A long motorcycle trip usually means a lot of electronics; a laptop or tablet for blogging and photo editing; the ubiquitous smart phone; a camera, possibly with a few power-demanding accessories such as a flash, or an external audio recorder for video; the helmet cam, of course; maybe an intercom; a head torch; an electronic tyre inflator. All this equipment needs charging, which usually results in a bag of power leads, chargers and spare batteries taking up valuable pannier space. The challenge for the space-conscious traveller is therefore how to reduce this clutter.
There is, of course, one other piece of equipment that needs power - the one that you are riding. Being able to re-charge cameras and the likes for your motorbike is a great advantage, but what’s the plan if and when the moto’s battery goes flat? It is essential to have a failsafe solution; a dead GoPro battery is an irritant, but a dead moto battery, when you’re in the wilderness without a companion to help with a jump-start, can become a dangerous situation.
’I've been progressively working on the perfect power management solution for a few years now. Much can be achieved by bringing the 12V socket into the heart of the system - after-market camera battery chargers, for example, are available which run off the 12V socket. Furthermore, a USB adapter for the 12V socket can provide power sources for several devices. But relying on the 12V tethers you to the bike, and still requires a few extra leads.
Maybe, therefore, a system that uses only USB is the Holy Grail? That’s what I set out to explore.
Let’s start with the most important power requirement - the ability to jump-start a flat motorcycle battery, when on your own and without a hill to bump-start the bike. The obvious solution is a dedicated jump-start battery. Antigravity Batteries have established themselves as one of the leading manufacturers of portable jump-starters. They produce a selection of very compact jump-starters of various capacities under the name ‘Micro-Start PPS’, all of which are charged with a wall-charger for from a 12V socket; that is, except for the recently released Micro-Start Sport. Now we have a very small power pack capable of jump-starting engines up to 5 Litre V8s, which charges from a USB socket.
So here I had a start point for my USB-only solution; not only could I re-charge the Micro Start Sport off the bike’s USB socket, I could also re-charge all my USB devices from its single USB output socket when away from the bike. By carefully selecting the various electronic devices I would take with me, I got close to an all-USB solution: my camera (Lumix GX80) can be charged via USB, and many compact cameras now include this feature; so too my phone, GoPro and Intercom; and Petzl make an excellent head torch which charges from USB. Had I not required my laptop’s photo-editing power, I would have opted for a tablet / keyboard combo for blogging and browsing - also USB-chargeable.
The first impression of the Micro-Start Sport when you pick it up is one of quality. It is very compact and relatively lightweight, but the construction feels bombproof. The design is clean and simple, with a bank of LEDs to indicate the charge status, and with an integrated LED torch that can be set to constant beam, strobe or SOS beacon. An auto shut-off mechanism maintains the battery’s power when not in use. It comes in a compact pouch, which includes a pair of mini jumper clamps and a 4-in-1, USB charging cable, with mini USB, micro USB and both Apple’s 8- and 30-pin heads.
For those seeking an even more compact solution, Antigravity provide a Starting Harness which does away with the need to carry the jumper clamps. With the harness permanently connected to the battery, the small plug at the other end inserts directly into the Mirco-Start. An added advantage of using this harness instead of clamps is that the plug can be located on the bike in such a position that avoids the need to remove the seat - and thus your luggage - to access the battery.
Review: paul pitchfork - antigravity batteries
So here I had a start point for my USB-only solution; not only could I re-charge the Micro Start Sport off the bike’s USB socket, I could also re-charge all my USB devices from its single USB output socket when away from the bike. By carefully selecting the various electronic devices I would take with me, I got close to an all-USB solution: my camera (Lumix GX80) can be charged via USB, and many compact cameras now include this feature; so too my phone, GoPro and Intercom; and Petzl make an excellent head torch which charges from USB. Had I not required my laptop’s photo-editing power, I would have opted for a tablet / keyboard combo for blogging and browsing - also USB-chargeable.
The first impression of the Micro-Start Sport when you pick it up is one of quality. It is very compact and relatively lightweight, but the construction feels bombproof. The design is clean and simple, with a bank of LEDs to indicate the charge status, and with an integrated LED torch that can be set to constant beam, strobe or SOS beacon. An auto shut-off mechanism maintains the battery’s power when not in use. It comes in a compact pouch, which includes a pair of mini jumper clamps and a 4-in-1, USB charging cable, with mini USB, micro USB and both Apple’s 8- and 30-pin heads.
For those seeking an even more compact solution, Antigravity provide a Starting Harness which does away with the need to carry the jumper clamps. With the harness permanently connected to the battery, the small plug at the other end inserts directly into the Mirco-Start. An added advantage of using this harness instead of clamps is that the plug can be located on the bike in such a position that avoids the need to remove the seat - and thus your luggage - to access the battery.
The small harness
removes the need for
starting clamps