This weekend I had stopped for lunch and mistakenly left the ignition on so I came back to a nearly dead bike, only IDIOT lights on, no head lights, no starter. It's a 2008 FLHRC with EFI, electronic (FBW) throttle and a 103" engine.
Fortunately for me some 13 Rebels MC guys came by and we tried to push start the bike in 3rd and then 4th gear. It fired once and would rev but it wasn't revving strongly, almost like on one-and-a-half cylinders. And the tach didn't move and the odometer didn't light. I was able to go about 20 feet and it died.
I've done my search research here like a good little Forum member and have discovered that the EFI fuel pump needs 9 volts to pump and I didn't have that. We were able to start the bike but it only ran for as long as there was fuel in the hose, there wasn't enough battery life to keep the fuel pumping.
I called HOG Roadside Assistance and they said it's usually under an hour for help to come. I said I'd call them back with my address after I figured out the name of the road. The GPS in my phone helped with that.
In the meantime, one of the Rebels found a TV set out to be taken away, he cut the cord off and got another bike next to mine and ready to jump start it. We cut that down to two cables, a short to go from frame to frame, the ground; and a longer one to go battery positive to battery positive. The thin zip cord cable wasn't going to last long being such small gauge so we started the good bike and just let my bike battery charge for a minute or two. Then I turned my bike on and pushed the starter. It fired up fine and I kept the revs up, rode the highway back home about an hour just using the low beam and hand signals and the bike seems fine now.

So what I've learned form my Forum search and my experience is that if you can crank the bike but it may not be able to fire you MAY have enough juice for the fuel pump. Especially if you can hear it "hissing" like it does when you turn it on. If so, you may be able to push start the bike in 4th gear. If not, save your energy, it ain't gonna start without fuel. You'll need to charge your battery some, not long because you don't want the two batteries to equalize their charge which they'll try to do. But with a couple minutes charge you should be able to start your bike with the jump from the other bike. If trying to jump your bike from a car DON'T have the car running, just jump off the cold battery. If jumping from another bike have the good bike running.

I ordered motorcycle jumper cables today.


Thankful for the 13 Rebels,

 

Good info. Good to know.

 

you go for lunch and leave your ignition on????? you were lucky to come back to a bike period

 

+1 thanks for sharing the info!

 

did you stop the engine with the kill switch?

 

Remember the good ol' day's?
Fuel petcocks, chokes (enrichiners)
And the (couldn't be w/o) kick starter?

Carrying jumper cables is a good idea. I can still bump start my carbureted Heritage, but the wife's 03 FI Heritage could be a problem.

I replace batteries every 2-3 yrs (prob overkill). I ALWAYS use the B/Tender.
I got in the habit (years ago) of never using the kill sw to shut the bike off, always the key switch (for this very reason)

Knock on wood, I havn't heard the dreaded "click click click" in a long time.

Watch . . . next time I go out there . . .

 

Battery tenders are great but they aren't infallible. One of my batteries on the tender all winter showed it was fully charged but it was very weak.

Then again my neighbor is at year 5 with his battery always on the tender...

 

Pretty good idea on your helpers in making use of the tv's power cord. Mcgiver crap

 

Good information................Thanks

 

I made a set of jumper cables last year but have not had the opportunity to use them yet. We had a starter go bad a couple of years ago and with just myself and wife could not get it started. Thats when I decided we better carry cables not that it would have helped then.