ST1100 - jump starting

[myst1100]

I think batteries is a good place to ask this.

So my battery was dead and it got me thinking that I don't see how to jump start a ST1100 without some disassembly. Is this the right conclusion?

I took it apart and the battery is many years old so I'll just pick up a replacement but I'm curious what I would have done on the road (yes I have tools so I know what I would have done but still need to ask).

thanks
bob

 

[beemerphile]

Just the seat and the left side cover, but yes - some disassembly is required. On most of my bikes with hidden batteries, I have hardwired a jumper connection to the battery with an EC5 connector. This matches the connector on most lithium jump batteries and you can also make an alligator clip extension to plug into it for a more conventional jump arrangement. The EC5 is rated for 120 amps, but will handle more for a short period. This is way beyond what you'd want to put through an SAE type connector.

 

[red one]

I had a battery die on me a year ago. I had a fellow biker take me to the dealer and I bought another. This is just me but I do not feel comfortable jumping a small capacity motor cycle battery off of a larger capacity car or truck battery. The one time I did do it my bike cranked at twice the normal cranking rate...like I said not comfortable.

 

[beemerphile]

As long as the jumper vehicle is not running there is no danger in jumping a motorcycle from a car battery. It is a 12 volt source going to a 12 volt rated motor. The order of connection of the jumper cables is: (1) dead positive (2) good positive (3) good negative (4) dead frame. After the motorcycle is started, remove them in reverse order. Do not start the jumper vehicle until the cables are disconnected.

 

[myst1100]

But from what I tell you can't get to the batter without pulling the side panel. On my other bikes it's usually just take the seat off and there it is.

 

[Slydynbye]

I think batteries is a good place to ask this.

So my battery was dead and it got me thinking that I don't see how to jump start a ST1100 without some disassembly. Is this the right conclusion?

I took it apart and the battery is many years old so I'll just pick up a replacement but I'm curious what I would have done on the road (yes I have tools so I know what I would have done but still need to ask).

thanks
bob

FirST remember that you could push STart it. It's a Huffer alone but possible. Better with a helper.

Yes, until you customize you will go through the Kata of ST11 access Seat, Bags, Side panels

Next I would check the Red Starter relay connector. Look for Melting or Burning. That connection can be intermittent.

Of course if it sat for a month or two the Battery is a good place to start.

 

[SMSW]

The 1300 is much the same. After having to use a lithium jumper pack half a dozen times in one weekend when my batt died on the way to the OHSTOC, I took two - one foot long pieces of #6 welding wire, crimped an eye on one end and a butt splice connector on the other end of each, spray painted one red, then put them on the battery with the butt splice connector (nothing more than a short piece of copper tubing) taped up w/ several layers of tape. These jumper pig tails reside under my seat, so the battery is now available for jump starting. If I never have to use these it will be the best hour's work I ever did. Oh, I also made one of these sets up for a buddy's Beemer after his battery died. Better to lock the barn to prevent those horses from getting back in....

 

[myst1100]

FirST remember that you could push STart it. It's a Huffer alone but possible. Better with a helper.

Yes, until you customize you will go through the Kata of ST11 access Seat, Bags, Side panels

Next I would check the Red Starter relay connector. Look for Melting or Burning. That connection can be intermittent.

Of course if it sat for a month or two the Battery is a good place to start.

Thanks, my handy dandy voltmeter said 9 volts so I know it's the battery. I recently added a dashcam that is supposed to turn off when the ignition is off, I'm going to verify that next with an amp meter. The battery is old, the bike is sitting more now and I'm not bummed if the battery is just not holding a charge.

Overnight on the battery tender gets me 12.6v after being removed, ignition on with the headlight, etc drops to 11.6 and slowly drops from there.

 

[Larry Fine]

Jumping a 12v bike from a 12v car battery is no different from plugging a lamp with a 60w 120v bulb into a 20a circuit.

As long as the voltage ratings of the two systems are the same, the load will only use the current it requires to operate.

A bike cranks faster on a car battery is because the larger battery exhibits less voltage sag from the same current load.

Interesting factoid: unlike a bulb or other resistive load, a motor's current actually rises with less voltage, not with more.

