Aagh, bike won't start, what do I do? Bump start...

So, your battery is flat and you haven’t got time to charge it. Time to get physical. Here are the most common bump start questions answered and a handy how-to guide;

When should I bump start a motorcycle? It’s only worth bumping a bike if: 

You’ve checked the basics. Bump starting can be horrendously hard work that you really don’t want to do unnecessarily. So, check the obvious: Is the kill switch on? Is the sidestand down? Is it in gear? Do you need to pull the clutch in (Triumph and Suzuki owners we’re looking at you)?

You’ve applied some logic. Bump starting will only work if it’s the battery that’s struggling – you’re replacing electric power with leg power. If the bike started fine yesterday but appears stone dead today it’s probably not the battery. If the lights are blazing but the engine doesn’t turn at all, it’s probably not the battery. If you were fiddling with your sat-nav connections last night and the bike is dead today, did you reconnect the battery? It’s worth spending one minute calmly considering if a flat battery is the most likely culprit before slogging up and down the road like a pillock.

There’s some life in the battery. If you’re got a glow from the lights and all warning lights in the clocks come on, a bump start will probably work. If the battery is completely dead, it probably won’t. 

You’re not riding a scooter or Honda DCT-equipped bike. You can’t bump an auto gearbox.

 Click HERE to find out how to bump start a motorbike.

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