1200 battery problems

[mrreese]

Just picked up a new leftover '08 K1200S and I'm having an issue with the battery. The dealer tells me that if the bike is left dormant for more than 2 days, it must be hooked up to a tender. Supposedly the computer's draw is enough to drain a fully charged battery in a matter of days. This sounds absurd, since my other BMW's can sit for 2 months with no charger, and still start. Any feedback on this will be appreciated.

[cjack]

Just picked up a new leftover '08 K1200S and I'm having an issue with the battery. The dealer tells me that if the bike is left dormant for more than 2 days, it must be hooked up to a tender. Supposedly the computer's draw is enough to drain a fully charged battery in a matter of days. This sounds absurd, since my other BMW's can sit for 2 months with no charger, and still start. Any feedback on this will be appreciated.

Not true. The drain on the battery should be around 10ma or less. Mostly less. I let them sit (K12S) about 3 to 4 weeks and then put the tender on it. The battery goes to float on about 10 hours or less. Mostly less again.
Note that a battery self discharges faster in the summer (warm) than in the winter.
Your battery is probably hurting. It may have been allowed to go flat by the dealer for prolonged periods of time sitting in the showroom. If the battery is less than 2 years old, and cannot hold a charge, the battery is under full replacement warranty.

[mrreese]

Thanks Jack. It didn't sound right to me that BMW would make such a design error. Otherwise it would be similar to a hybrid, spending more time being plugged in than ridden.

[pfiedler]

I too had similar problems with my brand new 2008 K12GT. The battery would die in about 3 days which was very disconcerting to say the least on a bike that only had 350 miles on it!

My dealer (MAX BMW / N. Hampton, NH) was fabulous. They replaced the battery under warranty with a much better BMW gel-type battery. They did wrench a few extra bucks from my pocket, as I purchased a CAN-BUS compatible battery tender (BMW). The combination has been perfect however. The tender keeps the battery in the green and it starts without hesitation every time since.

Worth the extra dollars to know you don't have to hassle removing cables from the battery so you can put a charger on it! Did that once and that was enough for me.

Ride safe!! :clap

Peter

[CptnHornblower]

I had an R1100RT, K1200RS (and a BMW Z3 Automobile) and they all drained the battery way faster than any other brand vehicle I've ever owned (and I'm pretty old). I just bought a new 08 K1200GT and the first accessory I bought was a charger under the assumption that it too would die quickly. Not sure why, I assumed it was the computer on all three of them.

[gregfuess]

Count my lucky stars, so far. My 08 K12S is now one year old, has 15,000 miles and has sat as long as several weeks without running, and has always started without hesitation. Course, now that I have written this...

Greg

[Mudbug]

They replaced the battery under warranty with a much better BMW gel-type battery. They did wrench a few extra bucks from my pocket, as I purchased a CAN-BUS compatible battery tender (BMW).

I was not aware that there is a CAN-BUS compatible battery tender. There is a gel battery compatible battery charger/tender. Gel batteries require a different battery charger than lead acid / AGM type batteries. Using a non gel compatible charger to charge a gel battery will damage the gel battery and decrease its life.

I do not consider a gel battery to be better than a sealed lead acid battery. I consider it inferior. Gel batteries tend to quick working abruptly without much warning and it needs a special battery charger.

I just changed out my 5 year old gel battery for a sealed lead acid battery. It's much cheaper. Better battery.

[Semper_Fi]

I was not aware that there is a CAN-BUS compatible battery tender........


The CAN-Bus compatible charger is so that you can charge the battery thru the accessory socket

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm43/Semper_Fi_LR/Junk/71607688865.jpg

[Mudbug]

I found this article on Max BMW site. BMW battery charging procedure (http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/service/batteries.html)

If they are correct, $160 for a battery charger to charge through an accessory port on a CAN-BUS bike is too expensive. The alternative is to disconnect the battery to charge it. Not much of a choice. I'll stick with the the older, simpler bikes.

[GeoBeemer]

I have a 2006 K1200R and it matches the symptoms here in this thread. I charged the battery a little and then 'jumped' it with the charger. I then rode it around for 30 minutes and got gas. Bad idea! The bike didn't have enough juice to start up again.

The result is an action of my choice I guess but now I need to replace the battery. It doesn't look like it will take a charge anymore. Besides going to BMW has anyone replaced their battery with a non-bmw type? If so what type and where did you get it?

While I am at it, is there any evidence that charging the battery at the terminals without disconnecting the power cable causes any harm?

[Gilly]

My 07 can sit for a week or two and start no problem.
Gilly

[CptnHornblower]

Buy an appropriate charger, charge it every time you park it, and 30 min won't work.

[GeoBeemer]

Buy an appropriate charger, charge it every time you park it, and 30 min won't work.

Have a good charger but didn't think I needed it every week. As stated in other posts one would think you could go a few weeks without a charger. My GS doesn't seem to need a charger except in the winter. BTW, both bikes get a charger during winter.

Any recommendations on a battery?

[CptnHornblower]

I'd use a replacement factory battery. The trick is keeping it charged. All but Nicad batteries don't like getting run down before recharging, so the more you keep it topped off the happier it is.

[6bikes34yrs]

I can let my '06 K12GT sit for 2 weeks and it starts with just a little more starter time than if I ride it every day. (yeh, I know, why do I leave it sit for 2 weeks. Life happens!!) I have the stock battery in it from '06. I do not use a charger during the summer and haven't had a problem.

