William Chang

Motorcycle

By William Chang • Published: September 1st, 2006 • Last Modified: September 19th, 2006

Motorcycle Battery FAQ (Frequently Asked Question):

I ride my bike on short trip between school and home every few days, is it normal for battery to die like this?

Short trips are hard on any vehicle, especially on a bike if it’s mainly low rpms. So maybe not normal, but not rare.

That’s debatable, I keep mine hooked to a trickle charger so it’s always tip top. Also make sure that your battery connections are clean and the fluid inside is filled to the right level, if not fill with distilled water and recharge.

Depends on the battery and the charger. If anyone tells you less than 2 hours don’t let them charge your battery. I throw mine on the trickle charge overnight when I get a new one. Sometime between bedtime and waketime it finishes.

Could it be the alternator (the motorcycle’s built-in charger)? How do I know the alternator is bad?

It could be. Check the voltage at the battery while the bike is running. Ideal is around 13.5V anything below 12.5 or above 15v and you have a problem: could be alternator for some, R/R for others, maybe a bad ground or a poor connection. I always recommend taking apart and cleaning every connector on a bike as old as yours and making sure to put a coating of dielectric grease on it to protect it in the future from corrosion.

How to push-start a motorcycle:

Find yourself a nice hill or if your friend is strong and willing to push you on level ground that will work to.
Put the bike in 1st gear and hold in the clutch. (Or use 2nd gear offers less resistance at lower speeds. You just have to remember to pull the clutch in once the engine starts, so you don’t bog it down in 2nd gear.)
Once you get going, “pop the cluch.” This means just let out the clutch quickly, no need to feather it out just completely let it go.
You will hear the engine try to turn over.
Once you hear the engine start going, give it some gas and keep the throttle steady.
Your bike should have started and you should be rolling.

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