Push start your GZ.

[Quimrider]

I had been starting and warming up my bike every few weeks to keep the battery fresh. However I got busy and neglected it for too long and the battery could only turn the motor over a few times before it was too weak to do that. If you find yourself stranded with a dead battery or are feeling too lazy to hook up a charger you can push start the bike. I wouldn't try this on wet pavement and if you're dumb enuff to try this in something other than a parking lot or very low traffic street and you get hit while trying this then you probably deserve it. Think of it as bleach for the gene pool
Steps to push start:
1) Open fuel valve to prime to ensure the float bowl is full of gas.
2) Set choke at about 3/4 or slightly higher than you would normally set it when you start the bike.
3) Put the bike in 2nd or 3rd gear (using first will likely just lock up the back wheel)
4) Turn the key to the "on" position
5) Pull in clutch and push the bike running next to it with both hands on the handle bars.
6) Make sure to keep the throttle fully closed until after it is started.
7) Once you are pushing it as fast as you can run, make sure you have a good grip and release the clutch.
8) Once the engine is firing, hop on
9) Slowly ease on the throttle, if you immediately go wide open it will likely stall.
10) Go for a 20 minute or longer ride to make sure your battery gets enuff of a charge to start again.

EDIT: 9/2020
My experience with another motorcycle that may also be applicable to the GZ250: If you can't get it to start, try to quickly go full throttle and pull in the clutch immediately when the engine "pops" (obviously don't hold it at full throttle, just keep the revs up).

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Quimrider

I had been starting and warming up my bike every few weeks to keep the battery fresh.

3) Put the bike in 1st or 2nd gear (You may need to use 2nd gear if using first just lock up the back wheel.)

8) Once the engine is firing, hop on

I appreciate your good will in posting this to share with others but a couple of things need to be said:

1) It has been discussed here before (maybe not with you) that it is not good practice to start a bike without riding it in the winter time. That applies to all bikes and especially the GZ, on which there is a net DIS-charge when the bike is at idle.

2) Now that you have run the battery WAY down, it is likely that you will need a new one.........yes, even if you hook up a charger and charge it back up. Only time will tell that for sure (or take it out and get it tested).

3) It is highly unlikely that the bikes charging system will ever bring it back up to a full charge even if the battery is still OK so a charger is necessary............and would probably have prevented the dilema in the first place.

4) One should NEVER try to push start a bike in FIRST gear; bad things are likely to happen. 2nd or even 3rd gear works MUCH better.

5) One should apply your rear to the seat BEFORE letting out the clutch. This is especially important for those folks who are somewhat .....coordination challanged......because the bike can run away without you if you do it while your feet are still on the ground. Not a pleasant experience !!!

[Quimrider]

Good points. I've seen this discussed around the board too, I figured I'd put it here as a stand alone topic. I am aware that it discharges at idle That's why I said go for a ride. But I guess not everyone is aware of that. It would indeed be ideal to have your butt firmly planted in the seat before releasing the clutch but if you live on flat land as I do it's damn near impossible to get enuff speed for that and have it actually start. I do ride in the winter, just not very often. The battery wasn't completely discharged, it was just low enuff that it couldnt' start the bike. After a 25 minute ride it had charged enuff to start the bike again so I'm not too worried about the battery. I whole heartedly agree that if the battery is left to sit discharged for extended periods of time it is dead or it's life severely shortened.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Quimrider

The battery wasn't completely discharged, it was just low enuff that it couldnt' start the bike. After a 25 minute ride it had charged enuff to start the bike again so I'm not too worried about the battery.

Been there and done that.
I wasn't worried either, especially after I put the charger on it for a couple of hours.
Alas, two days later, it wouldn't turn over again.
Them little suckers are EXPENSIVE !!!

Keep us posted.

[warlock2008]

I had the same problem. i didn't start the bike for 3 weeks (the bike has 15 months) and probably the battery is very weak.
After some "button push" the battery has gone dead dead.

I borrowed from a friend an electric BOOSTER CABLE. Connected the cable from my car to the GZ battery (maintaining the same polarity "+" to "+" RED, "-" to "-" or to the engine block BLACK).



I must say: double check the voltage of the car battery and the voltage of the bike, we must have the same nominal voltage. Generally for cars is 12V. The GZ has also 12V.

After few tries, the bike has started (probably not enough gas in the carburetor).



This can be a alternative solution for starting the bike, if you have a car near you.

[JIBTEXHNKA]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

1) It has been discussed here before (maybe not with you) that it is not good practice to start a bike without riding it in the winter time. That applies to all bikes and especially the GZ, on which there is a net DIS-charge when the bike is at idle.

ok, this has been bugging me for over a week now and now that this thread is back at the top i have to say this:

easy, you are an electrician of sorts, correct? i am not, and i do not claim to be, and correct me if i am wrong, but wouldn't that be called a DRAIN? a net drain rather than a net charge? if i'm wrong, well, crap, but i'm im right i will sleep better at night knowing that you did know and you chose to say dis-charge to emphasize the DIS (which you clearly did emphasize) rather than use a boring word like drain. if that's the case then great, makes sense to me.

maybe i'm completely out of my mind, but i don't think i am. i'm not trying to be a smartass. i promise!

[CMS]

I'v found the battery tender to be very useful, I just plug it in during the cold Ohio winter season, and they starts every time. I'v heard both pro/con comments on battery tenders ,but for approx thiry bucks, its been money well spent for me. I have all three bikes set up for the battery tenders and haven't had any problems over the last two years. CMS

[Gaugdog]

Nice job on this post. I had to use the above info the other day when I'd left my parking light on overnight and run my battery dead. I ended up having to get a new battery after all. But at least I can push start it now.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by JIBTEXHNKA

easy, you are an electrician of sorts, correct?

i am not, and i do not claim to be, and correct me if i am wrong, but wouldn't that be called a DRAIN?

Yes, I guess that would be a fair statement.....of sorts!

"Drain" is an old term when it comes to electricity and batteries. It isn't really used much anymore. It is, however, percisely the same thing as discharge. Maybe my improper use of the emphasis and hyphen confused the issue.

Either term is "proper". Use of either is not likely to confuse anybody...........or so I thought! :oops:

[JIBTEXHNKA]

it wasn't so much confusion as it was bewilderment. i was probably going to cry if i found out i had been wrong all my life. but i guess that what comes from reading twenty-year-old textbooks throughout your childhood because kids' books SUCK.

but thank you! i feel much better now. :]