Motorcycle Repair: Electrical issue after jump starting, v30 magna, volts and amps

Question
Howdy,

I recently came into possession of an old (1985) v30 Magna.  Had it running last week, but went to start it yesterday and it would not fire.  Ended up draining down the battery after just a few attempts, so I connected it to my charger and tried again.

Now the dumb part... I attempted to fire the bike up with the charger still attached (as I have done with old cars to get a bit of extra oomph out of a weak battery).  Instead of turning over, I get squat.

Now when I turn the key to "on", my bike's headlights work, turn signals work, brake lights work, horns work, but when hitting the ignition switch I get nothing, not even a click.  The lights dim, but thats it.

Any suggestions on the problem, and a potential solution?

Answer
Hi Steve.

Have you checked to see if the battery is holding a full charge (volts AND amps)?

Check all of the fuses as well.  It likely is not the problem, but better to check an eliminate all possibilities.

It is possible that the battery has one or more bad cells.  Use a motorcycle batery hygrometer for that.

It is also possible that the sidestand cutoff has failed.  They are known for that.  If that is the case, then either replace it or bypass it.

If you intend to jump the bike, you can do it from a car as long as the car engine is turned OFF when you do it.  If the car is running when you attempt to start the bike, the power surge could very seriously damage the electrical system.

Good luck and ride safe.
FALCON