Yes, you can bump start an ST1300 with a dead battery

OhioDeere · May 9, 2016

I guarantee you there was enough voltage on the battery to operate the bikes ECM module or that bike would not have started.. the fuel injection is electronic, the spark is electronic and the timing module is electronic. alternator doesn't spin fast enough on a bump start to begin to make enough voltage to power up the controls.. on the 1300 there are relays to provide power to major hardware. These will drop out once voltage drops below certain threshold thus shutting these items off. The electronic control will always be powered as long as key is on. Most likely ECM operates at 5 volt logic power?? As long as battery is above 5v you should be good??? No voltage whats so ever.. No fire and not enough spin on alternator to get fuel pump running.

my 2 cents

Svrdhd · May 9, 2016

The only time my kill switch is in the OFF position is if I bumped it accidentally when getting on or off.

Blrfl · May 9, 2016

dduelin said:
MSF believes that when turning off the bike it's more stable thus safer to keep both hands on the bars and use a thumb to turn it off rather than risk a drop because we have to take one hand off the grip to reach the key switch.

The other pleasant side effect of that is that using it often helps keep the action of switching it off fresh in muscle memory for that one time when you need to use it to kill the engine.

--Mark

jonz · May 9, 2016

OhioDeere said:
I guarantee you there was enough voltage on the battery to operate the bikes ECM module or that bike would not have started.. the fuel injection is electronic, the spark is electronic and the timing module is electronic. alternator doesn't spin fast enough on a bump start to begin to make enough voltage to power up the controls.. on the 1300 there are relays to provide power to major hardware. These will drop out once voltage drops below certain threshold thus shutting these items off. The electronic control will always be powered as long as key is on. Most likely ECM operates at 5 volt logic power?? As long as battery is above 5v you should be good??? No voltage whats so ever.. No fire and not enough spin on alternator to get fuel pump running.

my 2 cents

I don't have a voltmeter. No headlight visible, no dash lights, and the fuel pump didn't cycle. No sign of life when the key was cycled off and on. That's dead in my book but as mentioned, there was certainly some voltage in the battery.

drrod · May 10, 2016

A bit of a trick with a dead battery I learned after a failed attempt at a bump start. If you leave the ignition on and drain the battery, rather than trying immediately to bump start it, turn the key off an leave it for about 5 mins. Lots of times, the battery will recover enough to at least power the ECM and then you can bump start it.

Rod

jmcarruth · May 10, 2016

jonz said:
Howdy gang,
The only time I stopped all day during my first ride of the year in Yellowstone, I stopped to admire Lamar Valley for 1/2 hour or so. I got certified this year to teach the MTC class to beginning motorcyclists in California and I'm trying to practice what I "preach" (teach), and we teach students to turn the motorcycle off with the cutoff switch first and then turn the key off. Well, I turned it off with the switch but I got distracted by a car driving on the shoulder towards me and forgot to turn off the key. If you look closely in this picture, you don't see any headlights and unknown to me, the key is still on at this point.

As I geared up to go, all cars left the pull out. Then I discovered the dead battery. Not a flicker. The next thing I remembered was switching my jumper cables for the ST to my KTM for yesterday's ride, and NOT switching them back for this ride. Fortunately, I had the foresight to park at the top of a hill. Got it coasting faster than I could run, switched on the key, shifted to third, and dumped the clutch. The ST sputtered to life and i rode for close to an hour before stopping again. Whew!!!

In a few forums, I've read one knock against fuel injected bikes vs carb'ed bikes is that you can bump start the fuel injected ones. I'm glad to report that is BS

The best thing is to not have a battery that goes dead in the first place. The same type of thing happened to me. Fortunately, I had my jumper cables and a guy in a Dodge diesel pickup provided the amps to get me going. The problem is that the battery box in the ST1300 is just too small. If you leave the switch turned on for 2-3 minutes with most batteries, especially Scorpion AGMs, all you are going to hear is clicks. I have not tried lithium yet, but the best AGM battery I have found for our bikes is this:
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Sonic-PTZ14S-Maintenance-Powersport-Battery/dp/B00I1KMO1Y
I replace them about every four years just to be safe.

sgio · May 10, 2016

As already stated. you probably have to have enough juice to run the computer and fire the injectors. There's probably enough pressure in the fuel lines to give a couple squirts and get it fired up.

