Easy push start for the GZ250

[Chris]

Occasionally your battery will go dead. You may need a new battery or it may simply may need recharging. Riding for an hour will do this. Leaving a battery discharged will end its life. Besides, even in the winter, your bike needs to run just a bit. Never let it sit for a long time. Just take it out for a short run around the neighborhood and that will keep your bike fresh and it will last forever.
So...to push start the bike: first, don't "push" start the bike. Just find an easy hill to go down. Turn on the bike, flip on the "On" switch and put it in third gear. People try to put it in first, but this is hard on the bike and the rider. The engine only has to turn a time or two to catch so third gear will make it far easier.
Pull in the clutch and gently roll down the hill. Let the clutch out and the engine should fire immediately. Pull in the clutch and you are good to go. Ride for an hour to charge the battery or, if old, just replace the battery.

Chris in Atlanta

[alanmcorcoran]

Your post inspired me to try to push start mine again (see earlier threads re Corona Motorsports, leaving taillight on, etc.) I wanted to see (prove?) if it was just as easy in first gear. I tried three times to duplicate my previous success, but wasn't able to. I did move it up to second for the third try, but I lost interest after three outs and just pushed the starter button.

So I guess it's not as easy as I thought. My success earlier might just have been beginner's luck. Or maybe, not having any options made me focus a little more on getting the job done.

I might give it another whirl tomorrow, this time in third as you recommended. It's definitely a skill worth learning. It seems like the charging system marginal and the battery is definitely vulnerable to human error.

[Chris]

Let me get this straight:
I said to "push" start it in 3rd, but you tried and tried to "push" start it, but not in 3rd????
Don't "Push" start it, let it gently roll down a hill. First put it in 3rd (that is third), and pull in the clutch. Once rolling let out the clutch and it will start immediately (ignition, etc. is on, right?). Pull in the clutch and you will be good to go.
Why would you leave the taillight on long enough to kill the battery??

Chris in Atlanta

[patrick_777]

Why would you leave the taillight on long enough to kill the battery??

It wasn't on purpose. Don't get the wrong idea.

He MAY be in California, but he's not stup.....never mind. :whistle:

[Sarris]

Why would you leave the taillight on long enough to kill the battery??

High dumb ass quotient??

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Easy Rider]

Let me get this straight:

Why would you leave the taillight on long enough to kill the battery??

Chris in Atlanta
Ok, so you missed the part where he got lucky ONCE and made it work with the bike in FIRST gear. That was before your arrived.

And the part about the tail light....it's because he is stu.....oops, it's because that dumb ignition switch has this extra position that isn't labeled and isn't mentioned in the owner's manual...... :neener: (Hi, Alan!)

[alanmcorcoran]

Let me get this straight:
I said to "push" start it in 3rd, but you tried and tried to "push" start it, but not in 3rd????
Don't "Push" start it, let it gently roll down a hill. First put it in 3rd (that is third), and pull in the clutch. Once rolling let out the clutch and it will start immediately (ignition, etc. is on, right?). Pull in the clutch and you will be good to go.
Why would you leave the taillight on long enough to kill the battery??

Chris in Atlanta

I love shit that starts with "let me get this straight..."

You are new here, but the regulars know I'm a bit of a dumbass. I was trying to prove you wrong because I started mine up the other day in my driveway, with about a 12 foot roll, in first, on the second try. It was super easy! Except, it wasn't so easy this time. I tried again in second just a little while ago (for some reason, I'm having trouble upshifting to third with the bike off) It almost caught, but no go. I'll work on the third gear start - I'm very interested in mastering this trick.

I posted the whole taillight story. Apparently I am not the only dumbass on the forum. There were quite a few that were not aware of the key setting that leaves only the taillight on.

I shoulda just trusted your experience, but I thought I knew something you didn't. I was wrong. I do appreciate the info though. The only reason I knew it could be done at all was cause someone else posted it earlier.

[RichInFla]

Well, I can tell you that I managed to push start in 1st. After 2 weeks at the shop waiting for tires, it started when I picked it up, but the mechanic said he was like "come on" when starting it to drive it out. At a light, I managed to stall (of course, newbie thing). Pressing the "start" button did nothing. I did manage to get into a left turn lane and "ran" the bike left before the arrow turned yellow (not bad for over 40 !!). I then proceeded to run down the side street with it in 1st, popped the clutch, and it started (took me two times though).

At first, I was thinking, oh crap, gotta get my neighbor out here with his ramp and truck to tote me back home, but after the second time when it fired, I was like, "woo hoo, I'm outta here". Needless to say I charged the batttery, but I learned...."push starting is a beautiful thing !!

And we don't have hills here on the east coast of Florida. I should have taken video, you all would have gotten a great laugh !!

Luckily, I learned about the tailight thing when I put her in the garage a couple days ago and the taillight was still on. Kind of looked down at the key and said, okay idiot, it's on "parking". Moved the key back to lock and the light went off. duh...

[Easy Rider]

Well, I can tell you that I managed to push start in 1st.

Well yes but the fact that you did it once doesn't mean, like Alan found, that it will work the next time.

It is much better to try it in 3rd if you can get it there and 2nd if you can't but having it work in first is more luck than anything........and more likely to put you BOTH on the ground too. :cry:

[RichInFla]

Well yes but the fact that you did it once doesn't mean, like Alan found, that it will work the next time.

It is much better to try it in 3rd if you can get it there and 2nd if you can't but having it work in first is more luck than anything........and more likely to put you BOTH on the ground too. :cry:

This was actually the second time I did it, my HD driving neighbor pushed the last time. So, I guess I'm lucky twice. However, heeding the advice of my elders, will probably try in 3rd or 2nd next time !!

