Motorcycle Repair: 1972 honda cb350, trickle charger, bill silver

Question
I bought a Honda CB350 on line and it ran great, until i left the key in the ignition which drained the battery. I bought a trickle charger to try to recharge the battery and it just wont give enough juice to restart the damn thing.

My question is: Can I push start this bike with a dead battery or do I need to get a new one.

Answer
Danny, DO NOT push start the bike with a dead battery. New ones cost about $40. They only last about 2 years, anyway. Running the engine with a dead battery will cause the charging system to go full output and possibly damage the rectifier and any light bulbs that are on at the time. The battery functions as a reservoir and a damper for the charging system.

If you remove the key in the full clockwise position, the tail light stays on until the battery dies. That function is for a roadside emergency at night if the bike fails for some reason. Otherwise, always turn the engine off in the counter-clockwise direction and remove the key for safety.

Bill Silver