Alright folks, so yesterday I was supposed to meet my buddy for a ride, right? Classic scenario – beautiful day, bikes are ready, and then… silence. My motorbike just wouldn’t start. Cranking, yes. Starting? Nope. So, here’s how I jumped that sucker and got back on the road.
First thing’s first, I grabbed my trusty set of jumper cables. You know, the ones that always seem to be tangled no matter how neatly you put them away. Untangled those bad boys and popped the seat off my bike to get to the battery.
Then, I needed a donor vehicle. My car was close by, so I pulled it up next to the bike, making sure the vehicles weren’t touching. Safety first, always. Popped the hood of the car and exposed its battery too.
Now, here comes the important part – the order of connection. This is where you don’t wanna screw up, or you might end up with sparks flying and a bad day.
- Step 1: I connected the positive (red) clamp to the positive terminal on my motorbike battery.
- Step 2: Then, I connected the other end of the positive (red) cable to the positive terminal on the car’s battery.
- Step 3: Next, I grabbed the negative (black) cable and connected it to the negative terminal on the car’s battery.
- Step 4: And finally, I connected the other end of the negative (black) cable to an unpainted metal part of my motorbike’s frame – NOT directly to the battery’s negative terminal. This is your ground. I used a bolt on the frame.
With everything connected, I hopped in the car and started it up. Let it run for a few minutes to give my bike’s battery a bit of a charge. Like, maybe 5 minutes max.
Then, I went back to the bike and tried to start it. And… nothing. Dang it. Waited another couple of minutes. Tried again. This time, it cranked a bit longer… almost there… and BAM! It sputtered to life! YES!
Once the bike was running, I carefully disconnected the jumper cables in the REVERSE order I connected them:
- Negative cable from the motorbike frame.
- Negative cable from the car battery.
- Positive cable from the car battery.
- Positive cable from the motorbike battery.
Let the bike run for a good while to recharge the battery properly. I ended up taking a longer ride than planned just to make sure it got a good charge.
Important Tip: If your bike won’t start after a jump, even with a good connection, your battery might be totally dead and need replacing. Or, you might have a different problem altogether – starter motor, fuel issue, etc. But jumping it is the first step.
Anyway, that’s how I jumped my motorbike yesterday and saved the day. Hope it helps you out if you ever find yourself in the same situation! Now, where’s that helmet…?
