Jumper cable gauge?

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Jun 10, 2019 | 12:17 PM

stkm04

Thread Starter

6th Gear

Joined: Mar 2015

Posts: 11

Likes: 1

From: Pennsylvania

Jumper cable gauge?

Hi,

In a couple of weeks I'll embark on a 4k cross country trip and just in case I want to pack a MC-to-MC jumper cable (we have several bikes on that trip, hence MC-to-MC will work). Doing some research I see that those cables come in 10gauge and 12gauge (6ft length). I would like to take the thinnest/smallest cable I can get by. However I don't want to melt the cable either. I run a 2012 EG with the 103 engine. Does anybody know the max crank amps on that bike?
10 or 12 gauge? Any opinion?

Thanks!

Jun 10, 2019 | 12:23 PM

Sturgis67

Road Master

Joined: Mar 2015

Posts: 908

Likes: 117

From: Texas....6ft from the sun

I just use an extension wire going between battery tender plugs. Works for me.
18” similair to this

Jun 10, 2019 | 12:29 PM

stkm04

Thread Starter

6th Gear

Joined: Mar 2015

Posts: 11

Likes: 1

From: Pennsylvania

Hi Sturgis67 -

Jump starting a bike with a dead battery using such a cable would blow the fuse...
In any case, what gauge is that cable?

Jun 10, 2019 | 12:46 PM

VAFish

Grand HDF Member

Joined: Nov 2018

Posts: 4,607

Likes: 3,312

From: Virginia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sturgis67

I just use an extension wire going between battery tender plugs. Works for me.
18” similair to this

Have you actually used that successfully to jump a bike?

How many fuses did you blow?

I used an extension cable like that, had to swap the polarity on one battery, and even on a little Ninja 250 we blew a fuse. Replaced the fuse and left it hooked up for a few minutes while the good bike ran charging the battery of the dead bike and it started.

Now I just carry a Lithium jump pack, don't have to worry about cable length or where bikes are parked.

If you are going to buy those cables, buy 2 of them to get the wiring right.

Last edited by VAFish; Jun 10, 2019 at 12:48 PM.

Jun 10, 2019 | 12:55 PM

Brewmany

Elite HDF Member

Joined: Mar 2014

Posts: 4,214

Likes: 661

From: Prior Lake, MN

Between the two, I'd go with 10ga over the 12ga. But I tend to be conservative on this stuff.

If that cable in the photo is a trailer wiring extension, I'd be surprised if it was even 14ga. Trailer wiring is often 16 or 18 gauge, and even as small as 20ga, and I'd not use anything that light for a jump.