Alternative to hard wiring in a USB charging circuit

MacDoc

MacDoc

Well-known member
Site Supporter
On several mcycle forums there is always a concern as to what to install for a 12 volt or USB charging outlet...load on the mcycle etc.

I posted this device up before but just got back using it alone as a charging source while riding.

I noticed on the Vstrom the socket is corroding and the same thing was ocurring on the recently sold NT700v.

I really did not want to rig something on the CFB1000 so thought I' try just the Antigravity Micro-start as a solution on this last Virginia trip and it worked the charm.

http://antigravitybatteries.com

I kept it in the tank bag and on occasion just in my jacket pocket. It's very small, and very useful.
I just ran the correct USB cable from the bag or my jacket to the iPhone.
I use a Mophie battery case on the iPhone for additional life ( I found that just that case and iPhone both fully charged would give about 4 hours on their own at full brightness and Nav.

With today's bikes getting more and more sophisticated electronically ....avoiding potential issues with an outlet wiring and preserving power for things like heated gear would seem a no brainer.

On it's own it's a terrific device to carry on a tour....jump starter, forever flash light, charge multiple things at the same time. ( we used it for that all the time touring out west as we did not need to carry multiple chargers then ).

http://antigravitybatteries.com

It's small enough to fit easily in a tour jacket pocket.

PPS-in-hand-floating-small-for-slider-pps.png


I suspect it might run heated gear as well.

Just a well thought out and very useful device.
 
Last edited:
Interesting idea.... not sure I would want to run heated gear off it, and the battery is relatively small for the cost.


I'm on the other side of the fence, I can't stand batteries. It took me about 20 minutes to wire up a relay circuit that turns on and off with the bike, and is fused.

You can buy all the hardware from Sayal Electronics for about $20.
 
XP-1 - $159 12000mah capacity

Xiaomi 10400mAh battery (charges usb devices etc) - $32.99 (I've seen them on sale for $20)


Maybe I'm missing something? Edit: Missing the obvious boosting functionality, although something I have never needed.
 
Last edited:
Once I got the hang of safely wiring up stuff on the bike I put sockets everywhere. I'm not going to use them all at once but I have the option of charging or running a lot of things on the bike and I don't need to worry about a portable battery going flat on me or scrambling for adapters. I have a similar thing to the antigravity device too but I keep it for emergencies. On my bike right now I have a 12v cigarette, Powerlett and two USBs one on handlebars and one under the seat. I use the Powerlett for trickle charging the battery and will use it for any heated gear, the USBs for charging the phone and my Sena and the 12V for my tire inflator. I used to carry a 12v cigarette to USB adapter but that didn't work too well on bumpy roads so I fitted dedicated weatherproof sockets to a fuse box triggered by the ignition. Once the tank is off the bike any wiring is dead simple with cable ties and shrink wrap and as long as you have a fuse block fitted.
 
Two bikes - two cases of corrosion which is pretty much a given unless you use a marine level fitting - so easy to move the multi-charger/battery between bikes.
Not many riders inclined to remove a tank to wire a socket.:rolleyes:

You don't need a "bunch of adapters" any more than you do with any USB outlet.....it plugs straight into the battery.
Twelve volt socket, then USB adapter with sometimes marginal power limits that get worse with weather and salt over time.
..lots of potential for shorts and corrosion ....I was surprised how much there was on both the adapters and the cables.
OR you can the multi-head adapter for charging several things at once.

More of a worry about the bike battery going flat from too much draw.

A tiny battery runs my heated vest for 4 hours at medium so would think 29.6 watt hours should keep me toastie for a while and I don't have to be tethered into the bike but that's really secondary possibility.

I rotate bikes here plus I ride in Australia - this is an easy solution that covers them all and then some as it serves ongoing purposes for other travel scenarios.

If there are cheaper batteries out there...makes even more sense.
 
MacDoc said:
Two bikes - two cases of corrosion which is pretty much a given unless you use a marine level fitting - so easy to move the multi-charger/battery between bikes.
Not many riders inclined to remove a tank to wire a socket.:rolleyes:

You don't need a "bunch of adapters" any more than you do with any USB outlet.....it plugs straight into the battery.
Twelve volt socket, then USB adapter with sometimes marginal power limits that get worse with weather and salt over time.
..lots of potential for shorts and corrosion ....I was surprised how much there was on both the adapters and the cables.
OR you can the multi-head adapter for charging several things at once.

More of a worry about the bike battery going flat from too much draw.

A tiny battery runs my heated vest for 4 hours at medium so would think 29.6 watt hours should keep me toastie for a while and I don't have to be tethered into the bike but that's really secondary possibility.

I rotate bikes here plus I ride in Australia - this is an easy solution that covers them all and then some as it serves ongoing purposes for other travel scenarios.

If there are cheaper batteries out there...makes even more sense.
Click to expand...