 

[beemerphile]

Interesting factoid: unlike a bulb or other resistive load, a motor's current actually rises with less voltage, not with more.

Interesting factoid-factoid. BMW K1100's had an interesting failure mode that confirms this. If you tried to start the bike with a half-dead battery, it would not have enough cranking speed to start the motor and the extended higher amperage would weld the starter relay contacts. Then when you let off the starter it would keep trying to start until the battery was completely drained - replete with smoke, crackling, and cooking noises. There would be nothing you could do but watch with horror because it took about 10 minutes of flinging parts off to get to the battery. Some people installed battery cutoff switches. I simply upgraded the starter relay to a big hunking relay from a Harley-Davidson.

BMW's are the king of interesting failure modes, but it exemplifies and validates your point.

 

[ad.hom]

Good timing with the post! I'm going to visit an ST11 this morning that's been sat for ~6 months without being prepared for it to be sat (owner got ill, and recently passed away).

I'll be taking tools & a battery booster (in addition to my ST13) with me. I'm aware of the other various maintenance things to look for, but not the point of the thread. Only way I know of to get to the battery on either the ST13 or ST11, is saddle bag off then side panel off (difference being the battery is on the right on the 13).

 

[Al st1100]

FirST remember that you could push STart it. It's a Huffer alone but possible. Better with a helper.

Yes, until you customize you will go through the Kata of ST11 access Seat, Bags, Side panels

Next I would check the Red Starter relay connector. Look for Melting or Burning. That connection can be intermittent.

Of course if it sat for a month or two the Battery is a good place to start.

You cant push start it if the battery is dead. When the key is in the on position the headlights are on, draining an already dead or almost dead battery. The ignition system need some voltage to fire those coils. If the battery is low, enough power for lights but not to crank you could push start it. Easier down hill

 

[Al st1100]

I had a battery die on me a year ago. I had a fellow biker take me to the dealer and I bought another. This is just me but I do not feel comfortable jumping a small capacity motor cycle battery off of a larger capacity car or truck battery. The one time I did do it my bike cranked at twice the normal cranking rate...like I said not comfortable.

a bigger battery will not make it crank faster, 12v is 12v. It will be able to crank a longer time because of a larger reserve capacity. Now if the jumper vehicle is running it will crank a bit faster because the vehicles charging system would be at about 14v.

 

[SMSW]

As long as the jumper vehicle is not running there is no danger in jumping a motorcycle from a car battery.

What's the danger? Assuming the guy doing the jumping hooks all the cables up properly, the bike will only see a voltage equal to the idling output of the car - probably very close to that of a freshly charged battery in the bike.

Of course, should the guy swap cables, watch out! There will be sparks regardless of the car running or not.

 

[SMSW]

You cant push start it if the battery is dead. When the key is in the on position the headlights are on, draining an already dead or almost dead battery. The ignition system need some voltage to fire those coils. If the battery is low, enough power for lights but not to crank you could push start it. Easier down hill

I once started my Guzzi by bump starting it. Back in the good ole days ( ) headlights were optional during daylight and the bike, as heavy as it was to push, started right up.

 

[Larry Fine]

a bigger battery will not make it crank faster, 12v is 12v.

A bike cranks faster on a car battery is because the larger battery exhibits less voltage sag from the same current load.

 

[ad.hom]

What's the danger? Assuming...

Assuming the person holding the cables doesn't know what they're doing... the danger is fire, explosions and bubbling battery acid...

Telling everyone to jump using engine off on the donor vehicle, just means there's reduced risk (IMO). Still a risk, obviously, but less of one.

 

[red one]

a bigger battery will not make it crank faster, 12v is 12v. It will be able to crank a longer time because of a larger reserve capacity. Now if the jumper vehicle is running it will crank a bit faster because the vehicles charging system would be at about 14v.

yep that's what happened. My buddy brought his pickup and hooked me up and had his truck running. Bad move my starter was spinning so fast. Now I just prefer to change the battery out.

 

[Al st1100]

yep that's what happened. My buddy brought his pickup and hooked me up and had his truck running. Bad move my starter was spinning so fast. Now I just prefer to change the battery out.

will not hurt it

 

[Al st1100]

not if its a good battery