Homemade Jumper Cables with Quick Connect ( ST1300 ) *

[KoTAOW]

* * * Article pending permission by Author * * *

Submitted by T_C, STOC #XXXX
Original article can be found here:
www.st-owners.com

~~~

Homemade Jumper Cables with Quick Connect ( ST1300 )

Pair of homemade jumper cables and a quick disconnect on the bike side. After reading some of the horror stories and knowing the ST does not have the biggest reserve capacity, thought it best to be safe. Also did not want to get stuck with having the key in the ignition and not being able to put stuff away, so these I can just throw about anywhere. One time I had to get jumped when I was riding a Virago. Big pain in the rump there as you had to remove the battery to get to both terminals and then you had to disconnect a lead to slide it back in. Not again!

Used an Anderson PowerPole sbs50 for the quick connect. 50 amp continuous rating and the price was right (free). Had them leftover from some UPS battery packs. You can pick them up for $6 or so I do believe, one of the shops by me has 'em. Should be enough to handle a quick charge or the momentary surge of a starter. Left the end attached to the bike right under the battery box, used a boot on the back side and a dust cover on the front. Used a foot long piece of line fused at 80 amp for the hot, 6 gauge return is straight to the battery also.



With the dust cover open:


Clamps were from Wally land, marine world. Surprisingly good from what I can tell. Hopefully the plastic won't get brittle in cold. Will have to wait and see on that one I guess. The contacts on the inside were for only a 1/4" quick connect terminal. Not quite enough to handle a good solid high amp draw in my opinion. I soldered the main wire direct to one of the sides, then used the 1/4 quick connects to run a 12 gauge wire from one side of the clamp to the other. This will give both jaws some share of the power and assures a better electrical contact. You can see the wire between the handle in the picture. The mains were given some strain relief by using heat shrink to attach them to the handles of the clamps.


Wire is some 8 gauge, 80 amp fuse is housed right next to the battery. 6 foot long should give me enough room to get to where I can get in a place to yell CONTACT.


The overall bundle is pretty small. You will most surely notice that I used red wire for both positive and negative. Well, that was all I could find at a decent price. So the negative lead has a black piece of heat shrink every 6 inches and the last 6 inches of the wire next to the clamp are covered in black also.


Stowed under the seat they are ready for use. I think I need to get a Crown Royal bag to put them in. Nothing ruins a day like a dead battery, nothing makes a day like a little purple bag? Well hopefully they will be ready and available if I ever see anything cute needing a hand, or maybe anyone else too.


Keep the rubber side down and lend a hand when someone needs it...
Good day.

~~~

Thank You again for your contribution T_C, STOC #XXXX