What is this tool?

[Francis]

Battery on my 2002 R1150RT drained out and I had to call for assistance. When the tow truck arrived we took off a few fairing screws to loosen the fairing and gain slight access to the hot side of the battery. He used a flat copper bar about 6 " long and 1.5 inches wide,1/8 in thick and split down the middle to slip under the body work and onto the positive terminal. He then connected the positive clamp from his charger onto this bar and the ground went onto the frame. Bike started right up.

 

Anyone know what the copper tool was? It save having to take off all the plastic to get to the batery.

[Slyder_Steve]

Francis,

 

Sounds like a specially made jumper of some sort. It does exactly what you describe--transfers the juice to otherwise not accessable power points. Long screwdriver does the same thing, just not as sexy.

 

Slyder

[BMWRich58]

Used for years on side post batteries in auto's.

As you know,the battery can be pretty much hidden from view in a car,and or have poor access.

This tool allows the connection of battery cables and or battery powered devices to those side posted batterys.

 

[Francis]

Thanks Steve and Rich. Rich, do you know the name of this tool or where it is available?

[BMWRich58]

http://www.toolsource.com/battery-adapter-side-terminal-p-77333.html

 

[Gregori]

Later model RTs had a nifty side-post adapter, allowing you to jump it easily. The parts are available to retrofit earlier bikes - I bought them and did it to my '02. Bike has been sold, so I can't take pics, but I'm sure someone else can do that...

[BMWRich58]

Yep the "starter side post thingy"....good idea but dropped by BMW.

[twilmotte]

The jumper post on positive battery anode on older RTs was a good design for emergency jumper starts. But most owners (like me) probably replaced their original BMW batteries with a PC-680 or WestCo and may not have been able to use it because the battery posts on the new batteries were in slightly different postions. (I never figured out how to retain the BMW jumper post with my PC-680 and discarded it.) I was happy to read on this post that a well placed screwdriver will work in a pinch. I never thought about that. Thanks.

[Peter Parts]

Nice tool if you're in a hurry. Basic jumpering is to get juice into your battery, not to crank engine via the cables and tool.

 

Even a light charger through the accessory plug will get you going, if you leave it maybe 30 minutes.

 

I added one of those side hot spots for like $12 (I needed to drill a hole in my starter motor cover). But never have needed it. Yet.

[11101110]

I have some anderson connectors that I will be installing for a jump point if it ever warms up. I'll carry a small jumper cable as well.

[ChrisC]

Anyone know what the copper tool was?

 

Why not just install the battery boosting lug that they installed on all 2004 and up models?

 

The parts are inexpensive, the job takes well under an hour if you take your time and the end result is equivalent to factory.

 

Here is an installation:

OEM BMW Battery Boosting Lug