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Message started by damiancds on 05/22/12 at 13:56:07

Title: Best external battery access?
Post by damiancds on 05/22/12 at 13:56:07

While I've been waiting for my new savage to get out of the shop (nothing serious), I've been thinking of stuff I'd like to change or add.

The main thing is an external battery access, either through a cigarette lighter (like the one in the pic for this thread http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1328414908/1#1) or the two prong thingy (at the end of this thread http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1311085457/15)

My question is which is better? I'd like to be able to jump it, charge a phone and maybe hook up a gps. The cigarette lighter seams more universal, but I don't trust it to jump it. I'd like to flush mount it like the cigarette lighter picture, but I'm still in the planning stage

Any suggestions.

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by Africord on 05/22/12 at 14:47:13

I would suggest that you consider more than one connection. The cost to add an SAE (Battery Tender) connection is $7 and takes about 15 minutes. I added one to my wife's 2002 a few weeks ago. That can be adapted to either cigarette lighter, USB, or Powerlet (BMW style) connectors with additional cheap cables. Alternatively, you can route a second connection to a more logical spot on your Savage, say by your handlebars, to support GPS, cell phone etc. The Savage doesn't have a lot of mounting surfaces like a bike with a full fairing, so adding a fuse block is more difficult, but you should be able to find some mounting points on your bars for an additional connector.

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by Dave on 05/22/12 at 18:50:06

"I'd like to be able to jump it."

You will not be able to jump the bike to start it with any of these connections - as the electric wires are not large enough to handle that kind of current. You will be able to connect a charger - but don't use anything over 2 amps. Using a large charger will cook the battery and/or wires.

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by Dj12midnit on 05/23/12 at 11:16:20

Yes you can jump for the battery tender connection. I have an extension and a cig lighter adapter, so I can plug into the car to jump it.

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by Dave on 05/23/12 at 13:01:45

3A346F6C33373A30372A5E0 wrote:

Yes you can jump for the battery tender connection. I have an extension and a cig lighter adapter, so I can plug into the car to jump it.

Look at the size of the wire leading to the starter.....then look at the size of the wire from you battery tender. The starter can draw a lot more current than those little tender wires can handle.

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by Serowbot on 05/23/12 at 18:00:55

As long as it will start in about three seconds or so,.. if you have to crank it, those wires are toast...
:-?...

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by 360k+ on 05/23/12 at 18:09:26

I agree. #12 or #14 wires will quickly become fuses at starter motor currents, or worse, will melt away the insulation in a location that you cannot readily see. That usually opens up a whole new ball of worms down the road, ummm, literally.

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by jspace on 05/23/12 at 18:32:37

while on the subject, can anyone recommend a good hard wired battery tender?? i get kind of tired of having to pull the battery when i'm not going to be riding a for period of time..

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by Serowbot on 05/23/12 at 18:52:03

243D3E2F2D2B4E0 wrote:

while on the subject, can anyone recommend a good hard wired battery tender?? i get kind of tired of having to pull the battery when i'm not going to be riding a for period of time..

If ya' hard wire it,.. you're not to be able to ride very far... :-?...

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by Dave on 05/23/12 at 19:03:23

657C7F6E6C6A0F0 wrote:

while on the subject, can anyone recommend a good hard wired battery tender?? i get kind of tired of having to pull the battery when i'm not going to be riding a for period of time..

You need a Battery Tender disconnect plug. Like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-Tender-Plus-Ring-Terminal-Disconnect-/261027667739?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cc6761f1b&vxp=mtr

Then you wire one onto your battery tender - and you just plug your bike in when you need to. The battery tender stays at home and is not mounted permanently on the bike.

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by damiancds on 05/24/12 at 19:16:54

Quote:

that pretty much makes not want to add anything, 'cause most like even if I just put a cig lighter or something in, I would be tempted to try to rig up a jump through that.

I'm calling this a lost cause for right now until I really know what I'll use and need.

I may revisit this if i can ever find/rig a socket of some sort with the right gauge wire...

thanks for all the input.

Title: Re: Best external battery access?
Post by Digger on 07/25/12 at 21:39:49

797C70747C737E796E1D0 wrote:

Here's what I rigged up for an easy jump:

I made my bike (see my signature block) easy to jump.

I found a used battery ground cable laying around (from my old '81 GL1100). I attached one end to the positive battery cable and insulated the bejeezus out of it. Here is a pic:

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee201/Digger109/JumpStartWireE.jpg

The cable I've added dead-ends under the black rubber hose section I've used for a cover over the "hot" end of the cable. There is no connection to the starter (even though it looks like it DOES connect to the starter somehow in the photo).

All I need to do to jump this beauty is to pull the section of rubber hose off the end of my added cable, connect a jumper cable between the donor battery's positive terminal and my added cable, and connect a jumper cable between the donor battery's negative terminal and any handy ground on my bike. I carry a set of motorcycle jumper cables in the bike's trunk.

Not pretty, but it works (just like my Savage).

IHTH!