BrianMullins
04-23-2005, 02:45 PM
I am confused about connecting a battery charger to my new R1200RT with its CAN-bus electrical system and a gel battery.
I am using the "Advanced Battery Charging System (by Deltran) Programed for BMW Gel Batteries" (BMW part No. 99 99 0 005 656). The BMW Accessories catalog says that the battery should be disconnected when using this charger on the 2005 bikes. However,the Rider's Manual that came with the bike says that a proper charger can be connected through the accessory socket. To do this it says to first switch on the ignition; then connect the charger; then, turn off the ignition. The Manual goes on to say, "The motorcycle's onboard electronics know when the battery is fully charged. The onborad socket is switched off when this happens."
I tried this after the bike had not been ridden for about two weeks. The result was that charger did the normal Battery Tender thing: solid red light on for a breif time; then solid red and flashing green light (>80% charged) for about 30 minutes; then a steady green light (red light off) for a short period of time; and finally, when the onboard socket switched off, a blinking red light indicating that the charger was no longer connected. The whole process took about 40 minutes.
It's interesting to note that the onboard socket stayed on for that long, because the Manual says that it should normally disconnect within about 15 minutes after the the ignition is turned off. Without the charger connected, that is about how my bike works. However, with the charger attached, the socket stayed connected for a considerably longer period, presumably until the motorcycle's electronics detected that the battery was fully charged.
OK, so that seems to work for a one time charge, but if left unattended for a long period of time with the charger on and connected to the bike, I wonder if the onboard socket will turn back on when the battery's charge state drops below a certain level? Somehow, I have a hard time believing that the bike is that smart!
I have looked everywhere on the web to find more information about charging the batteries in the '05 bikes, but can't find anything definitive. My dealer doesn't seem to have any information either; all they could tell me was that I had the right charger for a gel battery. I suppose that disconnecting the battery before charging it is the safest way, but that's a pain and really shouldn't be necessary, since the manual says that a "suitable charger" can be connected through the accessory socket. Anybody know what a "suitable charger" is?
If anyone has some solid information on this subject, I hope that they will kind enough to pass it on. Thanks ahead of time!
Brian Mullins
MOA Treasurer
I am using the "Advanced Battery Charging System (by Deltran) Programed for BMW Gel Batteries" (BMW part No. 99 99 0 005 656). The BMW Accessories catalog says that the battery should be disconnected when using this charger on the 2005 bikes. However,the Rider's Manual that came with the bike says that a proper charger can be connected through the accessory socket. To do this it says to first switch on the ignition; then connect the charger; then, turn off the ignition. The Manual goes on to say, "The motorcycle's onboard electronics know when the battery is fully charged. The onborad socket is switched off when this happens."
I tried this after the bike had not been ridden for about two weeks. The result was that charger did the normal Battery Tender thing: solid red light on for a breif time; then solid red and flashing green light (>80% charged) for about 30 minutes; then a steady green light (red light off) for a short period of time; and finally, when the onboard socket switched off, a blinking red light indicating that the charger was no longer connected. The whole process took about 40 minutes.
It's interesting to note that the onboard socket stayed on for that long, because the Manual says that it should normally disconnect within about 15 minutes after the the ignition is turned off. Without the charger connected, that is about how my bike works. However, with the charger attached, the socket stayed connected for a considerably longer period, presumably until the motorcycle's electronics detected that the battery was fully charged.
OK, so that seems to work for a one time charge, but if left unattended for a long period of time with the charger on and connected to the bike, I wonder if the onboard socket will turn back on when the battery's charge state drops below a certain level? Somehow, I have a hard time believing that the bike is that smart!
I have looked everywhere on the web to find more information about charging the batteries in the '05 bikes, but can't find anything definitive. My dealer doesn't seem to have any information either; all they could tell me was that I had the right charger for a gel battery. I suppose that disconnecting the battery before charging it is the safest way, but that's a pain and really shouldn't be necessary, since the manual says that a "suitable charger" can be connected through the accessory socket. Anybody know what a "suitable charger" is?
If anyone has some solid information on this subject, I hope that they will kind enough to pass it on. Thanks ahead of time!
Brian Mullins
MOA Treasurer