Guest Dagoke Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 I think this one is very handy for those with battery problems, or those who think they could get problems. Also serves other purposes. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guluman-Portable-Starter-16800mAh-Jumpstarter/dp/B01KZFUW98/ref=pd_sbs_263_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=88QMFDVKXV3J05E63QMK I am not talking about this specific one, there are others in the market for sure (price, weight, capacity) But the idea is good and the weight and size are limited so easy to pack on our trips. Link to post
sandalfarm 2,765 Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 Easier to buy a new battery, your going to need one anyway 3 Link to post
Guest Dagoke Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 Very true, but there you are in the middle of nowhere, shops are all closed and your battery gave up on you, at least you can start your bike and drive home. That is the general idea behind it Link to post
Tex 36,817 Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 My son packed one when he and two friends rode to Portugal last summer. Used it too (when a Yamaha suffered a flat battery). Remarkable device, hardly any bigger than a packet of cigarettes but started his 2 litre diesel Saab once as well. 1 Link to post
XXX 2,697 Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 (edited) All I need now is to find out where the battery is. 😜 Edited May 5, 2017 by Woody 99 1 Link to post
Guest sykospain Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 You're 'avin' a tin bath Stephen..... ( Cockney rhyming slang ) Link to post
XXX 2,697 Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 Is that like " 'avin' a giraffe"? 1 Link to post
Andy m 23,543 Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 I love these. Any sort of fault or failure to get enough load on and they blow ECU's like faulty Christmas tree lights. Viva la sales bonus. Andy 1 Link to post
Guest sykospain Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 (edited) I always read the "Most Critical" reviews at the bottom of the page on any Amazon product. Reading these I'd say "Don't waste your hard-earned loot." I honestly think that all the so-called Positive reviews on Amazon are written by their cleaning ladies, with the warehouse boss breathing down their necks then stop-watching their toilet breaks. Horrid outfit. Try writing a critical review yourself on anything that you've bought from them - if your review incudes the word "Amazon" it's automatically rejected. There's fascism for you. Strong and stable leadership.... Edited May 5, 2017 by sykospain Link to post
Derek_Mac 1,404 Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 (edited) And I thought 'I' was cynical. Edit: Tee, hee. Edited May 5, 2017 by Derek_Mac Link to post
Guest Tiny Tim Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 (edited) Being on a bike with no kick start and unable to bump start(DCT), why would you not want to carry one. Or is that the Boy Scout in me? Edited May 22, 2017 by Tiny Tim Link to post
SteveThackery 3,090 Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 11 hours ago, Tiny Tim said: Being on a bike with no kick start and unable to bump start(DCT), why would you not want to carry one. For exactly the same reason I don't carry one in my car (I always buy automatics): because the last time I needed emergency help with a knackered battery was in 1987 (I remember it well). There's no way I'm going to carry a box around with me to handle those once-in-thirty-years events. Especially as the box itself will require more attention to keep it charged and ready to go than the vehicle it's supposed to be supporting. Do you carry one in your car? I bet you don't. So why carry one for your bike? 2 Link to post
Tex 36,817 Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 (edited) 42 minutes ago, Tiny Tim said: To each, his own. If I could have a £1 coin for every flat battery I went to (that owners weren't expecting!) during my AA career I would take Mrs Tex on a luxury world cruise! Or, send her to New York shopping while I rode somewhere exciting! Edited May 24, 2017 by Tex 4 Link to post
SteveThackery 3,090 Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, Tex said: If I could have a £1 coin for every flat battery I went to (that owners weren't expecting!) during my AA career I would take Mrs Tex on a luxury world cruise! I guess there are two ways to get a flat battery. One is to leave something switched on, which could - I guess - happen to anybody. The other way is for the battery to fail due to old age (or, rarely, a reliability failure during its normal life span). It's this latter case I've been thinking about. When I was a reliability engineer, systems with "fall back" or "standby" facilities were common. The portable starter box by Dagoke is a good example of this: it works as a standby option when the main system (the battery) has failed. Now, reliability engineers know that you must take into account the reliability of the standby system as well as that of the main system. By that I mean that when you come to need your standby system, you might find it, too, has failed. For instance, you might not need the portable starter for ten years, and then on the occasion you do need it, you discover its internal