Battery, Jump or not to Jump

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Mar 29, 2014 | 10:27 PM
  #1  
Right, so this morning my wife and I went out on my steed (RKC) to meet my brothers and their wife's for breakfast and then after ride out from there. Well on my arrival I forgot to switch off the ignition switch and yup dead battery. So I call Auto club and I had the option to attempt a jump start but not before signing a waiver. So I elected to tow it home, (first 70 miles free) and out comes the charger. So the question to you guys is would you jump or not and what other option is there for a dead battery? Thanks..
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Mar 29, 2014 | 10:42 PM
  #2  
A jump from a car may be just fine if the cars ignition is off. A tow truck has much more powerful ignition than a car. The little battery and wires on your bike would fry if you took a jump start from a tow truck.
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Mar 29, 2014 | 10:53 PM
  #3  
Quote: A jump from a car may be just fine if the cars ignition is off. A tow truck has much more powerful ignition than a car. The little battery and wires on your bike would fry if you took a jump start from a tow truck.
12 volt is 12 volt. I called the road service from my insurance company when I had a dead battery. When the tow truck arrived, ready to load my scooter on his flatbed, I just had him turn off his truck and showed him how to attach the jumper cables.

After my scooter started immediately, I had him follow me about the two miles to my house. Then I used a trickle charger to charge my battery. That was several months ago, and even though I rarely ride more then once a week due to health problems, my battery is working and holding a charge fine.
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Mar 29, 2014 | 11:09 PM
  #4  
I'd have tried to jump it. Won't hurt anything if you hook a 12v battery to another 12V battery, assuming you don't cross polarity or something like that. Wouldn't need to have the jump vehicle running. If the bike starts, off you go. Riding it will charge the battery. If the jump didn't work, towing is still an option.
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Mar 29, 2014 | 11:18 PM
  #5  
Get on, Have the wife push, and pop it in 2nd. It called a push start. Now that's old school. LOL
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Mar 29, 2014 | 11:32 PM
  #6  
Quote: Get on, Have the wife push, and pop it in 2nd. It called a push start. Now that's old school. LOL
I'm not sure what scooter that the OP has, but I think that a battery is needed to power a fuel pump. A push start may not be useful in this case.
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Mar 29, 2014 | 11:46 PM
  #7  
Quote: I'm not sure what scooter that the OP has, but I think that a battery is needed to power a fuel pump. A push start may not be useful in this case.
yep, if it's fuel injected, you have to have enough juice in the battery to power the fuel pump and the ecu. if not, you're gonna wear yourself out pushing that thing all over the parking lot.
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Mar 29, 2014 | 11:52 PM
  #8  
Quote: I'm not sure what scooter that the OP has, but I think that a battery is needed to power a fuel pump. A push start may not be useful in this case.
It happen to a friend of mine, he had 2012 ultra. He left his light on, battery was dead. So we turned everything off waited about 15 minute let the battery settle, then turned on the ignition and push started it and it started.
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Mar 30, 2014 | 05:59 AM
  #9  
Quote: Well on my arrival I forgot to switch off the ignition switch and yup dead battery.
My other half did the same thing.....left her ignition switch on when we went into a restaurant for dinner and when we came out an hour plus later it was deader than a door nail. Tow driver got it started with one of those hand-held jumper boxes. Got it back to the hotel and put in on a battery tender overnight, all was fine the next morning.
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Mar 30, 2014 | 06:46 AM
  #10  
Quote: My other half did the same thing.....left her ignition switch on when we went into a restaurant for dinner and when we came out an hour plus later it was deader than a door nail. Tow driver got it started with one of those hand-held jumper boxes. Got it back to the hotel and put in on a battery tender overnight, all was fine the next morning.
So this implies that you travel with a battery tender. I never would have thought to carry one on a long trip. Not a bad idea.
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