A How-To Guide to Jump-Starting Motorcycles

Having trouble getting your motorcycle up and running? If your battery isn’t completely dead, there’s a good chance a jump-start can get you back onto the road and into the nearest mechanic’s shop! For step-by-step instructions on how to jump-start your motorcycle, as well as a few helpful tips you’ll need to know along the way, be sure to read through our helpful guide below.

Setting Up the Cables

To set up a jump start you’ll first need to locate the battery and its positive and negative poles in both vehicles. Grab the red jumper cable and attach it to both vehicles’ positive battery poles. The positive pole is often indicated with a plus sign and may be covered by a red safety cap. Once both ends of the red cable are attached, grab the black cable and connect it to the other vehicle’s negative battery pole. On your own vehicle, you’ll need to attach the black cable to a grounded piece of metal, such as your frame, before stepping back and starting the opposite engine.

Jump-Starting Your Motorcycle

Setting up a jump-start is a fairly easy process! All you need are your cables and another vehicle to help start your own. However, if you’ve flagged down a car to help jump-start your motorcycle you’ll need to proceed with some caution. If the car is started while connected to the jumper cables it’s very likely you’ll short-circuit your motorcycle’s battery. To avoid this, never start a car while jump-starting your motorcycle. Once both vehicles are connected your motorcycle should start normally, and you’ll want to let it idle for a few minutes to allow the battery to recharge.

If you’ve found another motorcycle to help you restart your own, there’s no need to worry about short-circuiting the batteries. Once both vehicles are connected go ahead and start the charged motorcycle to give your dead battery a good zap. Afterward, you can start your own vehicle and, once your engine has roared to life, detach the cables in the same order you placed them.  

If you’re nearby in Orlando or St. Augustine, Florida, feel free to visit our service center here in Jacksonville, Florida, for all of your motorcycle repairs! Our expert technicians will have you in and out of our service center in a jiffy, and you’re free to browse through our inventory of available motorcycle parts and equipment as you wait.