I purposely drive home to pick up my scooter to run an errand only to find that the rear light was on! I had left the key in the ignition with all power running for the past 4 hours! Ugh, I attempt to turn the engine over halfway anticipating that it won't start. To my expectation, it didn't.
Great, that means I gotta drive the car. Fuel ain't cheap at $4.95/gallon.
I had read awhile ago when I first got the Vino 125 that you can't jumpstart a scooter with a car safely. My friend has done it on occasion, but I keep hearing that jumping a tiny bike with a big automobile could cause serious damage to the bike. Safety also becomes a concern.
After calling up my buddy with a battery tender hoping to borrow it only to find out he's out of the State, I research a bit online and find some good news.
Others had shared the same concern about jumping a scooter with a car, but the way to do it safely is to do it without turning the car on. Hmmm, typically the donor car is running as it's hooked up to whatever vehicle is being jumped. Not the case with jumping a scooter apparently.
After further researching, I found out the simplest solution. But would it work? The emergency kickstart. I didn't think this would work b/c my logic says if there's no juice, there's no juice. The kickstarter would only work if there was some sort of mechanical glitch.
And last time I tried it for fun, it didn't turn the engine over even on a perfectly good battery.
Problem? I hadn't engaged the brake which is required for the engine to turn over. Having read this reminder online, I ran downstairs with my laptop to give it a try. Pulled the bike on it's center stand, pulled the kickstarter peg out, engaged the brake and stepped down.
Nothing.
Stepped down a second time.
Bingo! It worked! The engine started!!! Awesome! Too bad I did this the next day and wasn't able to ride the scoot to run my errands, but this new knowledge is still saving me from having to borrow the battery tender. The kickstarter officially works and now I know how to use it. If you're reading this, you do too.
So next time either one of us leave the key in the ignition at position two with all the electronics running only to return later to find out there's no juice in the battery, use the kickstarter! Awesome!
