Okay, how reasonable (or crazy ) is this idea?

[DonGee]

It's off-season around here and the bike's in storage, so there's lots of time to think about stuff. After my dying battery episode a few months ago, I bought a new battery and even bought one of those portable jump starter packs to keep on hand just in case. But as we all know, those battery terminals can be a pain in the butt to access and grab onto with a jumper cable clamp. So I started thinking. What if there were an easy way to extend the bolt head to clamp onto? If you can make sense out of the attached picture, do you think something like this would work? I would need to glue or otherwise somehow lock the nut in place on the shaft of the bolt, but I'm thinking it would move that bolt head out far enough to get a clamp on if I had to. I would put a plastic cap on the nut head. Aside from the answer that "it shouldn't be necessary if you have a new battery", do you think something like this could work? And if not, why not?

Thanks for indulging my off-season boredom.

[hillsy v2]

Why not just bolt some fly leads directly to the terminals so you can hook up a tender?

[Herb]

using the nut to tighten down the cable after the bolt is inserted would work, as long as there is enough clearance so the bolt head doesn't contact metal.

[sgtcall]

You can just hook up the tender to the leads on the fuse box, no need to go straight to the battery.


If you want an easy way to jump it off I just crimped eyelets onto a piece of 8 gauge wire and put one end on the positive battery terminal and the other hanging out on the side. Connect the jumper cable to this and the negative to a exhaust bolt or any ground.

The alternate way to get it started is to clamp the positive jumper cable to the positive lead on the starter and then touch the negative to a exhaust bolt or any ground with the clutch pulled in and it will start right up.

[hillsy v2]

Or this:

[DonGee]

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, charging is not the issue. I already have a pigtail connected to the leads on the fuse box for that purpose. I was thinking in case I ever had to jump it again. I would never attempt using the pigtail for jumping, even with some kind of adapter. I thought about using the positive lead on the starter, but I'd still have to remove a side cover to access that.

If you want an easy way to jump it off I just crimped eyelets onto a piece of 8 gauge wire and put one end on the positive battery terminal and the other hanging out on the side. Connect the jumper cable to this and the negative to a exhaust bolt or any ground.

And I did consider that, but then that's another connector to add onto the terminal. This longer bolt seems like a safer, easier way.

using the nut to tighten down the cable after the bolt is inserted would work, as long as there is enough clearance so the bolt head doesn't contact metal.

And yes, that's why I would add a plastic cap over the bolt head.

I appreciate the ideas, though. Feel free to keep 'em coming. I still have lots of time to think about this.

[Designer]

I too, have one of the "jump Start Battery packs. They work GREAT! It can also Jump Start my Car

To make for a simple and quick connection that has the Electricity-carrying Capacity to jump it in time-of-need, I ran some 12 Gauge Stranded House Wire from the Battery Terminals up past the Air Box and up under the Seat to a Quick-connect Terminal. Piece of cake to do,..and I am totally assured of success if and when I need to Jump Start it. No need to ever crouch down on the Road/Floor to access the Battery for that kind of recharging/jumping.

[navigator]

The need for jump starting should be rare.
The safest way is to remove the left side cover and attach the hot to the solenoid, No arcing, sparking, and you use the normal starting procedure.
I personally would hot extend the terminal bolt, it is dangerously close to the surrounding battery box and frame, If it shorts there it will weld itself to the frame and burn your bike to a crisp, If you go that route any plastic cap should be very thick.
JMO

[Designer]

Yessir!,...Rare it is indeed. But now that these bikes are aging, more likely as time goes by. I also use this Direct-Connect Wire for Battery Maintenance and my Gerbig's Heated Gloves/Jacket Liner. There's never a worry about Melting the Wire Insulation nor Restriction in Electrical Delivery. It's Easy To Install, Inexpensive as an " insurance" of Sure-Fire Help when needed.

And you pointed out Navigator, safer and easier-to-use than an Extended Battery Terminal Bolt.

[DonGee]

I ran some 12 Gauge Stranded House Wire from the Battery Terminals up past the Air Box and up under the Seat to a Quick-connect Terminal.

