SuzukiSavage.com - Best external battery access?

damiancds

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Best external battery access?
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.

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1996 Suzuki Savage ls650 Stock, Except for:
-Larger Rear tire (140/90-15)
-saddlebags
-winshield

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Africord

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Re: Best external battery access?
Reply #1 - 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.

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Re: Best external battery access?
Reply #2 - 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.

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Dj12midnit Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline If you'r here and I'm here isn't this our time? Posts: 1036 Lynden Wa. Gender:	Re: Best external battery access? Reply #3 - 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.
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Re: Best external battery access?
Reply #4 - 05/23/12 at 13:01:45

Dj12midnit wrote 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.

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.

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28660 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Best external battery access? Reply #5 - 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... ...
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360k+ Serious Thumper Offline Savage heart of darkness Posts: 680 Cartersville, GA Gender:	Re: Best external battery access? Reply #6 - 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.
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jspace YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 48	Re: Best external battery access? Reply #7 - 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..
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28660 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Best external battery access? Reply #8 - 05/23/12 at 18:52:03 jspace wrote 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.. If ya' hard wire it,.. you're not to be able to ride very far... ...
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Dave

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Re: Best external battery access?
Reply #9 - 05/23/12 at 19:03:23

jspace wrote 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..

You need a Battery Tender disconnect plug. Like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-Tender-Plus-Ring-Terminal-Disconnect-/2610276...

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.

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damiancds

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Re: Best external battery access?
Reply #10 - 05/24/12 at 19:16:54

Quote:

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.

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.

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1996 Suzuki Savage ls650 Stock, Except for:
-Larger Rear tire (140/90-15)
-saddlebags
-winshield

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Digger

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Re: Best external battery access?
Reply #11 - 07/25/12 at 21:39:49

damiancds wrote 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.

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:

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!

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Digger
2001, Metallic Glacial Blue, Raptor Petcock, Verslavy (first hole) (otherwise, mechanically, the bike is stock), 13,xxx miles
I don't own a cage.
www.astronautbiker.com

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