ST Gui · May 11, 2016

You have to have enough juice to tickle the alternator. The alternator provides all the juice needed to run the computer and fire the coils and charge the battery if the bump is fast enough. Without the alternator the bike might run on a very low battery that won't turn the starter but not for long.

If bikes still used generators instead of a alternators you could bump start them without a battery at all. But that's not enough to recommend a return to generators.

Sportznut · May 11, 2016

BendBill said:
Does anyone else remember calling it "jump start"? Or did we talk funny in the old days

I have always known it as push starting.

Jump starting was using battery cables.

Unfortunately in my younger days I knew both oh too well[emoji45]

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Oldbikefixr · May 11, 2016

dduelin said:
MSF believes that when turning off the bike it's more stable thus safer to keep both hands on the bars and use a thumb to turn it off rather than risk a drop because we have to take one hand off the grip to reach the key switch. Once in a while we think we got neutral and let out the clutch to turn off the key only to find the bike lurches forward because it is still in gear.

Lots of us old timers grew up with bikes that had no kill switch. Always check for neutral (no neutral light either), right hand on the brake, switch off with the left hand (switch was on either the headlight shell, left side cover, or left of the steering head, just below the tank...back into first gear if the bike is on a slope.

Learning a system is also great for those learning on a relatively complicated modern bike that literally (almost) weights half a ton. 'Fly like you practice, practice like you fly'.

forth · May 29, 2016

My previous bike was a ST1100. Started it with dead battery twice by pushing the bike and kicking in the second gear. It is very hard and it is impossible if you are on flat ground. And no lights on.

My new bike ST1300 2007 stopped on my ride home went in for a cup of coffe on the way home from the seller.

Since the bike not have been used for some time the battery was in bad condition.
Managed to move the bike to a small downhill and used the trick with second gear as i have done with the old bike and it started.

Bought a LiFePo4 battery for 150$ and it have worked fine for two months now. No pushing anymore. :biker:

ibike2havefun · May 29, 2016

Oldbikefixr said:
Always check for neutral (no neutral light either)

My neighbor says the only thing the neutral indicator light proves when it is lit is that the bulb is still good.

Don B · May 29, 2016

Your neighbor's neutral switch or shift linkage is AFU.

Williamson · May 29, 2016

ddemair said:
What's the reason for using the kill switch first? ..........

Back in the 80's and 90's I did rider training in Oz for the VIC Road Traffic Authority (RTA), we would teach the learners the FINE starting system:

Fuel tap - turn fuel tap to "On" - remember them?
Ignition - turn ignition "On"
Neutral - transmission to "Neutral"
Engine Cut-off Switch - turn to "Run" or "On"

The theory was "FINE" if the engine wouldn't start everything was not "FINE". The idea came from the UK MOST program - Motorcycle Operator Skill Test.

And of course the reverse was "taught" when stopping the engine.

I've a friend on AusTouring, his forum name is now "Kill Switch" - he probably won't forget the engine cut-off switch again.

Snave · May 31, 2016

jonz said:
Howdy gang,
...and we teach students to turn the motorcycle off with the cutoff switch first and then turn the key off.

ddemair said:
What's the reason for using the kill switch first? The only time I ever use it is when I want to leave it in gear when parked on a hill. Of course, I then forget to turn it back on and wonder what's wrong for a few moments when I try to re-start.

I always pull up in first gear and pop the sidestand down. This kills the motor and leaves the bike in gear - which is like having a parking brake. I do this now automatically, irrespective of parking on flat or slope. Wasn't there a thread somewhere that said: If you stop the motor (on some bikes, not ST) with the kill switch, the EFI module defaults its settings - so it takes a while to relearn them...?

Yes, you can bump start an ST1300 with a dead battery

OhioDeere

Been There, Done That, Got the Shirt.

Svrdhd

Blrfl

Natural Rider Enhancement

jonz

drrod

jmcarruth

sgio

ST Gui

240Robert

Sportznut

Oldbikefixr

forth

ibike2havefun

Still above the sod

Don B

Williamson

Snave