Modern Buddy

Okay, was a bit chilli this last week in Sunny Florida, so I did not ride, but showed it off to a couple of friends that did not see it yet. Dumb butt me, left the ingnition on and now the auto start button does not start it up. I can kick start it with no problems.
I called my store, Action Wheel Sports, and they said that the battery needed charging. Okay? that is a new one on me. It would take them 4-5 hours to do it.
No worries, the question is, can I safely ride this weekend by kick starting it? Am I going to be taking a saftey risk by riding with a low to dead battery?
Anyone that knows what they are talking about, please advise, cause I have been looking forward to riding this weekend.
thanks, GFP OUT

okay, two folks that I have talked to said that the alternator should charge the scooter after twenty or so minutes.
Any thoughts?

If the charge is low, you should be able to charge it up yourself. Kickstart it, then get on and ride. Voila! As you go along, the battery should charge up.

I don't know about 20 minutes, but it should eventually charge it.

Also, I would say if you are comfortable kick starting it this week end, go for it. I've had dead batteries(will not charge) in my old honda elite for the whole season. It kick started easiler than the Buddy though.

It depends on just how dead it is. Seems that a few people have run the batteries down enough that just riding it wasn't enough to charge it sifficiently. You can buy a Battery Tender for less than $30, and then you won't have to worry about it again...

cool, thank you all.
A battery tender, is that a charger? and what do I need to look for in a charger, cause they said a car battery charger would fry it. I use to do r/c car racing and have just recently sold my charger for that, but many in my family have them. Would something like that work, or do I need to look at voltage and the lot.
Thanks again.
GFP OUT

My dealer has a buddy that he has never put the battery in, just kick starts it and rides around.

Get a Battery Tender. Its a good idea, expecially if you plan on not riding the scooter over the winter. It will charge the battery slowly and will go into maintence mode when it is charged so you cannot fry the battery.

Do not rely on the charging system on the Buddy to fully charge the battery when it is dead. Also most kick starts on modern scooters are not designed to be used all of the time. They are basically for emergencies when the battery goes out. Scooter batteries will last 2-3 years if the scooter is used daily. If you leave the scooter sitting for months without a Battery Tender, then you may be buying a new battery.

Also remember to always keep a battery right side up and never leave it on concrete.

GalacticFattPatt wrote:cool, thank you all.
A battery tender, is that a charger? and what do I need to look for in a charger, cause they said a car battery charger would fry it.

Yes, that is a charger specifically designed for low-amperage applications. It will basicaclly "trickle charge" the battery, though it doesn't take long to get a scooter battery up to snuff.

If you don't get a Battery Tender brand charger, just look for something that is compatible with motorcycles and/or ATV's- anything with small batteries. Not sure how well an R/C charger would work for this application...

...you can pick one up at WalMart for about 20 bucks.

--Keys

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Thank again.
I am taking the battery in to be charged at the store today.
This is my first year in the winter, but I am in Fl and am hoping to ride all through the winter.
I will look into a tender if I need it for the future, but I am hoping that I don't make the same dumb mistake again.
I really don't like riding in cars anymore and it has only been two months since I got mine.
Mondays aren't the same without my scooter to pick me up!