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What happens if you stall while riding?

60K views 19 replies 16 participants last post by  MikeChas  
#1 ·
I don't own a bike but, I was always curious to know what would happen if the bike stalled while moving. Would the bike keep rolling? Or would it lock up?
 
#2 ·
It would keep moving. It would be pretty rare for a bike to stall while moving and stay shut off. It would probably start back up again as long as you've still got fuel.

Try this: Next time you get back from a ride, flip the kill switch off then back on real quick. Guarantee you the bike will start back up because the engine is still moving.
 
#4 ·
Depends on the specific situation. I once made the mistake of forgetting to downshift to 1st as I was making a right turn onto a very steep hill. Turning up the hill, I stalled the bike (a GL1800) and the bike definitely did not keep moving. It rolled over onto the bars on the right side and broke off my right footpeg, dang it. Gotta' pay attention.
 
#5 ·
Technically, if you're still in gear and the clutch is engaged the momentum will keep the bike moving while dragging the engine, so you'd have a sudden decrease in acceleration but it'd still moving (though the rider might just go ahead if you know what I mean). I've had them before, basically just slow moving and in wrong (higher) gear, and I pretty much always pull the clutch when there is a problem so not much to worry about. New riders however would be a different story.
 
#7 ·
Put it this way. If you're not applying any throttle and just coasting along in almost any gear edit: (third or higher, in my experience) with the engine running, and cut the engine, nothing really changes. So if you're in third, and not applying any throttle at all, and kill it, you will only notice a difference in sound.
 
#8 ·
The first time i road my bike I accidently kicked down the kickstand while pulling out into traffic and stalled the bike. I immediately pulled in the clutch and "hoofed it" back into the parking lot. I didn't realize that the bike will just stall if the kickstand is down....good safety measure...I think...
 
#11 ·
oh yeah I hit the kill switch once by mistake while doing .... probably 70mph. Noticed the change right away and pulled the clutch lever within 1 second, checking to see what was going on while the bike was cruising, nothing was serious (no cars around)
 
#14 ·
I did something similar recently. I pulled over since there were not many cars around. I tried replicating this again on an empty road and when I tried to start my bike while moving it made a very bad sound :( and did not start. I was afraid I had killed my engine. Luckily I think its okay. I thought that trying to start the bike while moving should be okay (as long as I hold the clutch in).
 
#13 ·
I only had my bike stalled once while moving. It was cold, (32 degrees) and my bike hadn't been ridden in over a month. It seems the engine stalled because I was accellerating too hard on a cold engine (it wasn't fully warm yet.) I was in 3rd gear, noticed a sudden deceleration, pulled the clutch instinctively, pulled to the side of the road, made sure there were no issues and started her back up. No problems after that. It didn't just stop and buck me off. Decelleration was similar to the feeling when you roll off the throttle while in gear and experience engine braking. So if that happens, unless you are at really low speeds, I don't think the bike should suddently stop and buck you off.
 
#17 ·
Shortly after I got my bike I was riding down a 2 lane road at 55-60 when the mufflers started popping alot so I signaled to the right to pull over and downshifted and applied the brakes to slow down. The engine immediately died and being in a lower gear the bike bucked like it was going to throw me off. Luckily I didnt fall and got to the side of the road.

Another biker coming from the opposite direction pulled over and helped me get it running again, after screwing with the bike for a half an hour I switched to my reserve tank and the bike started right up. I learned 2 lessons that day:
1. If someone asks you if you are out of gas dont just say no, actually check!!
2. Dont necessarily trust your rolling trip meter if you have kids(they like to mess with stuff like that) its funny now, not so much then!
 
#18 ·
my bike was having mechanical issues(thankfully fixed now!) and i would be riding down the road at 50mph and it would just shut off! the other times it would start losing power forcing me to gear down...then it would shut off.

the key is not to panic...just get off the road as quickly and safely as possible if you think it's a mechanical issue and not just operator error.
 
#20 ·
Be prepared for anything.

I've ran out of fuel. (Still had my reserve)

I've also shut it off to feel what it was like. (I was also curious if I could clutch start it, which to my memory worked just like in a truck/car)

When no one is around and it is safe to do so, shut it off and feel what it is like. When I ran out of fuel, I had to grab the clutch and find somewhere safe to put the bike.