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Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 30 Jul 2011
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Bump-starting an F650GS twin

Any good tips? I tried and failed yesterday! Rear wheel locks. I daresay more weight on the rear will help - so do you jump on the bike 'side-saddle'? What's the best gear to use?

Thanks for any thoughts!
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  #2  
Old 30 Jul 2011
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If battery is completely discharged, you will not be able to push start your F650GS. The fuel pump needs to have power to pressurize the fuel system in order for the engine to run.
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Old 30 Jul 2011
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So what do you do if you find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat battery?
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Old 30 Jul 2011
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1- jump start from another vehicle
2-if no other vehicle, make tea and wait for other vehicle!
3-if no other vehicle, make tea and wait for helpful person- there is always one around

4-if all that fails- park bike out of sight, lock up, take battery with you, hitch/walk etc to nearest garage/place that either has a charger or other batteries to take juice from.

I have an 8amp hour (in strong direct sunlight) solar panel - but it measures 120cms by 70cms.... - and that would take awhile to charge your battery - a little diddy panel would take a very long time to charge a bike battery. There is a military version which is a 'foldaway' but that is serious ££.

There is a commercial solution by Powertraveller (if you really want to carry this extra kit) and is called the StartMonkey 200-
specs:
Startmonkey200 is suitable for use on batteries with up to a 650CCA and can restart this type of standard 12 volt car battery between 15 and 20 times on a full charge thanks to its High Energy Dynamic Polymer Battery.

The 400 series would be too powerful.

But you still might want to buy a new battery before you go IMHO
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Old 30 Jul 2011
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Thanks for that Bertrand!

As I am heading off to Latin America for a year in search of remote places, options 1-4 may well not work for me. I will certainly get a new battery but still... I have been pondering getting a solar charger. I'm guessing you don't need a full charge for ignition? If I had a 'travel-size' one, how long do you suppose it would take to get enough charge to start the bike?
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Old 30 Jul 2011
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Full charge=no but enough to turn over your engine.
How long is a piece of string?
It depends on the strength of the sunlight and how many hours of strong light you have.
and depends on how many amps you need to turn over your engine- (not just pressurise the fuel system) check your manual for data.

Depends on the state of your battery
and so on-
Then you need to do some maths!

If you were to leave your bike parked for a long time- a small panel (say 5watts) will trickle charge the battery but then, the chances are, the panel might get pinched..

If this is a huge concern for you- seems to me you may wish to consider buying the '200' model

But it's more money & more kit- always more kit !!!
or you might want to carry a bike set of jump leads- better/cheaper and gets you to meet the locals too!

And if going in search of empty places..... I would encourage you to learn about your bike as much as possible, think laterally and innovate! too many 'what if' scenarios' !!
and when it comes to bm-wobble -U's... I would not go anywhere without my '911' diagnostic dongle- Takes all the head-scratching out of it-
BTW can you fix a puncture?

video of the '200' in action on a quad here
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