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Message started by prechermike on 08/30/19 at 10:27:59

Title: Probably not my best decision
Post by prechermike on 08/30/19 at 10:27:59

Yesterday was a doozy. No details here, was suppose to work 9-4 with EMS, doing a transport for a guy to dialysis and back. Suppose to be pretty weather, decide to ride the bike.

Hmm, I think I have enough gas to get there and back. Only one place between here and there to get gas, but it's about $1.50 more than anywhere else. Next closest place is 10 miles in the other direction. I think I can make it, just gonna go for it. And then I decide to be smart, make a good decision, and stop and get the expensive gas, I only need a swallow, right. Ended up with $5 worth, about a gallon and a half, get to work, do my thing. but don't get to leave until about 8 or a little later.

Get outside and the bike won't start, head light burns, starter just clicks one big time. UGH! check all the connections as best I can. Battery was fine. Maybe I can push start it. First time, no good. Second time got her to fire right up. But the headlight wasn't burning. UGH! back to checking connections, flipping switches, and so forth. Don't want to cut her off for obvious reasons.

Anyway, no luck on the headlight, but the emergency flashers work, both front and rear. And my brake light and tail light work. So, what am I going to do?

Hey, it's only 25 miles. I decide to just limp home. I know, no headlight, not a real good idea. But I am going to just poke along. When the flashers were on, I could see decent, that's what I kept telling myself. I live out in the country, I knew there would not be may cars on the road. If I get stopped, I'll just tell them the truth, it was working and then it wasn't, I'm just trying to limp home.

Maybe 1/3 of the way home, a couple of cars come up behind me. I can see pretty good as long as they are behind me. But they pass, the first car is a marked highway patrol car, I think the second is a county deputy. Pretty sure I am done at that point, but they just went on down the road.

I finally made it home in a little over an hour. Now I'm going to check the bike out a little more. Hit the starter, and the headlight comes on. Cut it off, headlight comes on, bike starts right up. Hmm. It's fixed now, I guess.

Anyway, not my best decision I'm sure. But the Lord looks out for fools and little children and I am a long way from being a child.

Just thought I'd share. OK, let the flogging begin.

Title: Re: Probably not my best decision
Post by Serowbot on 08/30/19 at 10:46:31

No floggin'... you probably handled it better than I would have.

... that may not be sayin' much... ;D

Title: Re: Probably not my best decision
Post by verslagen1 on 08/30/19 at 11:40:58

You probably have the later model with the headlight cut out.
This is done with a two way switch.
When you push it, the starter goes and the headlight cuts out.
So the problem is the switch.
clean it.

And it would've been ok to hit the switch again.
with the clutch out, the starter won't do anything.
But might've cleared the bad connection.

Title: Re: Probably not my best decision
Post by facestabbah on 09/06/19 at 00:24:49

I had to make a similar run on an old xs 1100 yamaha. Key west to Big Pine with the hazards on. Also how did you push start it? I have bump started many a motorcycle, and no matter the gear, no matter how hard I push, no matter how perfect my timing... Every time the wheel just locks up.

Title: Re: Probably not my best decision
Post by Dave on 09/06/19 at 04:39:48

353230362027323131323B530 wrote:

Also how did you push start it? I have bump started many a motorcycle, and no matter the gear, no matter how hard I push, no matter how perfect my timing... Every time the wheel just locks up.

Im a right there with you - my one and only attempt to push start my Savage was soon after I got it. Wife and I were going out to dinner on the "new" used bike and stopped for gas, and the battery would not start the bike after fueling (yes.....batteries can die without warning).

We were on Route 8 along the Ohio River - so the asphalt parking lot was dead level. We pushed and tried to start the bike for quite a while - lower gears only resulted in a back tire slide as my 160 pound body bouncing on the seat as I let out the clutch just wasn't adequate to get enough traction to get the piston over TDC. Higher gears got a pop as the piston came up once - but my wife and I just could not push fast enough to get the engine spinning fast enough to stay running, and I could not get the clutch in quick enough after the first pop to allow the engine to stay running.

We finally got the bike running by jumping the starter from a car battery.....if you need a jump just look for a ratty looking car with a laundry basket in the back seat - the fancy cars and SUV's won't have the need for jumper cables as they get new cars long before their batteries ever die (and they have AAA in case they have battery trouble).

I don't know what the minimum rider weight has to be to get enough traction to push start the Savage - but I am just too light!

Now that my bike has shed 30 pounds, has a high compression piston and tall gearing - it would be even harder to get it push started.....although my manual compression release might make it possible?

Title: Re: Probably not my best decision
Post by ohiomoto on 09/06/19 at 05:53:44

I couldn't bump mine the one time I tried either and I haven't been less than 235-240 since I've owned the bike.

Title: Re: Probably not my best decision
Post by verslagen1 on 09/06/19 at 07:08:57

667562637C7177757E21100 wrote:

push starting

there's a trick to doing it, for the old and gimpy, yes I'm talking about myself.
set it up just like you normally start 'cept put the kick stand up, put in 1st
others will say 2nd or 3rd, I say 1st cause when it kicks over it's going to sputter and die if you take the clutch back in. This way you can leave the clutch in till it runs right.

So, clutch in, stand up, kill switch on, 1st gear, and you're standing beside it.
Now run like heck, don't forget the bike ;D
jump on and push the starter button and immediately let out the clutch.
as soon as the clutch goes out, it'll lock out the starter so don't worry about letting go of the starter button. it'll chug chug thump... thump thump thump...

you might want to have it in prime to make sure the bowl is full.

Alternate to pushing the starter button is to rotate the engine to the exhaust stroke.
put it in the big gear, bump it forward until you can rotate the decomp lever by hand. then it's in the exhaust stroke. don't forget to put it back into 1st.

DON'T PUSH THE BIKE BACKWARD!!!
This engages the starter clutch, on pre90's bikes this will bust out the starter gear bosses. On a post90 bike you will hear a twang instead, that's the torque limiter doing its job.

Title: Re: Probably not my best decision
Post by stewmills on 09/06/19 at 07:28:26

Should've turned on you phone flashlight, taped it to the front of the bike, and also tuned on video recording so we could watch and relive the event with you ;)

Title: Re: Probably not my best decision
Post by prechermike on 09/07/19 at 17:45:42

I've push started a couple of times, maybe more than a couple. But I've got plenty of behind to go along with it. I did it straddling the bike, pushed hard and fast, starter button (for the decomp thing) and hold on. It does help to have an opening in front of you.

I thought about a flashlight, not the one on my phone. Anything would have been better than nothing, I suppose. I don;t want to see that trip again.