Making Battery Cables

[The Prophet of Doom]

Here is how I make battery cables...
I know some people find this intimidating, but for the price of getting the cables made up, you can buy all the gear you need and still have some change.

I'm using silicone coated fine strand cable I got from Aliexpress at about $8/metre.  It's good up to 200Deg C and very flexible.  Excellent quality.
The terminals are SC16-6.  I'd have preferred SC16-4 (smaller 4mm hole) but I didn't have any. 

   
• Slip on a 40mm pice of shrink tube.  Im using 10mm RSFR-H 125 Deg C.  Keep this well clear of the heat till you are ready for it.
• Cut away the silicone coating the exact length of the terminal body, and insert a few mm short of fully seated.  It's easier if you twist with the curve of the strands as you insert.
• Hit it with a propane torch.  Mine is a Bernzomatic TC8000, but most anything decent will do.  Tiny torches will take longer, mine only takes a few seconds till it's hot enough to melt solder.
• Feed a few inches of flux-core electrical solder into the hole at the top, heating the terminal, not the solder.
• While the solder is still molten, tap the top with some scrap so it seats nicely.
• While it's still warm, squeeze a driver bit which will deform the case and lock the cable in place
• Coat the join with a fine bead of hot melt glue.  You can use glue coated shrink tube which is better, but a lot more expensive.
• Slip the heat tube and shrink on with a heat gun or hair dryer or a gentle flame

You are done

[Rikugun]

I made a set of cables for Vision No. 1 with wire not nearly as nice as this. Silver Vision is due a set and I think I'll source some cable like you have used. Nice tutorial and the picture w/the driver bit clarified that detail. Thanks.

[artbone]

I bought two sets of cables from a company in LA, can't remember the name, one set for my 75 Triumph T160 and another for one of my Norton Commando, for a ridiculously amount of money. I installed the ones on the T160 and was amazed at the difference. It really made a noticeable difference. I ordered some of the same type cable and some ends and made a set for the Vision and they came out great and really do the job and they are much cheaper than the made-up sets.

[motoracer8]

 Real battery cables on a electric start Norton Commando will actually make it start with the starter.