Newbie question

ozz

Hi,
I've only been riding a couple of months and have never had a problem starting my bike until this morning.
I hadn't used it for the weekend and it's parked outside so I'm guessing the cold weather might have had something to do with it even though I had the choke out fully. Anyway I think I've killed the battery now. I have two questions. (a) Should the bike have started this morn with the choke out fully or can the bike get so cold that even the choke will not work? (b) Now that the battery is dead can I push start the bike the same as you would a car? (ignition on, 2nd gear, release clutch...)
Btw, I ride a Virago 400cc.

Beruthiel

yes, the cold will do that.
Normally, it's a good idea to start your bike everyday in cold weather and let it run for 10 mins or so.
To get it started again, put it into second gear, run it down a hill if you have one and start it in second gear, should work for you.
this trick does your bike no good if you do it too often btw...

seamus

You'll know the battery is dead if you press the ignition and you don't hear the usual turning over sound - sometimes it does nothing, other times you'll hear a clicking or ticking, but no engine turning over.

If it sounds normal, but just won't start, it's not a battery problem. The choke on my bike is a bit tempermental at best. If the bike is very cold, it won't start with the choke fully out. I have to pull it out about 1/3 of the way and start the bike. If the engine isn't that cold (in the summer, for e.g.) it'll start fine with the choke fully out.

If it's really having trouble starting, the choke halfway out with a *tiny* bit of throttle will get her going enough to run on the choke.

Yes, you can push start the bike, which may be all that's needed. Try get some speed up (have someone push you) so that it doesn't cut out straight after starting.

Slaanesh

You tend to need a tiny bit of juice left in the battery. But yes you can push start the bike. I tend to do it in first but that's just preference.

You need to have the throttle opened a fair bit so on a more powerful bike it could leap forward, so maybe second is a good idea

If you get it going, pull the clutch in but keep the revs up high for a while because as soon as you drop them it might cut out again !

ozz

Thanks for the advice I will give it a go when I get home this evening. I have a great big hill right outside my apartment but I wanted to be sure before I tried it because if it doesn't work I'll never get it back up the hill again.
It's one of those normal hills, not like the one in the Miller commercial. :-)

Haket

Dont forget to make sure the kill switch in on !, easy thing to forget. A dead battery makes bumping a lot harder. Best to borrow a charger and try again.

You prob flooded it with too much choke, it'd never start then. If you suspect it, leave the bike alone for 15-30mins then try again . . .although if on the way to work this may not suit.

echomadman

Slaanesh wrote:

I tend to do it in first but that's just preference.

what bike do you have that'll let you push it in first? mine both lock up the backwheel if i try a bump start in first. and a 400cc twin like a virago will defietly be easier to push start in second.

Slaanesh

All bikes I've owned. I had much more luck doing it in first. They were all only 125's so, and you need to be giving it a good bit of throttle so the back wheel doesn't lock. This results in a slight jolt forward but you just get the hang of it.

I wouldn't dare do it on anything more powerful.

echomadman wrote:

what bike do you have that'll let you push it in first? mine both lock up the backwheel if i try a bump start in first. and a 400cc twin like a virago will defietly be easier to push start in second.

echomadman

on any bigger bikes the compression of the engine will lock the wheel if you push start in first, second is fine as long as you get it up to a good speed, as soon as the engine fires clutch in again and keep the throttle open then put it back into first and take it for a 10 minute spin. just leaving it sitting there idling may not actually charge the battery much.

Pigeon Reaper

I had the same problem this morning. Some bikes can do this on a cold morning even if they've been used the previous day. It may be worth replacing the battery if it is old. As people have said be careful not to flood the engine as this will prevent it from starting. If you can use jumps leads to another bike that's running or a jump pack you'll get the bike started ok. Just make sure they're the correct voltage! Bump starting is an option that will work if there's some charge in the battery but I've come across bikes that simply won't run if the charge is too low even while rolling down a hill. This is a feature of some bikes that happens in cold weather just like carb icing. If you're around Rathfarnam I might be able to start it up off my piece of crap.

ozz

Nice of you to offer Pigeon Reaper but unfortunately I'm all the way down in Cork so I'll have to try the bump starting. Appreciate all the advice though from everyone and I'll let you know tomorrow how I got on.
Gotta go walkies around the office now and find a lift home before 5 o'clock.

murphaph

Just to add......my bike's been acting the b0ll0x lately and giving me trouble starting (and running, or not as the case may be!). Anyway it got really bad last week and completel let me down near my house so I disconnected every electrical connection involved in the ignition circuits and cleaned them up with fine grit sandpaper before applying vaseline to all the connectors and terminals and the bike is 110% now. Well worth doing this, especially on an older bike. Btw-none of the connectors looked bad, but obvioulsy were.

bbbbb

My bike is sometimes sitting idle, so I got one of these from bikeworld:
http://www.optimate3.com/

I've also push started my bike, bandit 600. Need someone helping!

Have also jump started it from a car.

scorphonic

bbbbb wrote:

My bike is sometimes sitting idle, so I got one of these from bikeworld:
http://www.optimate3.com/

I've also push started my bike, bandit 600. Need someone helping!

Have also jump started it from a car.

Can I ask you how much you paid for it in Bikeworld?

O and is it any good, do you find it easy to use?

Thanks!;)

Haket

Optimates are a gift, I've had one for aaages. The "trouble" with having more than one bike is they dont get used daily and the battery runs down fast (due to alarms). Plug the optimate in for a few hours (or if it suits leave it plugged in all the time) and always has plenty of charge.

Cost about 65quid IIRC.

ozz

Conclusion:
OK so I tried push starting it down the big hilll outside my apartment but to no avail. I probably flooded the engine trying and after spending about 20 minutes and huge amounts of energy pushing it back up the hill I gave up.
Called Carole Nash complimentary callout service the next day (very handy insurance perk). They arrived with a big battery and tried to start if from that but still without any success so they towed it to a garage for me instead.
Got it back this morning. Said the battery was very low and they cleaned the carburator which might have prevented it from starting in the first place. Also said my battery may have to be replaced now as it could be damaged but to see how it goes over the next few days.
Cost €56 but very happy to have my bike back again.. perfect morning for a ride into work too.