motor bike repair

Will a Jump Starter Start My Motorbike

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Jump starters are an increasingly popular accessory for motorcyclists. They can be used to jump start a car, but they can also be used to start a motorcycle. Jump starters are essentially small battery packs designed to recharge other battery packs like those that are in cars or trucks.

You can start your motorbike this way but should you? Jump starters work by giving an additional charge to the battery in your car or motorcycle so that it starts when it's cold or when you're unable to crank it yourself through lack of battery power. As Long as you follow the safety precautions you can successfully jump start your motorcycle.

But be aware that jump starters are not designed for continuous use, nor do they work on all types of batteries. This article aims to answer the initial question and more about what a true automotive jump starter is and whether it will work with your motorcycle.

Table of contents

What is a Jump Starter?

A jump starter is a battery pack connected to the positive terminal of your vehicle's battery. The jumper cables are connected to the negative terminal of the battery, allowing for a complete charge of the battery, provided that the battery has enough power to begin with.

While a jump starter may be used to start an engine, it is not designed to function continuously and will overheat if used this way. In fact, if you use it this way it is possible that you could damage the battery, the starter, and/or start a fire.

If you are using a jump starter to start a non-functioning engine you must follow strict safety guidelines to prevent damaging the starter motor.

Will a Jump Starter Work on My Motorbike?

As with any sort of battery jump start, there is no way to tell with certainty if it will work on your bike. It all comes down to the condition of the battery in your motorcycle.

If your motorcycle has a battery that is in good condition, but is just down on power, the jump starter may or may not work. If it doesn't, the problem may be with the starter, the battery itself, or both.

Be sure to check the voltage and amperage of the battery before jumping it. If you have a 12V battery but the voltage is only 10.5V, you could be wasting your time and the jumper's charge.

How to Use a Jump Pack to Start Your Motorcycle

Some Jump Packs have variable voltage settings, so make sure the unit is set to the same voltage as your battery (most likely 12 volts).

  • To begin, attach the positive terminal (red) to the positive battery terminal.
  • Then, attach the negative terminal (black) to an unpainted metal surface of the bike.
  • Turn on the jump pack and push the starter on your motorcycle for no more than 2 or 3 seconds, as this could potentially burn out the jump pack.
  • If the bike doesn't start, wait a few minutes before trying again.
  • Once the motor starts, disconnect the negative black clip, followed by the positive red clip, as once the motor starts, the bike should be able to continue running on its own.

After driving the motorcycle for around 20 minutes, the battery should have recovered enough to start again.

Best Jump Pack for a Motorcycle

When you are selecting a jump pack, be sure that the model you select is compatible with your motorcycles battery's voltage rating. Most motorcycles use a 12-volt batteries.

There are a range of lithium powered jump packs on the market, which offer small, affordable solutions for jump starting your motorcycle.

If you would like to read about one that we would recommend you can check out our review on the NOCO Genius Boost HD GB40 1000 Amp 12V UltraSafe Lithium Jump Starter.

which is perfect for motorcycles and cars and will provide over 20 jump starts before the unit needs to be recharged.

Another great feature of these Jump packs is they have smaller clips that are ideal for getting at hard-to-reach batteries.

Can You Jump Start your Motorcycle Battery with a Car?

Is It Possible to Start a 12V Motorcycle Using a Car Battery? Even though it is possible to jump start a motorcycle using a car battery, you should only resort to this if it is the only option.

A higher amperage car battery can potentially jeopardize the integrity of your motorcycle battery or burn out some of the electrical components on your bike. The most important thing to remember when jumping a motorcycle battery from a car is to ALWAYS KEEP THE CAR OFF. The car's battery will power your motorcycle without turning on the engine.

Will a Jump Starter Cause Damage to My Bike?

Generally, no. The damage a jump starter can cause is just as likely to be caused by jumping a car as it is a motorcycle. That being said, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Do not touch the clamps when connecting the jumper cables. This is because vehicle batteries produce hydrogen gas, which is combustible. If the clamps are joined, they will spark, which could ignite the hydrogen gas.

When you jump start a motorcycle, it can put a lot of strain on the cables and connections and cause them to heat up quickly so only use the jump starter in short bursts.

Jump starting a motorcycle can also damage the starter, causing the starter motor to spin faster than usual potentially cause damage to the flywheel.

Keep in mind that a jump starter is designed to provide a quick charge and is not designed to be used on a continuous basis. When jump starting a motorcycle, you should only do it for 5 minutes or so at a time.

Safety First: Important Precautions While Using a Jump Start

Safety is always important when doing almost anything with a motorcycle, but is especially important when you are jump starting your bike with a jumper. Follow these rules when jump starting your bike with a jumper:

  • Make sure the jump packs battery has enough power to start your engine. A weak battery could cause damage to the jumper and/or motorcycle.
  • Don't jump start an engine that is running or with a load, the extra power from the jump pack may overload your bikes electrical components.
  • Make sure the cables are connected properly and are not touching anything that could damage the bike or the jumper.
  • Never leave the bike unattended while it's being jump started.
  • Keep the area where you're doing the jump starting well-ventilated so as not to build up battery gases.

If you follow these rules and precautions, you shouldn't cause any damage to your bike or the jumper.

Final Words

If you've been unable to start your motorcycle after pulling it out of storage or you just haven't started it for awhile, the reason may be that your battery is drained. Fortunately, you can jump start your motorcycle in the same way as a car or truck.

With the appropriately sized jump starter pack you should be able to get your motorcycle back up and running fairly easily.

But remember these devices are only meant to provide a quick boost of power to start the engine in cases of mechanical breakdown. They should not be left on constantly, as this can cause damage to both your motorcycle and the jump pack.

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