[Jeff]

I have a K1200R 2006, Owned since new, 34000 mi, still on original battery, I use battery charger once a month only during the winterf lay up. during the summer I have had NO issue with the battery or charging system. The bike may sometimes sit 2 weeks with no use. No issues, NO starting problems. You have something wrong this is not normal.

[GeoBeemer]

I bit the bullet and bought a new battery and it is a good thing I did. The stock Exide battery had a bulge on both sides of one of the cells. Apparently one of the cells had gone bad. Went to the local dealer and they sold me a Yuasa battery for $102 out the door with an adapter so I can connector a charger to it without having to remove the cover.

I installed everything and it started right up. I even hooked up the charger for a couple hours to the new adapter and life is good!

My K1200R does not get ridden near as much (10%) as the GS. For some reason I tend to go faster on the K1200R:dunno so it goes out on feel good days on the weekend....preferably early. The lack of riding clearly took a toll on the battery so I will try to ride at least once a week. This should help things out.

[surfajoe]

Has anyone else had this problem?
Last summer, I rode from S. Carolina to the Hoover Dam without incident, but after stopping at the dam for refreshments, my K bike would not start...nothing!!! Just the brake light indicator came on but otherwise, nothing. However, when my tow came about 4 hours later, the bike started right up??? It did it again a week later when I drove from Las Vegas to Barstow. Both times, the BMW dealership could not find anything wrong, even though the bike was not functioning when they received it the 2nd time. While I was at a rally in Wa., I was told by other beemers that the problem is probably my gel battery???

[PowderkegPete]

I have a K1200S -- a year and a half post delivery. So far, no problems with the OEM battery.

When I put the bike away for the winter I did put it on a charger - a BMW charger that I bought online from a BMW dealer. I had been told that anything other than a BMW charger would damage my battery and only a BMW charger would allow me to charge through the accessory port.

When I received my "BMW" charger I was surprised to find that it looked identical to my Battery Tender Plus charger except for the Beemer logo on the front. On the back, the label said, "Made by Deltrans," the maker of Battery Tenders. I removed the cover and checked inside. All the components are identical in both the Deltrans Battery Tender Plus and the "BMW" battery charger. The kits differed only in that the "BMW" charger included the lead for the accessory port.

When I tried to charge through the accessory port, no dice. I learned that post 2004 bikes won't charge through the accessory port because of the CANBUS.

My bottom line advice to anyone out there needing a battery charger for a post 2004 Beemer is to buy a Deltrans Battery Tender Plus. It is identical to the BMW charger (made by Deltrans) except that it won't have the accessory port lead that does not work for charging on post 2004 bikes. Install the ring terminal leads by hard-wiring them to your battery. Charge your battery by by plugging the charger into the offset SAE connector at the end of the ring terminal leads and leave it connected except for when you go riding. Both Deltrans and the Deltrans/BMW chargers are compatible with lead acid, gel and matte batteries.

Pete

[cjack]

Did you plug in the tender, turn on the key and then turn the key off? That should allow charging at the accessory jack in that the jack will then stay hot while it charges.

[PowderkegPete]

Cjack,

Wasn't aware that one could do the key trick. I'll try it. Frankly, with the ring terminal pigtail hard-wired to my battery with its convenient SAE connector, I don't see a lot of advantage, if any, charging through the accessory port. I charge with the key off.

Pete

[cjack]

Me too...directly to the battery. It was interesting as to just what BMW had in mind though and how they did it. I thought at first that only the BMW charger (the over $120 dollar one) some how was necessary to keep the port open when the key was turned off, but it turned out that any charge current thru the port would keep it open until the charger went to float. Add to that, I think the characteristics of the port operation has changed from '05 until now.
I just put a charging wire onto the battery as you however. I actually use the Gerbings pigtail which I need there anyway...and it's fused, etc.

[85K100LT]

Please go to this site and look at the application guide:

http://www.odysseyfactory.com/powersports.html


PC680 for the K1200RS,LT sealed unit.


The ODYSSEY® battery can handle it.
Featuring rugged construction and packed tightly with pure lead plates, the non-spillable AGM design ODYSSEY battery protects against the shock and vibration that can quickly destroy other batteries. And the pure lead plates mean more power—twice the overall power and three times the life of conventional batteries—up to 400 cycles at 80% depth of discharge!



BMW does not make batteries or chargers they just slap there emblem on what they approve. Granted they only approve quality stuff but you will pay for the privilage of having there logo on your purchase.:banghead

[ksport]

K1200R Sport 2 yrs old. Battery died and I use battery tender. But I was lucky had about a month left on warranty, dealer replaced it.

[Clay]

Just picked up a new leftover '08 K1200S and I'm having an issue with the battery. The dealer tells me that if the bike is left dormant for more than 2 days, it must be hooked up to a tender. Supposedly the computer's draw is enough to drain a fully charged battery in a matter of days. This sounds absurd, since my other BMW's can sit for 2 months with no charger, and still start. Any feedback on this will be appreciated.

There has been some discussion of this over on the i-bmw.org site..seems that a few have found that their ABS modual was at fault and remained on and did not cycle off after the key was in the off position thus there was a drain of the battery. It was found by a BMW Tech Rep that was called in to diagnose the problem.

I had an accessory mounted option with a relay that had shorted to the on position that drained my battery on my '08 K1200S. Problem was discovered by my local dealer after bike didn't start after sitting for about a week..fyi..battery was replaced under warranty by same dealer...

Regards,

Clay
Kimberton,Pa.