Can you make a bike go backwards?

5v3d3b0 · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Sep 2006 Karma :

I guy I know not too well told me that if you bump start a bike backwards it makes the engine do so aswell, and it's like having it in reverse... He told me if fooks the engine a bit so I didn't want to try it. Any chance of this being true or just bs?

St0rmer66 · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Karma :

Works on 2strokes.
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69.9mph · Crazy Courier Joined: 20 May 2006 Karma :

I've seen it done on a Puch Maxi.

Bit of a party trick as it's not easy to ride backwards.

BorderHooner · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Karma :

Doc Brown and Marty McFly made a Delorion go backwards so I cant see why a bike can't.
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Phoenix · Twisted Firestarter Joined: 01 Aug 2002 Karma :

It's a 2 stroke thing due to the way valves work, can't work on a 4stroke. Did it to an RCR50 just to see if it worked, was funny at the time Laughing

Kickstart · The Oracle Joined: 04 Feb 2002 Karma :

Hi

Crude 2 strokes it works on. Not so sure on more modern ones with electronic ignition.

All the best

Keith
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5v3d3b0 · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Sep 2006 Karma :

Must be incredibly difficult to ride... I never believed him hehe. I guess he wasn't lying then Confused

Ariel Badger · Super Spammer Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Karma :

Over advance the spark on a two stroke single and the flywheels do not have the inertia to send the piston past TDC at tickover so the engine reverses. Of course it is now in effectincredibly retarded and runs dog rough backwards.
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loply · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Karma :

On some old two strokes apparently the kickstart could sometimes cause a backfire which in turn caused the engine to start running backwards.

Apparently it was easy to miss the fact that it had happened and you could end up riding off... Backwards.
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Evo · Trackday Trickster Joined: 06 May 2007 Karma :

Wouldn't recomend doing it, Tried it on the RS50 and to say the least it's hard to control Surprised

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loply · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Karma :

I'm waiting for a skilled stuntsman to land a stoppie backwards and stop/start the engine in reverse, cue backwards wheelies and stoppies using the rear brake instead of the front one.
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Yamaha SZR660 Caution to the wind, the throttle pinned!

Phoenix · Twisted Firestarter Joined: 01 Aug 2002 Karma :

Well the Gilera RCR50 was an 07 plate so pretty new, it was easy as anything to start backwards, didn't exactly ride it, just gave it a quick blip then stopped it, seemed to be running ok too, but then I don't think they're anything special going fowards either..

One of the drivers at work had a DT125 and was so tempting to do the same to it and leave it there idling, but you just know it'd go so horribly wrong. Be funny though, for a few seconds.