IDK what size wire that is, but Id bet its not fat enough to handle that kinda current, so I doubt using a battery tender pigtail would be a good idea for the end of a jumper cable connection, However, you can hook up & charge the battery, using cables, then once the battery is hot enough to Almost start it, all by itself, Then you should be able to boost it on off with the cables.


You can put some heavier leads on & have a place to hook cables.
I guess ya Could fire the starter with the jumper cables, straight on the starter & avoid the battery all together, but IDK what kinda damage could be done to the charge system by running a really low battery on it,

When I have a low but not dead battery that needs jump on my Savage I use a portable booster pak, one phillips Screwdriver that I have slid a piece of clear tubing over (wrapped with electrical tape or shrink tubing would work also) the shank leaving the bolster under the handle and the tip exposed. I then slid  the rubber boot back on the + terminal, and with a helper, ground the - lead and touch the end of the SD firmly on the head of the battery clamp bolt. Works every time except when you forget your new booster has a switch that has to be on to connect the internal battery to the leads -DUH!! Do remember that the built in charging system is a battery maintainer, not really a charger so this way works if you crank to long or leave the key on too long after a ride. I do not recommend you do it on a nearly dead battery. Well maybe to get the bike on a trailer or in the bed of a PU.  Max

i've jump started thumper many a time, i used a small screwdriver to touch the positive terminal. then i touched the screwdriver with the jumper cable.  that hasn't happened since i bought the big crank.  i highly recomend one, and it was cheeper than a normal replacement.

1 mm^2 corresponds to 17 gage wire.

Next common gage up is 16 gage, rated for 10 amps

it might carry 1000 amps but not for long.

I've been running my 2000 watt power amp (150A roughly) in my car on 10 gauge wire for the longest time. It's "RATED" for 200 A.

When you take about wire ratings, you CAN NOT say all 16 AWG wire is "rated" for x number of amps. You have to take into account the insulation for specific wires. I can think of 16 AWG wire that's rated for 10, 20, 40 and 80 amps. You're referring to ampacity as opposed to amperage.

The only problem with large currents is heat. Heat will cause the terminal connectors of the wire to heat up beyond their thermal capacity, melting them and possibly igniting them. Nothing will happen to the wire itself. I've tried it, and as long as the insulation is a monster heat conductor, like my wire for my car amp, you're set.

But on all seriousness, wrench + jumper cables. So much safer and easier.

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 12/24/10 at 00:31:47:


Agreed. You either have to type pages, in which case people won't feel like reading it, or type 2 lines and people will be so confused. I try to go in the middle, but either way, you can't really win.

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:




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 motor (even though it looks like it DOES connect to the starter motor 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).