Author Topic: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables  (Read 1005 times)

Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« on: August 02, 2021, 06:14:42 AM »
I had to push my buddies Super Tenere yesterday as he had left the lights on while we had a beer, came out and he was down below 8 Volts.
At 75 I'm getting too old for that nonsense so when I got home I made a jumper cable to take advantage of the battery tender cables we both have.
I found an old 2 core electrical lead that looked like it could carry 10 Amps and fitted each end with M/F bullet connectors. The regular bullet connectors are quite a bit smaller than the ones fitted to a battery tender so I simply opened the male part out to make it a better fit and filed it with silicone, hopefully that will help it hold its shape. On one end i included an LED just because I could.
I typed out some instructions and slipped it in a baggie to throw in the bottom of his pannier, I'm sure we will never need it again but I did have to jumper him from my old Eldorado once before.
Of course I took the opportunity to rib him to make up for the times I've run out of gas.

Bike to Bike Jumper Cable
Connects the Battery Tender sockets of two bikes together, no crossover.
Incorporates a non polarity sensitive LED to display either end status.
Cable ends are interchangeable
Battery tender cable should have at least 20 Amp fuse as cable will carry
a heavy current if bike with flat battery is cranked. Plug bikes together
then run donor bike for several minutes to build up a charge in flat battery

« Last Edit: August 02, 2021, 06:33:05 AM by Kiwi_Roy »
72 Eldorado
17 V7iii Special
76 Convert
Half a V9 Roamer

Moto Guzzi - making electricians out of riders since March 15 1921

Offline Mike Tashjian

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2021, 07:42:48 AM »
The battery jumper cables are very practical and makes a very small footprint in a saddlebag.  But for someone who is prone to problems a better solution may be a battery jump pack that they can use without your intervention at all.  My son has encountered many people who need a jump in parking lots and they always have a set of cables to jump with.  The battery jumper box we gifted him touts the ability to jump almost any car with a battery not completely dead.  He has jumped many people who claimed that little thing won't start my car and it did.  Not as small a footprint as cables but being able to jump yourself might keep you from being stranded.   

Offline Dirk_S

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2021, 07:57:26 AM »
I would be concerned with the wire thickness that the battery tender SAE lead uses. I was looking for an easier connection for my jumper pack about a year ago, and had read enough sources that stated the battery tender leads were too small for jumping.

A lot of jumper packs use an EC5 connector, and you can find those leads all over eBay and Amazon, which use heavier 12 gauge wire:





I now have both a Battery Tender (SAE) connector  and one of those EC5 leads on my bike. Maybe one day I’ll make a cable that connects to that EC5 and terminates into a pair of heavier rings, alligator clips, or something else in case I need to jump off someone’s battery.
« Last Edit: August 02, 2021, 07:58:53 AM by Dirk_S »
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2021, 10:01:43 AM »
Dirk, Mike,
I think you may have got the wrong idea, i'm not trying to crank the bike over the SAE leads, its to put a charge into the battery, the bike battery then cranks the bike not unlike sticking it on the tender for an hour.
Trying to crank the bike directly via the tender cable just results in a blown fuse.
Perhaps I used the wrong title but you got the idea.
I think those little jumper boxes are great if you have one, I used an old electrical lead off an appliance, cost nothing. (Guzzi content)
I have started a car and bike using the generator capacity of my old loop and similar cable but only after its had a few minutes to transfer some charge.
« Last Edit: August 02, 2021, 10:08:12 AM by Kiwi_Roy »
72 Eldorado
17 V7iii Special
76 Convert
Half a V9 Roamer

Moto Guzzi - making electricians out of riders since March 15 1921

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2021, 10:01:43 AM »

Online SLDMRossi

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2021, 10:16:07 AM »
Of course, bike-to-bike requires...a second bike. Another alternative for the solo rider is a small, WeeGo 22S lithium-ion Jump Starter. It's not much bigger than a cell phone...

Steven Rossi

Offline guzziart

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2021, 11:52:46 AM »
I carry a set of motorcycle jumpers on my '72 Eldo that  I bought at cyclegear or the like.  The 11 year old Odyssey battery that was in my LMIV refuses to crank it so I put it in the Eldo, it cranks that just fine.  So, that's why I carry jumpers. :laugh:
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Offline blackcat

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2021, 11:53:33 AM »
Of course, bike-to-bike requires...a second bike. Another alternative for the solo rider is a small, WeeGo 22S lithium-ion Jump Starter. It's not much bigger than a cell phone...

