Models Standard, Custom, Night Train, Deuce, Springer, Heritage, Fatboy, Deluxe, Rocker and Cross Bones.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Jump starting

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Nov 5, 2010 | 12:52 AM
  #21  
flh80's Avatar
flh80
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 234
Likes: 1
From: Sawdust City
Default

Only if you hook 'em backwards does it mess up!
 
Reply
Old Nov 5, 2010 | 05:16 AM
  #22  
Savgator's Avatar
Savgator
Thread Starter
|
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Effingham Co. GA
Default

Well, I must have gotten lucky. I replaced the cables with aircraft grade cables, and replaced the battery with an Interstate brand and.......it turned right over! Wooohooo! It's about time that damn $10 bell worked!!!
 
Reply
Old Nov 5, 2010 | 06:47 AM
  #23  
Doug S's Avatar
Doug S
Road Master
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 43
From: NJ
Default

I have a carb'd bike so if there was someone around to jump the battery then they could just give me a push.

Can you push start a FI bike? Just asking incase I run into the situation sometime..

D
 
Reply
Old Nov 5, 2010 | 08:17 AM
  #24  
jimmers1817's Avatar
jimmers1817
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,975
Likes: 12
From: NJ
Default

I tried once, didn't work.
 
Reply
Old Nov 5, 2010 | 04:06 PM
  #25  
1hellbent's Avatar
1hellbent
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 535
Likes: 0
From: Huntington Beach
Default

The state of the discharged battery will determine the risk of any damage occurring when the donor vehicle’s engine is running. Also, the larger the donor vehicle’s charging system, the higher the risk.

If the discharged battery is just slightly low enough to where it won't crank the engine over, the back EMF voltage of the battery will limit that massive current surge from the donors charging system. Still no guarantee though, it can still happen.

If the battery is deeply discharged to where you don't even get lights, you’re almost guaranteeing that there will be a surge of sort. These surges are also associated with high voltage spikes. And even though they are milliseconds, they can still cause damage to a charging system. It's not guaranteed that it will do damage, but much more likely.

With a really good set of cables, it's not necessary to have the donor vehicle running, especially when the donor vehicle is a car. Not having the motor running is the safest way by far. Even if the donor vehicle is another motorcycle, as long as it's a battery of equal size or larger and it's fully charged, the engine doesn't have to be running. Just don’t keep cranking on it when there are other problems keeping it from starting, otherwise you are going to end up with 2 dead batteries..... Doh!
 
Reply
Old Nov 5, 2010 | 07:54 PM
  #26  
1st 96 ultra's Avatar
1st 96 ultra
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,502
Likes: 6
From: Lapeer , Mich
Default

Originally Posted by wouldie59
I was stupid and left the ignition on. Not even a click when I came out. Jumped it from a buddy's bike with cables and four sets of needle nose pliers. It worked, but it was a PIA.

Has anybody ever thought about connecting the battery charger connections between two bikes using the HD charger extension cable? It might not be an immediate start, but maybe locking the running bike at 2k for a few minutes might be enough to crank the dead bike. A fist sized coil of extension cord beats a basketball wad of jumper cables any day in a saddlebag.
made up a set like that to plug into my bat tender plug so I don't have to pull the seat off , just let it set a min , other end has clamps with the plug
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
orin
Dyna Glide Models
2
Jul 9, 2013 04:43 PM
Grandslam
General Harley Davidson Chat
17
Mar 22, 2013 05:32 PM
rufasim
General Harley Davidson Chat
6
Jul 6, 2012 11:45 AM
AdrianVall
Dyna Glide Models
8
Jul 3, 2009 04:21 PM
dclapp
Dyna Glide Models
5
Apr 23, 2006 05:19 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:47 AM.

story-0
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-1
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-2
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-3
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-4
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-5
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE
story-8
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider

Slideshow: Graeme Billington's left-hand-drive Shovelhead is as much about problem-solving as it is about classic Harley form.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2025-12-30 11:27:08


VIEW MORE
story-9
The Best and Worst Harley-Davidson Moves of 2025

Slideshow: A clear-eyed look at what actually worked for Harley this year, and what quietly undermined its progress.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2025-12-29 17:10:48


VIEW MORE