Battery Jumping ??

[usranger74]

Last fall I installed pig tails running off my battery. I plug my battery tender into the pig tails.

I also have a set of pig tails that I can attached to those coming off the battery. This second set have neg. and positive alligator clamps on the end.

If I need to jump my battery, can I do it by attaching the jumper cables to the alligator clamps that are attached to the pig tail coming off my battery?

[cactusjack]

I wouldn't. Those pigtails aren't designed to carry that kind of current.

[cnc]

You can, but some of those pig tails are a little light gauge in my opinion for jumping. I have just made up a set of bike jumper cables using 8 gauge wire and alligator clips that are covered in rubber and rated at 20amps. Also if you are talking about the alligator clip / plug adapter that came with your battery tender, the polarity will be reversed when you plug it in to the pig tail as it was made to clip onto the battery and then plug into the tender same as the pig tail. No big deal just reverse them, but do check the polarity first with a meter.

[ringadingh]

Youll probably melt the wires as mentioned, they are too light for that kind of current. I also have a set of booster cables that I usually carry, made up of heavier wire.

[usranger74]

Very glad I asked the question. I will deep six that idea!!!

[recumbentbob]

I jumped mine last year, I have the battery tender pigtail and just happened to have the alligator pigtail with me.

My battery died while i was at lunch from work.
Called work and maintenance sent a guy over with a F150 pick up.
I connected the jumper cable to the alligator clip pig tail remember to check polarity.

We had to wait 20 minutes for the battery to guild up B4 it would even turn over, this was with the F150 fast idling.

Finally started and I ordered a new battery that afternoon.

The pigtail held up just fine, no melting...........

[trosco]

Most "Tenders" or trickle chargers or ever regular personal use chargers you might buy from Walmart or the like put out from 1 - 4 AMPs. Even the larger (non comercial) ones have peak out puts of 6 - 8 AMPS. They usually have 16 guage wire from the charger to the clamps which is going to stand up fine to that kind of current. It will even stand up to a lot more for a short period....but.....
A wire gets hot because it presents resistance to current above it's reasonable capacity. So first the small guage pig tails will impede the flow to the battery making it still hard to start your bike and second (more importantly) the heat may not fry you wires the first time but it will degrade (harden) the insulation on the wires and in time it will crack exposing bare wire. That becomes a hazzard for more electrical issues and even fire in the worst case.
Better to get 2 pices of about 10-12 ft of twisted core (so it is flexible) copper wire of slightly larger guage (14?), clamp aligator clips on both ends and role them up and duck tape them to the bottom of your seat. Then they are there when you take the seat off to get at the battery.

[recumbentbob]

yep but it got me started in a pinch :)

[ringadingh]

Originally Posted by recumbentbob

yep but it got me started in a pinch :)

Thats because you let it charge up for the 20 minutes first, And then it probably fired right away. Had the motor cranked for a while before starting it would have melted the wires.

[recumbentbob]

Originally Posted by Ringadingh

Thats because you let it charge up for the 20 minutes first, And then it probably fired right away. Had the motor cranked for a while before starting it would have melted the wires.

It would not even turn over when I hooked the jumpers up, I tried it had to sit for 20 minutes B4 it turned over, but it fired right up then.

[macmac]

EGADS! No!!!!!!!!!!!!! That start motor demands apx 360 AMPS. Anyone that has pulled this stunt off and didn't fry a lot of wiring was just lucky!

Having a running engine from a car/ truck with the Key OFF is one thing, That same with the key ON is quite another!

Most any modern car/trucks these days boot out 85 AMPS + and our Nomads make 44 AMPS max if that, as book statements are usually pure bunk.

Placing 85+ amps on a rec/reg made for 40 amps is pouring 55 gallons of gas in to a dixie cup. Something is going the get toasted and baddly.

If it doesn't again you were just lucky! This is the best way to fry all 18 diodes in the charging system and cook the rec regs both of them.

My heart is pounding I want to RANT Do NOT do this!

You may charge off a running car/truck with the key OFF / Switch OFF as at that point the battery is pretty much isolated from the rest of the system.

Then after the time it takes to smo0ke a ciggy butt, shut off the car/ truck! with jumpers still on the battery you may turn on the key and attempt a start with the other battery still on line.

The other vehical must be off with the keys off! It must BE!

This will give you more starting power using both battery rezevoirs as well, but with only the amps the start more can take on it's own Demand.

Jumper cables will be the same size as the battery cables or a larger diameter wire not counting any insulation. There is jumper made just for bikes.

If you use these from car to car the cables may fry if the one car jumped from is running, but chances are the cables won't, since they are larger diameters.

[recumbentbob]

Just call me "Lucky Bob". You can bet I won't do that again.........

[macmac]

Originally Posted by recumbentbob

Just call me "Lucky Bob". You can bet I won't do that again.........

IMO you sure were, but yeah doing that again could get very expensive. So far no one has toasted their charging system that I am aware of. I am certain doing that will put a great big dent in most anyone's wallet.

The whole idea scares me so bad I use a fox tail brush on the rec/reg cooling fins once a month need it or not. Of course I get some nice rural country roads made of dirt to ride just going and or coming home.

When silly fuel pumps cost 1 arm and two legs, I am sure that charging system will hit real hard. It seems like everything is a friggin grand these days.

Another thing guys do to save a buck will be to run a dying battery, one that is marginal and will not take and hold a charge.

What that does is tell the rec/regs the battery is low on charge and they do everything they can do to fill that bad battery back up. The heat generated is a killer. The rec/regs never cool and sooner or later take the alts out cooking the diodes.

I have worked on a good number of brushless alts, but I never wanna work on a Nomad double alt double rec/reg set up if I don't have too.

The book has some of the most silly testing I have ever read and it take 2 known good batterys to get it done there way. I sure hope there is another way, but I don't wanna learn that either.