battery had leaked and failed years ago (this is just a made up example to illustrate why standby systems don't always work). What makes it worse is that it is much harder to detect a failure in a standby system (in reliability engineering this is known as "fault coverage" of the standby system, and it is almost always lower than the fault coverage of the live system). This increases the chances of it having suffered an undetected failure (undetected until you need to use it, I mean). That's why many systems have routine testing of the standby half - regular starting and running of standby generators, for instance. I don't know how long LiFePO4 cells (as used in these portable starter boxes) last, nor how tolerant they are of things like being left discharged for a time. But the conclusion from my experience as a reliability engineer is that - if you are going to carry a portable starter with you, - you need to take seriously the need to keep it properly charged and also to test it every so often so you know it's still working. For me that is probably too much bother, but I do appreciate that it's just a judgement call and for some people it makes sense. Edit: I've just been checking the reviews on Amazon. There are some questions about the durability of the device, it seems. Edited May 24, 2017 by SteveThackery 1 Link to post
ste7ios 469 Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Jump starters use mostly LiCoO2 batteries. LiFePO4 chemistry is not suitable for this application because of their lower energy density, and lower voltage. As for every lithium battery, the self discharge rate is extremely low so they don't need any maintenance. For storage it's best to have them only partially charged at about 30% - 60% in a cool place... The charging is fast and it's not a problem to fully charge it before a travel (~2h are enough to fully charge them...) Because most of lithium batteries except LiFePO4 are unstable it's better not to leave them inside a (hot) car, and be careful when charging them... Just avoid to charge them near flammable materials... It's not a bad idea to have one when traveling in the country, away from the civilization... Have in mind that many no name jump starters states some amazing capacities but that's deceptive... 1 Link to post
steelhorseuk 1,690 Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 If you are like me when travelling/touring. You have your phone and your camera charging on the bike overnight with the bike alarm enabled and wonder why the battery is flat in the morning .... heehee, not really, I been lucky so far..... But I always have something charging overnight on the bike when I am away. -Mark- Link to post
SteveThackery 3,090 Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 1 hour ago, ste7ios said: Jump starters use mostly LiCoO2 batteries. LiFePO4 chemistry is not suitable for this application because of their lower energy density, and lower voltage. Ah, thank you; I'm happy to stand corrected. It's not a bad idea to have one when traveling in the country, away from the civilization... I agree - it's all about circumstance. In those circumstances, where the consequences are much more serious, it would tip the balance of the argument for me, and I'd carry one. As I say, there is no "correct" answer to this - it's just about how each of us evaluates the cost/benefit/risk factors. Each of us will weigh them differently. Let me just remind you that I was answering the question "Why would you not want to carry one", and I explained why I wouldn't. I'm not suggesting for a moment that you, or Tiny Tim, shouldn't carry one! Link to post
Guest Tiny Tim Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Cor, what a palaver! My point was that with a bike that has no secondary means of starting, a "get out of Jail Free Card" is a handy option to consider. and, after all, you've got to find something to put in the frunk! If you don't want one, then don't buy one. I have one and it's got me out of the clag several times. In truth, the alternative is to wait 30 - 40 minutes for the breakdown man. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice Link to post
SteveThackery 3,090 Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 1 hour ago, Tiny Tim said: My point was that with a bike that has no secondary means of starting, a "get out of Jail Free Card" is a handy option to consider. and, after all, you've got to find something to put in the frunk! Out of interest, I was wondering when the last car with a secondary means of starting (i.e. a starting handle) was made. The consensus on t'internet seems to be that it was the 2CV, made up until 1990. Link to post
SteveThackery 3,090 Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 1 hour ago, Tiny Tim said: Cor, what a palaver! This isn't a palaver, it's a discussion (or debate, maybe?). We love debates! Link to post
ChrisCB 6,672 Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 I carry one of these. www.antigravitybatteries-uk.co.uk/microstart-jump-starter/micro-start-xp-1.html Link to post
larryblag 14,236 Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 Just to be sure it doesn't cause any ecu or other damage you could disconnect the negative pole and apply the device directly to the battery for a few minutes first? Link to post
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