Jump Starting Bike

Eddiem · Post by **Eddiem** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 4:45 pm

All

With all this talk about batteries and such I was wondering if you could jump start the bike using a pair of jumper cables??? I've done this in my old Honda XR but was wondering if I can do the same on this bike....

Although I think that to get to the battery terminals specially on my bike would be a bear.....

Aloha

EM

darth_rockster · Post by **darth_rockster** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 5:01 pm

The 05's came with a positive terminal on the starter cover was thinking about putting one on mine someday.

Not sure if they came with some sort of bracket for the negative side... anyone know?

never had to do it on my 04 but I believe you may be able to jump it from somewhere under the starter cover (+) and the chassis (-)

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 5:03 pm

You don't need to get to the battery..You can connect the leads to the starter motor terminal and a bolt on the engine.

Someone else will know more about doing this..What year bike is it..I think the later 1150's have a terminal next to the accessory socket.

DJ

Post by **Hawk** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 5:09 pm

My 2004 R has a terminal next to the BMW socket on the left side of the engine; attach the + cable to it, and the - cable to any ground on the bike and it should jump just fine.

Tripton · Post by **Tripton** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:44 pm

One time I had to do it, I clipped the negative to a ground, and clipped the positive cable to a long screwdriver and reached up to the positive battery post with the seat off.

I don't really recommend it, but that was 2 years ago, and haven't had one problem. (I think I jumped it with a car too...very quickly....too many amps)

Post by **VABeachBMW** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:10 pm

Just a few notes on this thread:
The models with a lug on the cover to attach the positive jumper to the starter also have a lug for the negative cable on the engine. I believe it is on the head just below the valve cover.

Remember if jumping from a car battery DO NOT start the car!

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:20 am

I found our bike pretty easy to roll start..I'd rather do that if possible rather than use jumper leads..

DJ

Post by **awagnon** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:02 am

DJ Downunder wrote:I found our bike pretty easy to roll start..I'd rather do that if possible rather than use jumper leads.. DJ

I was under the impression that in order to push start an R-bike, you had to have at least enough battery left to pressurize the fuel injection system. I.e., can't push start with a totally dead battery. True?? Also, I read somewhere that you should disconnect the jumper cables as quickly as possible if you use a car to jump the bike. Something about too much current. Also, don't start the car if used as a jumper source for the same reason.

I have jump started my RT. I did add the positive terminal access bracket which was included on the 2004 models. The 1150R already had easy access.

Post by **Gordium7** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 12:04 pm

VABeachBMW wrote:Just a few notes on this thread:
The models with a lug on the cover to attach the positive jumper to the starter also have a lug for the negative cable on the engine. I believe it is on the head just below the valve cover.

Remember if jumping from a car battery DO NOT start the car!

My 2005 has two terminals per VABeachBMW.

1) A terminal next to the accessory plug. This lug is covered by a plastic cap with a big POS sign on it. The lug is labeled as well.

2) A terminal on the back of the left cylinder head. This lug is uncovered and labeled with a NEG sign.

As I had a "parking light" incident once at work, I know all about them.

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:56 pm

DJ Downunder wrote:
I found our bike pretty easy to roll start..I'd rather do that if possible rather than use jumper leads.. DJ

I was under the impression that in order to push start an R-bike, you had to have at least enough battery left to pressurize the fuel injection system. I.e., can't push start with a totally dead battery. True?? Also, I read somewhere that you should disconnect the jumper cables as quickly as possible if you use a car to jump the bike. Something about too much current. Also, don't start the car if used as a jumper source for the same reason.

You may be right about that..But I've roll started mine when the battery was too dead to turn over the starter motor.

DJ

Post by **dcameron** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:30 pm

upon the unfortuate demise of my battery, my mechanic informed me when roll starting the bike that i should hit the starter button as i let the clutch out - this powers up the electronics to get the bike started.

Post by **duckdave** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:13 pm

Seems like engaging the starter at the same time you were turning the engine over by popping the clutch on a rolling bike would be asking for the same result I get when hitting my starter on a car that's already running. I'd say the same result as hitting the starter on a bike that's already running, but I haven't had the fortune of doing that yet, so I don't know the result.

I posted my "start-up" sequence for roll-starting under the recent "bike won't start" thread. Here is an abbreviated version:

duckdave wrote:I've jump started mine by rolling it down an incline with the key on, in 3rd (or 4th gear?), clutch pulled; then "popping" the clutch after jumping aboard.

To be sure, all this is very tricky with a 500+ lb motorcycle.

3rd (or 4th?) gear was determined through trial and error to be necessary to prevent the rear tire from just skidding the bike to a halt without turning the engine over.

In my case the battery was not totally dead, just dead enough to yield the dreaded click-click-click upon hitting the starter switch.

I did not hit the starter switch during the jump start sequence, as mentioned in an above post. There was already way too much going on for me to do that.

Worked for me.