[Badbob]

I carry a tiny set of jumper cables. I've used them to jump start another motorcycle with a dead battery that was dead from leaving their key in the park position.

I put mine in the park position by accident many times. Its very easy to do when your locking it. Just one little nudge to far and you have locked it in park. I've never killed my battery yet.

[Easy Rider]

I put mine in the park position by accident many times. Its very easy to do when your locking it.

Apparently you value the "steering lock" position a lot more than I do. Once I decided that locking the forks was really a pretty useless exercise, I never come close to "park" anymore.

[alanmcorcoran]

Chris,

I now make an effort to try to push start at least once when I'm on my way in to work. I'm sorry to say I have yet to duplicate my early success. (I usually only try once or twice.) I am pretty sure I am not getting it into third. I do think I had in second. Is there a trick to upshifting with the bike not running? Do I need to let out the clutch while I'm effing with the shifter? Also, contrary to what you said Easy, the one time I did get it going (from first) it was smooth as pie, no slide, no wheel lockup, no sudden jerk, it was almost like it was designed that way. Since I was apparently lucky to get it started at all, I'm going to assume I was lucky in the smooth start aspect of it and will continue to try to duplicate it in second or above. I don't have a "hill" to work with, but my driveway has a slight decline. It worked once anyway.

I'll give it another shot tomorrow.

[Badbob]

I put mine in the park position by accident many times. Its very easy to do when your locking it.

Apparently you value the "steering lock" position a lot more than I do. Once I decided that locking the forks was really a pretty useless exercise, I never come close to "park" anymore.

I don't know that I value it all that much its just that I don't think I should help anyone who wants to steal it.

[music man]

Not only that, but the fact is, that the steering lock on your bike is sorta like an alarm on your car, it is not really intended to prevent someone from being able to steal your car, but to make it inconvenient enough that a thief won't want to mess with it. If someone comes in your yard to steal your bike even one as light as the GZ, and realizes that they are gonna have to man-handle it and not just roll it casually out of your yard(or a store parking lot), chances are that they are gonna just leave it.

Later

[alanmcorcoran]

Okay, I know this post is going to both irritate Chris and make me look more like an idiot but I gotta do it in the interest of full disclosure.

As mentioned previously, I have been trying to "practice" the push start as part of my regular commute. Today I was successful for the second time, on my second attempt. But the bike was once again in first gear. And once again it was no problem when it caught. I can't explain why I didn't put it in third to try it (at least no explanation that makes sense), but it started, was relatively easy, and with two under my belt, I'm inclined to stick with it.

Here's the thing I want to know: What bad things should have happened to me because I started it in first? I suspect it is related to how fast one is going downhill. If that is the case, it all makes sense, for I am not really going down hill, but rather doing an aggressive "roll" out onto the flat road at the end of my driveway. I believe the only difference beween my failures and successes was that I was a little more aggressive in the duck-walking-to-get-going part on the successes. So, my theory is, you'll have the most success with a push start if you match the gear to the speed you are traveling when you pop the clutch.

If my theory is BS and the real danger is the engine might shoot a rod and put out my eye (or something similar), please set me straight.

_Alan

[patrick_777]

The only real issue is a possible rear wheel skid when you release the clutch. That could cause you to lose control (read: fall) at a time when you're really concentrated on other things (like starting the engine/picking your feet up/finding pegs/grabbing clutch/opening throttle etc etc).

Another long term problem is that it could wear or even break some teeth in the transmission. This is really only a threat if you're ALWAYS push-starting your bike. The idea of starting in third is that the engine doesn't have to get a high rpm to get going, and it essentially eases the engine slower into firing.

To recap: First might make you drop your bike (which might make it run better) and hurt yourself. Second would probably be easier on the transmission/clutch. Third would get the engine going "smoother" but you'll still have to walk/run the bike faster to get to the necessary starting rpms than you would in first or second.

If it works for you in first, try it in second. Do what works for you. You're more than likely not going to screw something up, unless you try it in midtown traffic.

[Easy Rider]

I can't explain why I didn't put it in third to try it (at least no explanation that makes sense), but it started, was relatively easy, and with two under my belt, I'm inclined to stick with it.


It's because you are a stubborn turd and just HAD to prove that the first time wasn't a fluke. :roll: :crackup

It's all about leverage. You want the tire to have a reasonable amount of leverage against the engine and still turn it over at a reasonable clip. Those two things do NOT happen in first gear.
You have more leverage to turn the engine over in 2nd and even more in 3rd, which means you don't have to be going as fast, but higher than 3rd and it won't turn it over fast enough.

It is a BAD habit to get into.....because of what Patrick said AND because if you try it with a bigger engine, you are almost guaranteed to skin your nose.

[alanmcorcoran]

I think I've done it enough to know it can be done and that I can do it if need be. I was wondering if it was hard on the bike. Given the potental for damage to both me and the bike, I think it's time to give it a rest.

On being a "stubborn turd that just HAD to prove..." That sounds very much like me. But in this case, it was more "lazy turd" in that, for whatever reason, I couldn't get the bike to easily go into third when not running. I'm also paranoid about the headlight running the battery down after my stupid taillight business, so I didn't want to spend too much time experimenting in the "On" position without the bike actually running.

It's still kind of cool when you start the bike up that way. For some reason I think I got away with something. When I was a kid, the other kids dirt bikes all started with a "kick." I didn't weigh enough back then (about 75) to start one myself. I guess I feel like I finally did it.

[Easy Rider]

I couldn't get the bike to easily go into third when not running.

Granted that IS a problem.
You won't ever know absolutely for sure if it really is in third or not, but......... if you are pulling UP on the shifter, there is one thing you will know for sure............that it is NOT going to be in FIRST!! :roll: :biggrin: