Gear guide: Putting a Mobile Phone Charger on your Motorcycle

Ever had your mobile run flat when you've been out motorcycle camping?

I recently put a mobile charger on my bike. Not being able to buy one here in Canberra, it turned into a DIY job. I scoured the car shops looking for a cigerette lighter attachment with flat wires (the thing you plug the cigerette lighter in to). I found one at Repco. A quick check with Hal at TJ's Tyres that it would do the job and it's all good.

It had clamps on the end, so I chopped the clamps off and I put round ends on that would fit my battery terminals. I also put a fuse on, just to be sure. I put the fuse on the positive wire. I then connected the round ends to the battery and the fuse wire to the positive terminal.

For the housing I used a empty film case with a lid. I cut a hole in the bottom of the case pushed the wires down through it and taped it all up with gaffer and electrical tape I then taped it to the frame of the bike down near the footpeg on my shadow 750. It's not very noticalble and is very waterproof.

On our camping trip to Queensland, I charged two mobile phones using my bike and I had no trouble with the battery. As a precaution I only charged the phones in the morning when the bike was not running.