Hmmm...okay, what is this Quick-connect terminal of which you speak? If it's an exposed connector isn't contact with metal still a concern?

[Designer]

I ran some 12 Gauge Stranded House Wire from the Battery Terminals up past the Air Box and up under the Seat to a Quick-connect Terminal.
Hmmm...okay, what is this Quick-connect terminal of which you speak? If it's an exposed connector isn't contact with metal still a concern?

Good Question! I suppose I should have posted a Picture when I made that message, huh?

The Male/Female Round Terminal Bipin connector you often see is a molded unit that has only 16 Gauge Wire within it. And you cannot solder in the 12 Gauge Wire directly to the Metal Terminals it has and still maintain the Connector Integrity.

Being that this connection will needs be to pass quite a bit of Electrical Energy at a given time,...I went with 1/4" Metal Spade Lug Terminals for the Connector. I bought a Wiring Harness "Repair Kit" with both the Male and Female connectors in it,...cut the wire off and soldered the 12 Gauge to them. The smaller White One going under the seat, of course.





Here's a link to the Item;
https://www.wiringdepot.com/store/p/435 ... wer-1.aspx

[hillsy v2]

Over here these are called Anderson Connectors:



They are a standard type of plug to connect 12v solar and power to caravans / camping trailers, etc. You can find them at any camping / outdoor / auto store. Not sure if you have the same in the US but there would be something similar in 50A rating.

Connect the +ve to the starter relay (battery side) and the -ve to frame ground then you don't have to muck around trying to get at the battery. You can also use it as a battery tender feed.

[navigator]

Yup, then you just need a convenient place to stash it.

[DonGee]

Over here these are called Anderson Connectors:

Ah, now those I've heard of.

[Designer]

Over here these are called Anderson Connectors:
Ah, now those I've heard of.

And they work well for passing the large amount of electricity that happens when you use the Jump Start Unit.

The item I showed you gives you both the Male connector (grey) and the Female connector (white) you will need. I used about Three Feet of 12 gauge Wire on the Wire from the Battery to under the Seat. Substantially more than you will get with the retailed Anderson Connectors you see in the picture above. Then it's a simple matter of soldering on the Grey (male) connector and you are "in business".

[navigator]

Well the one I posted willl take 6 to 12 gage wire, any length you like.
The larger the wire, the better.

[Designer]

Well the one I posted willl take 6 to 12 gage wire, any length you like.
The larger the wire, the better.

Yes, those will indeed do as you mention. I was referring to the Anderson Connectors in this message:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14061&start=11

[DonGee]

The safest way is to remove the left side cover and attach the hot to the solenoid, No arcing, sparking, and you use the normal starting procedure.

navigator, can you clarify this, please? After you remove the side cover, are you saying to clamp the red jumper cable to the positive on the starter solenoid as the person in that video did to charge the battery? How is that safer than clamping to the bolt on the positive terminal of the battery? I assume you still need to clamp the negative clamp to a bare metal part of the frame. If it's as safe (or safer), why wouldn't that be a common method to jump start a vehicle with an inconveniently located battery?

[hillsy v2]

The starter solenoid is simply far easier to acces than the battery terminals. By rights you should always jump a battery at the terminals but if you cant access then running the charge through the main (starter) cable is the next best option.

[sgtcall]

The safest way is to remove the left side cover and attach the hot to the solenoid, No arcing, sparking, and you use the normal starting procedure.

navigator, can you clarify this, please? After you remove the side cover, are you saying to clamp the red jumper cable to the positive on the starter solenoid as the person in that video did to charge the battery? How is that safer than clamping to the bolt on the positive terminal of the battery? I assume you still need to clamp the negative clamp to a bare metal part of the frame. If it's as safe (or safer), why wouldn't that be a common method to jump start a vehicle with an inconveniently located battery?

Jumping it through the starter may not be the best way but it is easy. I wouldn't do it in my driveway but it is quick and easy if you are stranded in a parking lot. All you have to do is pull back the rubber cap covering the positive lead on the started and clamp the positive cable to it then touch, don't clamp, the negative to a ground. If you are using a car as the slave don't start the car.