I’m using both bikes soon for a trip to the Smokies (my brother is coming out from Colorado to ride the other ST). Am I overthinking a dead battery situation and do they make an SAE connector for charging the battery with a jump starter? I’d rather not spend the money if it’s unlikely I’ll ever use the charger, but I guess I worry about the age of the 2000‘s battery. Thanks!
These jump starters use an EC-5 connector. You can buy these connectors. You can also buy heavy duty SAE pigtails rated at 10 amps. Connect an EC-5 connector to the 10 amp SAE pigtail and now you can plug anything you want in to the jump starter including connecting it to the SAE connector on your motorcycle.
Its one of those things i hope ill never need, but.....
Since you do a lot of camping, it can be handy even if you never use it to jump start your motorcycle. Besides using it to charge your electronics at night, or while on the road, by setting up a connector (see above) you can use it for whatever you want. I have used mine for running an 12V air compressor when I had a flat, a 12V air mattress inflator, etc.. It can be handy.
Just a note:
I saw a news report about the possibility of the lithium battery inside these jump starters catching fire when left inside a closed vehicle in the blazing sun when the temperatures inside the vehicle become extreme. I have no idea what temperature is required to create a danger, or how much of a risk it is, but the warning was to not leave these inside a hot vehicle.
I suspect that this is not an issue on a motorcycle. Motorcycles do not have all of the windows that let the sun in but do not let the heat out causing progressively increasing temperatures like what happens to the inside of a car with closed windows.
I carry one on my ST and have not had a problem.