Is it okay to boost a motorcycle battery with one of those Eliminator Booster Packs?

[djltoronto]

Current drawn by the bike electronics, sure, but what about bike's battery? A drained 10Ah motorcycle battery will draw much more than recommended charging current of 1A if it's not limited. Attaching a bike battery to a car booster pack (or a car battery for that matter) is akin to attaching it to a car charger with practically unlimited output.

OK, it may not be "GOOD" for the battery, but I've done it enough to know that it's also not catastraphic.

The dead battery will have a reasonably high resistince, and won't draw a huge amount of current from the booster pack.

I'm sure the current flow to the dead battery would be more than 1A, but I also know it won't be wire melting high current either.

I happen to have an old dead bike battery in my garage, and a 20 amp ammeter... I can use my car and see what the current draw is! (or blow a 20 amp fuse).... I'll let you know what happens.

[DaveP]

OK, it may not be "GOOD" for the battery, but I've done it enough to know that it's also not catastraphic.

The dead battery will have a reasonably high resistince, and won't draw a huge amount of current from the booster pack.

I'm sure the current flow to the dead battery would be more than 1A, but I also know it won't be wire melting high current either.

I happen to have an old dead bike battery in my garage, and a 20 amp ammeter... I can use my car and see what the current draw is! (or blow a 20 amp fuse).... I'll let you know what happens.

DJ's giving free lessons in hooliganism 101 again...!!! Can't beleive i'm the voice of reason again! DJ put your safety glasses on, cause I hear flying acid burns...

[djltoronto]

DJ's giving free lessons in hooliganism 101 again...!!! Can't beleive i'm the voice of reason again! DJ put your safety glasses on, cause I hear flying acid burns...

LOL... thanks for the concern...

[Vlad]

OK, it may not be "GOOD" for the battery, but I've done it enough to know that it's also not catastraphic.

I stand corrected as other people's experience proves that using a booster pack/car battery is not likely to do any harm. Practical experience rules .

[quote=djltoronto;754537I happen to have an old dead bike battery in my garage, and a 20 amp ammeter... I can use my car and see what the current draw is! (or blow a 20 amp fuse).... I'll let you know what happens.[/quote]

Cool, that's the real experiment we need. The dead battery needs to be capable of accepting the charge though, no sense of testing if no current is going to flow through it anyway. keep us posted.

[twinn]

ghetto

This is off topic but thought I would mention it anyway. Many years ago I had a Katana 600 that the starter died on. This was middle of July and my financial situation being kind of dire at that time, I could not afford a new starter. I would bump start that bike a few times daily until September when I could finally afford to replace the starter. We are talking approx 200 "bump starts". That had no negative effect on my bike.

now thats GHETTO

[djltoronto]

This is off topic but thought I would mention it anyway. Many years ago I had a Katana 600 that the starter died on. This was middle of July and my financial situation being kind of dire at that time, I could not afford a new starter. I would bump start that bike a few times daily until September when I could finally afford to replace the starter. We are talking approx 200 "bump starts". That had no negative effect on my bike.

now thats GHETTO

I dunno... I think that carrying a booster pack in a packpack is more ghetto than just bump starting it on demand!

Both are ghetto... but bringing a booster pack on your back ranks higher on the ghetto scale - it's like conceding that the bike wins!

[bitzz]

You want ghetto?

How about driving home from South River with no alternator... I had 5 batteries in the back of the truck and some LOOOOONNNGGGGG booster cables. When battery 1 went flat, swap the cables to battery 2.

or

A couple of friends got pulled over on the 400 just south of Barrie. The officer was concerned because they were riding closely side by side. When it was explained that one bike had no functioning charging system or battery and they had to ride close together 'cause the booster cables between the two bikes were only 8' long.
The officer laughed and left... I wonder what they would be charged with today.

[pkelly20]

This is off topic but thought I would mention it anyway. Many years ago I had a Katana 600 that the starter died on. This was middle of July and my financial situation being kind of dire at that time, I could not afford a new starter. I would bump start that bike a few times daily until September when I could finally afford to replace the starter. We are talking approx 200 "bump starts". That had no negative effect on my bike.

now thats GHETTO

Regarding bump starts...I believe the cautions against bump starts were targetted at vehicles with catalytic convertors. So how bump starting can damage the cat. Don't ask me how, I don't know.

I bump started my 1980 GS1000 at least once a week, didn't do it or the battery any harm.

[BrianZ]

You want ghetto?

A couple of friends got pulled over on the 400 just south of Barrie. The officer was concerned because they were riding closely side by side. When it was explained that one bike had no functioning charging system or battery and they had to ride close together 'cause the booster cables between the two bikes were only 8' long.
The officer laughed and left... I wonder what they would be charged with today.

Priceless. And you tell that to kids today and they won't believe you...

[djltoronto]

I believe the cautions against bump starts were targetted at vehicles with catalytic convertors.

Um... NO.

[pkelly20]

Um... NO.

