My Honda CBR600RR died at the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. I was stuck behind a huge minivan with a driver struggling with the concept of parking. Combine the snail’s pace of the family hauler in front of me with the lack of oxygen at 14,115 feet above sea level and my motorcycle couldn’t maintain the proper mixture of fuel and air, so it died. Don’t worry, just press the power button and continue, right? Wrong.

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My motorcycle battery was several years old and mine the alternator was not keeping it properly charged. I knew this was a problem and loaded the bike when I could, but I was on a cross country trip and there weren’t many outlets at the campgrounds I frequented. The bike had some power, but not enough to get it going again. Luckily, I was pretty close to an open parking spot, so I got in, took off my helmet, and went to look at the view from the top of the mountain. When I finally got back on the bike, I asked two nearby colleagues to help me – they knew exactly what to do. I jumped on the bike and engaged the clutch, put it in second gear and the two strangers pushed me up to about 10 miles an hour. At speed, I dropped the clutch, the bike accelerated immediately and I waved as we descended the mountain – a perfect start.

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Push start, also known as push start, is a relatively simple process. A motorcycle with a dead (or dying) battery can be started with proper techniques and a little forward momentum. A push start uses the movement of the bike to turn the engine, just like in a car. To start with a bang, get on the bike, turn the key to the on position, engage the clutch and put it in second gear. Point the bike down (or have a friend push you) and when the bike has reached somewhere between 7 and 10 miles per hour, quickly release the clutch.

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If done correctly, this procedure will start the bike while in motion, but it may take a few tries. And remember, you’re in gear at this point, so the bike will keep moving forward. That’s why it’s important to push start while in a riding position and with nothing directly in the way of the motorcycle. To slow or stop the bike, you’ll need to treat it the same as riding it, so engage the clutch again, slow to a stop using the brakes, and put it in neutral before lowering the kickstand.

There is a long list of reasons why a push start will not help your motorcycle. If there are other mechanical reasons why it won’t flip over, pushing it won’t help. Also, if the battery is completely dead (not just flat), a push start may not work. If your motorcycle has an automatic transmission, it’s not a candidate for push start – so keeping a jump start box nearby is always a good idea.

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Before starting the dead bike, check some critical items. Make sure the stop switch is in the right position, make sure the kickstand is up and make sure the key is in the right position to start the bike. Double checking any fuel shut off switches or checking that you have fuel in the tank is never a bad idea. If all these items are checked off the list, give it a try. And if all else fails, give it to him a jump start to leave