Steven Rossi

Yes, I have a version of those little chargers and they also come in handy for cell phones, etc.
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Offline zebraranger

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2021, 12:06:08 PM »
I also carry one of the lithium powered portable power packs. Never needed it myself, but I've successfully jump started a couple of others who needed the help. Its rated at 2200 Amps (peak) and is also capable of jumping through the battery tender pigtail. Also doubles as a cell phone or action cam charger, fire starter or flashlight for emergency use.

 

Offline Dirk_S

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2021, 12:23:33 PM »
I also carry one of the lithium powered portable power packs. Never needed it myself, but I've successfully jump started a couple of others who needed the help. Its rated at 2200 Amps (peak) and is also capable of jumping through the battery tender pigtail. Also doubles as a cell phone or action cam charger, fire starter or flashlight for emergency use.


Are you sure about it being able to jump start through the Battery Tender cable? I'd be quite surprised by that, and I'm thinking instead that it can charge the bike or itself via the Battery Tender cable, which is just an SAE connector.
« Last Edit: August 03, 2021, 06:36:38 AM by Dirk_S »
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Offline blackcat

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2021, 01:00:20 PM »
I've only used the one I have with the alligator clips on my CX when I was having some weird charging problems in route to the New York state rally a few years ago.
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Offline egschade

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2021, 04:54:13 PM »
I carry both a Li battery pack w/ clamp cables I bought when I was having startus-interrupus problems with my Breva 1100. Several years later the battery still holds charge for weeks at a time but I top it off before a long ride.

Also have a set of mini jumper cables residing in the bottom of my bag somewhere.
The elder Eric in NJ

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Offline moto-uno

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2021, 10:46:51 PM »
  You guys are missing the point .... didn't someone here say FREE !  :evil:  Peter

Offline aklawok

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« Last Edit: August 03, 2021, 02:41:25 AM by aklawok »
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #13 on: August 03, 2021, 07:20:27 AM »
Most of the places we go riding you would be pretty hard pressed to find a 110 Volt electrical outlet to plug into, the whole idea is to be able to use the power source you have along i.e. another motorcycle.
While it would be nice to have a pair of nice fat leads to be able to jumper direct from one battery to the other often you cannot even see the battery buried under plastic, Guzzis are an exception.
Usually the SAE connector is bought out to be accessible, most modern bikes have one, often times these are used for running heated gear. The first thing you will do is blow the little fuse provided but then you smarten up and put in a 15 or 20 so you can draw some real power through it.
I'm not saying the little all singing all dancing wizz boxes are not great but really, be honest how many of you actually carry the box on a day to day basis or is it sitting on your bench or on a different bike?
My little pair of wires will be tucked under the seat.
I have 3 bikes, I will make one for each.
The next de-lux version will have a light to indicate the passage of significant current (over 2 Amps)
72 Eldorado
17 V7iii Special
76 Convert
Half a V9 Roamer

Moto Guzzi - making electricians out of riders since March 15 1921

Offline Dilliw

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #14 on: August 03, 2021, 09:31:08 AM »
Orwig made his jumper cables out of monster cable style speaker wire.  They pack light and I can verify that they work bike to bike :)

I have one of those Li jumper batteries as shown above.  When I put my bike in storage I was worried about battery drain but so far no issues with just pulling the 30a fuses on the Griso.  I just throw the battery pack in my camping bag and make sure I get some charging in sometime during the weekend. 
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: Bike to Bike Jumper Cables
« Reply #15 on: August 04, 2021, 01:20:26 PM »
As Wayne did you can make some serious jumper cables out of speaker wire and 4 clips, you could crank a truck through that except the bike battery may not have enough CCA. It would transfer enough energy for the truck battery to do it's own cranking after a few minutes with the bike running.
My idea was to use some wiring that the bike already has and simply plug two bikes together using a scrap of 2 core cable from an appliance to transfer some charge from one to the other as I mentioned several times already I don't need to crank the flat bike just give it a substantial charge rate until the bikes battery can do the work. this could be done quite discretely without removing plastic to uncover the battery.
If nothing else the topic has made a few people aware they should be prepared.
 
72 Eldorado
17 V7iii Special
76 Convert
Half a V9 Roamer

Moto Guzzi - making electricians out of riders since March 15 1921

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