Makes sense with going between multiple bikes.

You could also try something like this:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/12-V...b201527_3_48_71_72_73_74_75,searchweb201560_9

The marine USB charger/sockets go for $15-20 bucks. So about $50 for three bikes. I'd be curious to know if that one has any parasitic loss from the circuitry.
 
Can't you get USB power sources that you can connect with ring terminals straight to the battery? Then just snake the wires into your tank bag? It would take up less space, usually my tank bag is pretty full...

...eh. Then again, having something small on hand to boost the bike would be pretty useful. I've been stranded on perfectly good motorcycles before just by accidentally engaging the parking light.
 
Yes that helps some of the corrosion issues but if you connect to the ring terminal then you need a switch to turn the current off as the adapters will drain the battery even with nothing on.

I have this on the Strom

61uYKGGlKfL._SL1216_.jpg


Kid had one and it failed, mine has been okay but there is no weather protection when the USB cable is plugged in and I have to remember to turn the switch off.
I wondered why my normally reliable lightning cable was not charging consistently and noticed the tip was all discoloured and looked inside the socket and it was all green.

There are some cool units with magnetic switches so when you close the cap it switches the circuit off.

61Z-jeWqMlL._SX425_.jpg


The other thing for campers not on the grid the battery will power iPads and phones etc in the tent.
 
I'm eyeballing this on eBay right now, about $9 including shipping.

s-l1600.jpg


I'm just going to hardwire it to the radio power in my batwing that is already there and then tuck it into the "glovebox" built into the wing as well. Between it's natural shelter there and the rubber cap on the charger I figure it'll stay dry and I can't possibly imagine that there's so much circuitry in there that it would deplete the battery in any reasonable amount of time.
 
Dielectric grease is your friend. Like I say...I keep the battery pack for emergencies so I don't want it run down by regular use in case of one. The other fittings are nicely protected with weather caps and I have to take the tank off anyway to clean the air filter so it was no big deal and the fuse block was already installed which made connections a doddle. For some it might be too much but I don't have to remember to take anything with me as it's all there already on the bike. I do only have one bike though so I could see a benefit if you have more than one.
 
It's nice to have on the Vstrom but then I've been caught by a failure of the adapter/cable or refusal to draw a enough current and that is no fun to try and navigate the boonies.
I know with the big battery I can get through a day. I carry a separate iPhone 4 as a backup. Works fine if a bit slow.

Also when it's wet I can switch to voice nave and just put the whole kit in my jacket. Listen to books, navigage home....no battery stress.

I think it's a combination of uses that really appeals with the category.
 
Great devices, all over the web the last couple of months. Complete kits with jumpers/adaptor doggles etc for under 100 bucks. Great insurance...
 
I've had a similar 12v cigarette adapter with weather proof cap on the bike for the past few years with no issues. My USB adapter has the same type of seal on it so I expect it will be fine too. The only cable to fail on me was an old Garmin one I hard wired in but that was a MacGuivered job with an adapter from a car mount that was never designed for outside use. Damn thing corroded at the metal pins. If I was going to wire just one adapter onto my bike though I think it would be a powerlet type. I find the design is very good for a bike, cables stay seated better in them compared to cigarette adapters (I've had charging stop because the cable got unseated from the connector as there's nothing much holding them in) and there's a host of bike specific cables you can get for them plus heated gear goes directly into them. I use mine for trickle charging the bike too.
 
Battery packs are nothing new. But then you have to charge your battery pack to charge your devices. The whole point of an outlet on your vehicle is to get around that.

I have 2-3 of them. Have never actually used them beyond trying them once or twice. Not worth the hassle.
 
On our touring rigs, we've got a Powerlets (one switched and one always-on) and a USB outlet. All outlets have weather caps on them and we've not experienced any corrosion or problems over 100,000s of kms and many years of hard use.

There is a miniscule draw on the USB outlet even when nothing is plugged into it, because there is circuitry that needs to step down from 12V to 5V, but it shouldn't drain your battery too quickly unless you leave it unridden it for weeks at a time. If we know we're going to be off the bikes for at more than 3 weeks, we disconnect the battery.

If I were to do it again, I would either hook up the USB outlet to a switched power source or just attach an inline physical switch to the outlet.
 
If I were to do it again, I would either hook up the USB outlet to a switched power source or just attach an inline physical switch to the outlet.
Click to expand...

yeah thats why those units with the magnet caps appeal and direct to USB means no multiple material surfaces.
I suspect corrosion occurs more when the bike is sitting with small power flowing in a moist environment. If you are riding a lot it gets dried out.
Lots of opportunity when you put a USB socket into a 12 volt socket
 
Had a USB socket straight wired in on my VFR, it sat for multiple weeks with 0 issue starting it back up. The draw is so minimal especially if you get one that does not have an LED that there is really nothing to worry about.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom