can you bump start a SD?

It's possible ...unless you have a slipper clutch

If the battery is so flat it won't start the engine even if you get it going it'll probably run like shit until you get it charged up.

Maybe try pulling the headlight fuse to give the battery a fighting chance until it gets up and running???

no..

My SD would not start once thought the battery had died, got two local bikers at the biker hang out to push me around for five minutes infront of everyone trying to bump start it with no joy.

Then I realised I had inadvertanly hit the kill switch when I had originally got off the bike.

Yup...can be done, had two guys push me on level parking lot in second gear. A bit harry when I released the clutch, but it fired up. So it can DEFINATELY be done

I couldnt do it...

Bump for an old thread - Maybe you can, but I sure as hell couldn't yesterday.

Even getting it up to around 50kph (don't ask), sticking it into third, dumping the clutch = wheel lockup.

Pushing it back home was NO fun. So............ it's in the garage because I'm pissed off with it.

I had a dead battery tonight after my first ride on my SDR in about a year (deployed 8 months, then did the valve check/brake fluid, etc, and encountered the deformed tank issue when trying to put it back together which required Motohooligan mounts, so about 3 months sitting in the garage unable to be used). It started fine just off the battery tender, but died about a mile from home at the gas station. The tach still did the sweep and the starter tried to work, but just couldn't spin the engine.

I tried starting the engine by releasing the clutch in second, but I think third is what ended up working. The guy working the cash register gave me a push in second and the engine turned over twice but didn't fire. Then I got a push down a very slight incline, released the clutch in third while hitting the starter, and the engine started right away. After that experience I'm confident it could be started on level ground, but I'm replacing the battery tomorrow so I can hopefully avoid experiencing push starting again.

I tried my old 06 more than once and never had anything other than a rear wheel lockup. Once I installed a slipper it was never going to happen anyway.

On the slipper clutch note, how do they start the MotoGP bikes with the machine that spins up the rear wheel? Do they not use a mechanical slipper? Or maybe a much heavier spring or are they relying on electronics to control the engine braking now?

I started my 07 after months on the battery tender. I went for a short ride, parked up and then flat battery. I got a push and bumped successfully in 2nd gear. Only on the way home did the battery light and FI light did a disco dance between them whilst I was still riding. I think it was only a flat battery and the bump start confused the system. May swap the battery for a lithium, but don't really know if it's worth it.

Mates Ducati 955 (ex AMA race bike), we did bump start it once, cold engine, flat road, success, but the flames that shot out of the cans at my chest left me vowing never to do it again.