I wasn't saying it was right or wrong, just what I recall reading. These were cautions against bump starting cars with catalytic convertors.

Personally, if I had a car with manual tranny, and it needed to be started via bump start, I would take the chance. That goes for a bike also. Can't see how bump starting it could hurt anything.

[djltoronto]

I wasn't saying it was right or wrong, just what I recall reading. These were cautions against bump starting cars with catalytic convertors.

Personally, if I had a car with manual tranny, and it needed to be started via bump start, I would take the chance. That goes for a bike also. Can't see how bump starting it could hurt anything.

Where did you read that? That's a new one to me!

[Vlad]

I wasn't saying it was right or wrong, just what I recall reading. These were cautions against bump starting cars with catalytic convertors.

The worst that can happen is that you won't pass the next emissions test. Not very likely on cars and irrelevant on bikes. It's purely academical, IMO.

Personally, if I had a car with manual tranny, and it needed to be started via bump start, I would take the chance. That goes for a bike also. Can't see how bump starting it could hurt anything.

I bump started an 1984 Golf Diesel once in the middle of the winter. Two out of three heaters were toast and it wouldn't start normally, so I said what the heck, but never expected it to actually start that way. It did, although it was rattling and shaking like crazy for a while, not to mention smoking. If I didn't do it myself I would say it's impossible to bump start a diesel engine. I guess those two heaters were enough to get it up to temp after all, it just needed a good push .

[pkelly20]

Where did you read that? That's a new one to me!

I'm sure it was in one of my owner's manuals. I will look tonight when I get home.

[twinn]

The worst that can happen is that you won't pass the next emissions test. Not very likely on cars and irrelevant on bikes. It's purely academical, IMO.



I bump started an 1984 Golf Diesel once in the middle of the winter. Two out of three heaters were toast and it wouldn't start normally, so I said what the heck, but never expected it to actually start that way. It did, although it was rattling and shaking like crazy for a while, not to mention smoking. If I didn't do it myself I would say it's impossible to bump start a diesel engine. I guess those two heaters were enough to get it up to temp after all, it just needed a good push .

I did the same thing with my brothers Jetta TDI. His starter died, asked me to change it, he lives in Kitchener. I purchased a starter in Toronto. Got to Kitchener, the idiot at the parts counter gave me the wrong starter (it fit in but the drive gear was too short). Took it out, bump started his Jetta, lucky for us he lives on a big hill and drove it back to Toronto without a starter in the car.

I have a buddy that is a truck mechanic, he said they have bump started the diesel trucks when their booster fried. It is not ideal on a car or truck, its really hard on the clutch.

[dirtbag]

I'm a little confused with the pick-up truck and 5 batteries.

Once the thing is running you don't need a battery. At least that's my experience.

I had a 66 malibu that we needed to move, so we pulled the batt out of another vehicle put it in the malibu to start it, pulled out the battery and drove away.

[Vlad]

I did the same thing with my brothers Jetta TDI. His starter died, asked me to change it, he lives in Kitchener.

Starter is not that much of an issue. The problem is when the engine and environment temperature are cold and there is no juice in the battery to pre-heat the cylinders (or heaters are not working, like in was my case). Diesels have no spark plugs and need certain temperature in the chamber for the fuel to ignite - something achieved by electrical heating before the cold engine is started. Add to that the 22/1 or higher compression ratio and you can imagine how hard it is to bump-start the beast . BTW, diesel batteries and starters were not much more powerful on diesels for no reason. This applies to eighties style VW diesels, I don't know if the manufacturers have figured out some way around those limitations in newer models. Back in the day diesel fuel freezing was also a concern whenever temperatures were anywhere below zero.

[Vlad]

Once the thing is running you don't need a battery. At least that's my experience.

Depends on the ignition and fuel system. Some old style ignitions (like magneto, for example) don't need any external power source (some, indeed, don't have any batteries at all), but most modern electronic ignitions do, and so do fuel pumps, relays and other equipment necessary for the engine to run.

I had a 66 malibu that we needed to move, so we pulled the batt out of another vehicle put it in the malibu to start it, pulled out the battery and drove away.

I guess '66 qualifies for "old style ignition and fuel system" category

[djltoronto]

I'm a little confused with the pick-up truck and 5 batteries.

Once the thing is running you don't need a battery. At least that's my experience.

I had a 66 malibu that we needed to move, so we pulled the batt out of another vehicle put it in the malibu to start it, pulled out the battery and drove away.

But the guy with the truck and 5 batteries had no alternator!

[clutch]

this summer i rode a few times with a guy that was having battery problems ... his solution was to carry a Canadian Tire Eliminator Booster Pac in his backpack.
Everytime we were parked and were ready to ride again, he'd pop off the seat, bring out the Booster Pac, jump-start the bike and be ready to ride!

hehe, I know someone on this board with starting problems, he don't need no girly booster pac. This dude's an expert bump starter. Just sits on the bike, pushes a bit off with his legs and launch!