Jump-Starting a bike
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,048
Likes: 3
From: Central Jersey
Jump-Starting a bike
So.. it seems more often than it should that I come across people trying to jump start a bike.
My neighbor did it with his 2003 Suzuki something-err-other and tried jumping it to his car and wondering why the hell it didn't work and why he hurt his better more than it should (aside from the different cca's, they were both 12V batteries).
I always tell people who ask the same thing, Positive to Positive, Negative on the CHARGED battery, and ground the other negative somewhere else..
Anywho, I was looking for an answer to something else, and I came across this page..
https://www.harley-davidson.com/en_U...IL/file-7.comp
... well that's the entire thing.. but if you click here:
https://www.harley-davidson.com/en_U...dtopic000244-1
and scroll up just a hair.. the section on "Jump Starting" there pretty much tells you the same thing that I've been mentioning to people who never really believed me..
I just hope this helps someone out in the future.
My neighbor did it with his 2003 Suzuki something-err-other and tried jumping it to his car and wondering why the hell it didn't work and why he hurt his better more than it should (aside from the different cca's, they were both 12V batteries).
I always tell people who ask the same thing, Positive to Positive, Negative on the CHARGED battery, and ground the other negative somewhere else..
Anywho, I was looking for an answer to something else, and I came across this page..
https://www.harley-davidson.com/en_U...IL/file-7.comp
... well that's the entire thing.. but if you click here:
https://www.harley-davidson.com/en_U...dtopic000244-1
and scroll up just a hair.. the section on "Jump Starting" there pretty much tells you the same thing that I've been mentioning to people who never really believed me..
I just hope this helps someone out in the future.
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
I have jumped a bike before and found that while it got her started again it wasn't super effective at providing a lasting charge. Unless you have the car and cables right at hand, I'd just bump it and ride it.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,583
Likes: 115
From: Boston, MA
YUP That ^^^
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 100,455
Likes: 19,811
From: Centennial, CO
That might work for a carbed bike, but not an EFI bike.
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That's what I was thinking. Once the engine cycles it's producing an electric charge. So long as those components are good. If it's a manual transmission you should be able to push start it, in theory.