Mar 26 2007
Motorcycle Season Has Begun In Atlantic Canada
I bought a battery trickle charger today. “What the hell is that?”, you ask? It charges batteries at a trickle - slower than regular chargers, I guess.
Really, I have no bloody idea. Googling it didn’t help, although I spent 5 seconds looking.
I bought it because the weather is good enough to drive the motorbike, but mine failed to start; I forgot to take its battery out for the winter. I have a kick-start, but that didn’t work. I didn’t think the kick-start required a working battery.
I borrowed Steve’s battery charger last year, but since I’ll be needing one every year, I decided to buy one. 50 bucks at Canadian Tire.
Shit, I didn’t unplug my battery either… Crapzilla! I should go out and try to start the bike, with the garage door closed.
What you heathen….I was told that if you do not take the battery out of a beemer, this poofy bike will just expire and never start again..plus you are supposed to put the battery under your pillow for the winter….just got back from TO…saw dozens of bikes….i am pining….unfortunalty…i get free storage…thats good..but it is in a garage where you saw the bike…and the snow is still on the ground out there….will be getting the other one…in the next month….hey got the dog…will send ya pics
You are correct about what a trickle charger is and does.
I purchased the best one Sears had. It does it all and it didn’t cost fifty of anyone dollars. It slow or trickle charges, it does a fast or “HOT” charge and it charges 6 Volt or 12 volt systems. There’s not much call for 6 volt system chargers today, but just in case, it does it.
Also it has a “Manual” feature that allow you to use it to jump start your car when the battery is dead or in your case, a bike with a dead battery.
Perhaps the kick starter didn’t work because you forgot to do something else critical for winter storage. NO! That couldn’t happen…could it?
I hope you get it running and enjoy the ride when you do.
My CB550K (also a 1978) was completly submerged twice this year. Each time she started right up (after lots of draining and cleaning), and in fact started on the first kick every time for the past week (last flood was Monday).
Messed with the electrical system today tryign to fix the blinker relay. Dead now as a doornail. She won’t even engage with a jump. I probably did something to the magnetic starter switch.
Need parts for your machine? It looks just like mine.
Things aren’t that bad yet, but it’s annoying.
> I didn’t think the kick-start required a working battery.
I know mine does, from experience. The battery has to be fully charged. It’s not like a car where it just needs the battery for the starting motor then it runs on the alternator. I don’t know if it’s all bikes, but since you couldn’t even kick start it with your spindly legs, I assume it MUST need a fully charged battery.
I’ve been thinking about this post for an entire month, wondering about it.
What’s the point in having a kick-start then when your bike has an electric starter?
Impressing children.