can the gs be push started?

[dino]

Hi
I did a dumb thing today.  I drove my bike out to show my 80 year old Aunt and I accidentally left the key on while I visited with her for about 2 hours.........so the battery was dead when I came out, man, did I feel stupid....

I tried to push start it by putting it in gear, having my dad push me down a bit of a hill and then letting the clutch out when I got going, but it did nothing - so I ended up leaving the bike at my aunts and I'll charge up the battery overnight on my charger.....but I was just wondering, should I have been able to start it by push starting?  Was it ok to do that? i.e. does it hurt anything?

What gear should it be in for push starting?  Is there a trick to it?

Thanks...

[Piper5177]

Yes you can push start it.  No it won't hurt it.  You need a little bit of a charge though.  You can't push start it completly dead unless you are at the top of a big hill.  First gear.

[Rashad]

dont try FIRST! thats the hardest gear to use. Use third or forth gear.. its a taller gear and you wont have to get a crazy amount of speed to turn the motor over..

..and your back wheel wont lock up as easy.

BTW, did you have the key in the on position and the run button on on? just wondering...

[The Antibody]

I havn't had to push start mine, but other bikes went nice in 2nd. I guess we've covered all the gears now havn't we.

 -Anti

[dino]

HI
Thanks for all the info...

Yeah, I did have the key in the on position and the run button on but the battery was completely dead so maybe thats why....

We tried it in second gear and in fifth but maybe I didn't have enough speed up.......the rear wheel seemed to lock up as soon as I let the clutch out.....

Oh well, the bike is safe in my aunts garage for the night and I'll get the battery on the charger......  

Thanks for the info, I just wondered if it was possible to push start.

[miket]

We tried it [snip]

We??!!!  You mean your 80 yrs old aunty was pushing?!!

I pushed-started mine several times.
If I catch that genius Suzuki engineer that put the parking light after the lock position in the ignition switch, I'll teach him how nice it is to push start a bike in 100 degree weather :x Good thing it's not a Goldwing.

[yamahonkawazuki]

if you are trying to push start, you usually feel like  :x , a trick here, do like they said, but when you are ready to pop the clutch, (you have to do this at the same time), raise up off the seat, and slam your butt down as you pop the clutch. (puts extra weight on wheel) 2nd using this method works great.  

[Rashad]

HI
Thanks for all the info...

Yeah, I did have the key in the on position and the run button on but the battery was completely dead so maybe thats why....

We tried it in second gear and in fifth but maybe I didn't have enough speed up.......the rear wheel seemed to lock up as soon as I let the clutch out.....

Oh well, the bike is safe in my aunts garage for the night and I'll get the battery on the charger......  

Thanks for the info, I just wondered if it was possible to push start.

Ok you werent specific enough. First of all, all the battery does in any vehicle is start it.. the alternator/generator does the rest. Secondly, if all that happened was the wheel locked up, you just didnt roll start it correctly. If you actually turn the motor over (aka rear wheel moves and turns over motor) then it will start.

[Yohan]

I CAN HELP! I'VE DONE IT!!!

I live in a house where the driveway goes uphill to the garage. So basically, I took the bike out of the garage and rolled it down hill. I had the bike in 2nd gear and as soon as I started rolling, I pulled in the clutch. As I gained some speed, I popped the clutch (let go of it suddenly) and all of the sudden, the engine fired up. Being an idiot, I forgot to pull the clutch in and the engine stalled out. So I dragged the bike up the small hill, put her in 2nd gear, pulled in the clutch and then rolled down, popped the clutch and then pulled it back in- and she was ready to go. Hope that helped.

[Leveller]

Oh boy , i know this scenario , ive left my heated grips on once or twice   , the best way ive found is to switch off all the lights ,drop the bike into second gear then without using the clutch and ignition off, roll the bike back till you cant pull it back anymore , this rolls the engine back and give you a swing on the motor when you bump it , ignition on, clutch in, run and jump on the bike clutching out as your butt hits the seat and give a little throttle and clutch in as soon as the bike fires , with practice this should work everytime , i had to bump my 750 a few times with this method and i never had any trouble  




Lev

[DrtRydr23]

I've also had to roll start my GS.  I stored the bike over the winter in my friends shed.  I took the battery back home so it didn't get drained.  When I put battery back in after the snow was gone, the bike wouldn't start.  There was enough juice to run the indicator lights though.  I rolled it down my friends driveway, which is slightly downhill.  I did it in 2nd and forgot to turn the key on!!!  Doh!  I pushed it back up the drive and did it again (with the key on) and it fired right up.

As long as you've got juice and the plugs aren't fowled, you should be able to push it.  Just do what all these other guys said before me and you should be allright.

Funny story, when I first bought my bike I was looking at it and wanted to hear it run before I bought it.  The previous owner started it and let it idle, then he shut it down.  Then I went to start it, turned the throttle a couple times and pushed the start button.  Starter turned but motor wouldn't fire.  Previous owner thought I might have flooded it so he tried to push start it 5 or 6 times and the back wheel kept locking up.  He then proceeds to push the bike around the corner and down the street to a big hill to push start it.  5 minutes later I see him pushing the bike back to the house (guess it didn't work).  He said he thought the plugs were fouled and that he'd pick up a new set.  I came back the next day and it started right up.  Just thought it was kinda funny.

John L.

[dino]

HI
Thanks all for the advice.  It may come in handy next time.  I charged up the battery and got the bike going today.  

And, No, Miket, I didn't make my 80 year old aunt push the bike - her walker does have wheels but it still doesn't go that fast.......he he he...

Thanks
Dino

[Rashad]

Dang, if you wouldve shown her mine, she wouldve passed out over how loud the V&H is.... i get the meanest looks.... and some of them come from above a walker.... :lol: