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Your C14 battery dies in the Nevada desert, now what?

Scary Harry

Scary Harry

Fear is not boring. COG# 4090
Member
My original 6 year old battery still works (fine for now).

If I pull over to take a picture of a nuclear blast in the middle of the Nevada desert, and I punch the stove knob and nothing happens, how am I gonna escape the shock wave before it flattens me? Crying won't help me and praying won't do me no good...

It may just have enough power to turn that engine if it's borderline.

What is the minimum requirement to get that battery to cooperate?
Will a push start work?
Will a jumper battery work?
Will a jump start from a passing Yugo hurt the C14?

I could always push start my 1973 Toyota Land Cruiser, even with a dead battery.
 
All should work, but (if you just took a photo of a nuclear blast) I recommend "bend over and kiss your bottom goodby".

Another option (if ya have more time) is install a battery tender plug to the battery.
Keep a matching plug with some wire and Alligator clips or battery plug on the other end.
The rig wouldn't carry e'nuff amps to jump start the bike, but you should be able to (temporarily) charge the battery e'nuff to start.

Ride safe, Ted

PS: Harbor Freight sells a set of plugs that work fine for attaching to the battery.
 
The little jump starters the size of a cell phone work pretty darn good . I've considered keeping one in my tankbag .
 
As Cra-z1000 said

Some variation of this
(I do not endorse this make/model - I just picked the first one i saw as an example)

I've had a $39 version of this type of jump battery for 5 years - still works, still holds a charge, and serves several purposes
it's always in my bags (cause small) and I only recharge/top-it-off it before long multiday rides

Jumped the C14 multiple times when I was stupid
Jumped multiple cars that had dead or no-turnover low batteries
Jumped pickups and suvs no problem
Jump started a tractor once

And I believe you can only push start a C14 if it has enough power left in the battery to power the ecus and pump etc.

Oh - look here
forum.concours.org

Push-starting a fuel-injected bike

A friend of mine was traveling out of state and had starter problems on his BMW R1150S. He went through a flooded stretch of road and the water got into his starter, which made it fail the next morning when he went to fire up his bike. He said you could not push-start or bump-start...
forum.concours.org forum.concours.org
 
PM is the best cure.

I keep both of my C14s on battery tenders throughout the winter, and in summer I'll occasionally hook them to tenders if they aren't being ridden frequently.

If the battery requires more than a few minutes to "charge stabilize" it's getting to be time for a new one. My '08 had its second battery replaced last year - I get around 7 years out of a Yuasa YTX-14. The '12 will probably go one more season and I'll replace its battery as well.

Ditto my Valkyries. It's nice that everything takes the same battery - I can keep an unfilled spare sitting on the shelf, awaiting its turn.
 
I use to park my beater '71 Maverick on a hill so I could get it started. At six years I would get a new battery...just say'n. When the nuclear bomb goes off you want to be able to haul ass...for all the good it will do.
 
cmoore said:
I use to park my beater '71 Maverick on a hill so I could get it started. At six years I would get a new battery...just say'n. When the nuclear bomb goes off you want to be able to haul ass...for all the good it will do.
Click to expand...
I had a 72: 3 on the tree, straight six, 200 c.i. Always started. Like a Detroit tractor. <sorry for the temporary hijack>šŸ˜Š
 
Well, I've never tried to push start a C14 and if successful, I doubt I could jump on it while moving. I'll just Go back to the other thread and start shopping for a new battery.
 
Scary Harry said:
Well, I've never tried to push start a C14 and if successful, I doubt I could jump on it while moving. I'll just Go back to the other thread and start shopping for a new battery.
Click to expand...
I push started mine once. Well actually I sat in the saddle while my buddies pushed me around the lotšŸ˜„. Started right up when I popped the clutch.
 
Scary Harry said:
Still milking it. OEM battery coming up on 8 years.
Click to expand...
Just got a Bikemaster Lithium Ion.

Cold mornings after sitting for a week I was getting low battery warnings. Canā€™t complain ~ 5 years old and some abuse.

Wayne, Carol & Blue
 
Saw this thread and out of curiosity looked at a few batteries like 2andblue mentioned and found that they have what they call "re-start" feature, interesting, puts battery into sleep mode if it gets so discharged, informs you it's low, you push a button on the battery and it has enough to start the motor. Lithium-ion. $233
 
I've heard you can get lithium batteries to warm up and crank better by leaving the ignition on for a minute or so.

I wouldn't know for sure though. My last battery cost $49 and five years later, it still cranks great...even after not starting the bike for three weeks in a very cold garage. Batteries are a commodity item, meaning that there's no real difference between one battery than the other within the same technology. Lithium batteries sound cool...but you're already riding on a tank...saving a few pounds isn't going to improve your handling.

Going back to the OP's original question, yes a jump battery works well. I carry one all the time. They are lightweight, take up minimal room, and can help get your friend's bike started.

Chris
 
Your motor won't run after anyhow because of the EMP after the blast so it don't matter if it's on cause it will be off soon.
 
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Strawboss said:
Your motor won't run after anyhow because of the EMP after the blast so it don't matter if it's on cause it will be off soon.
Click to expand...
I'm not so sure. The distance to the pulse is a factor. Could actually jolt the battery to work. We should test this on Ted and his bike.

Zg.gif
 
How would you lure him into a test area?
What kind and how many sensors would he need?
Do we risk turning Ted into a modern day Godzilla?
Think he would be mad if he found out?
 
A month ago, I drove to Key West for the world's offshore boat race,

I keep my keys in the glove box to gain access to my panniers,

yeah, I left the key on X#&^<)& so when It was time to leave, I had two buddies push me... It would not start

Had to find a jump box. Not going to happen again.

It also has a light with different modes, and don't have to worry about my phones amount of charge because It has a USB port.


 
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