The Whole Battery Drama
Totally blanked checking my battery yesterday, felt like an idiot. Went out to the garage this morning, turned the key on my trusty Suzuki GS500… nothing. Just a weak click sound. Completely dead. Had my gear on, ready to hit the road, coffee buzz fading. Checked the headlight switch – yep, I’d totally forgotten to flick it off last ride. Battery flat as a pancake. Classic dumb mistake.
Plugged in the trickle charger I keep for situations like this. But man, those things take forever. Stared at it for a good five minutes, knowing I’d be waiting hours. Had things to do, places to be. Screw that waiting game. Time for plan B: bump starting.
Getting Down to Business
First thing: grabbed my helmet, gloves, pulled the bike off its stand. Found a nice flat spot right outside the garage – no traffic, gentle slope. Safety first, you know? Made sure I could roll it freely without smashing into anything important. Felt a bit silly practicing how I’d hop on.
Key was still in the ignition – turned it to ‘ON’. Fuel tap? Checked it was open. Definitely in second gear before I started pushing. Neutral would just spin the rear wheel uselessly. Found the compression spot: rocked the bike backwards while listening and feeling for that resistance point where the piston hits top dead center.
Got that clutch lever pulled all the way in tight. Leaned into the handlebars and started pushing. Man, getting that machine rolling takes way more leg power than I remembered! Cleared maybe 15 feet – good momentum. Jumped onto the saddle quick as I could, throwing my full weight down to hit the seat. The exact second my butt landed, WHACKED that clutch lever out.
Here’s the key moment: Dropped the clutch out hard and fast, didn’t feather it or hesitate.
Rear wheel instantly locked for a heartbeat – engine fought back. Heart pounded for a second… then BAM! Felt that glorious engine rumble kick to life between my legs. Exhaust note sounded sweeter than normal.
After the Bump
Panic relief washed over me. Engine’s running! Immediately squeezed the clutch lever back in and snapped my feet onto the pegs. Blipped the throttle a couple times, listened to it idle rough for a few seconds. Needed to keep it alive.
- Revved the engine just above idle for a good 3 minutes. Keep it breathing.
- Rode around the neighborhood block gently for another 10 minutes. Let the alternator get to work.
- Made damn sure I didn’t stall it anywhere! Not risking that again.
- Left the bike running for a few extra minutes before shutting it down – just to be safe.
Stood there grinning like a fool back in the garage. Dead machine brought back to life with a push and a jump. Trickle charger’s still plugged in anyway, giving it a top-up while I write this. Moral of the story? Always remember the damn headlight switch. But knowing this bump trick? Absolute lifesaver for a dumb moment. That engine roar when it catches – pure gold.