Charging a battery

[christine]

Is it possible to jump-start a bike by attaching the charger to the ignition wires?

[Tiggie]

The ignition switch wires are far too thin to cope with the kind of power a battery charger outputs.

 

Something would end up melting 

 

Is there a reason you can't attach the charger to the actual battery terminals? 

[husoi]

You can...

 

I wouldn't do it because the current will be too high for the ignition wires as stated by @Tiggie

 

Any charger cables should be connected directly to the battery. This will allow a charger to be connected even when ignition is off.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

As above, but jump-starting off a charger isn't a good idea unless it is a dedicated jump-start charger which most motorcycle chargers aren't. Chargers typically put out around 14v at 1amp or less. To jump start you're talking about a lot more amps needed. Charging and jump starting are different things.

[kevinduke]

No. You should never do this. The ignition switch wires are too thin, and high power can melt them.

 

In fact, you should never bypass the motorcycle fuse. Let the fuse melt first before any major circuit damage.