Gel Battery charger

[SK_in_AB]

Just got a new (to me ) 06 R1200RT. I understand the gel battery is different that what is on my old RT. Can I safely use the low amp smart charger I have on the gel battery.

 

Or do I have to shell out for a newer charger?

[BeemerLover]

I need to know about this too. I had been using an $8 trickle charger from Harbor Freight that worked extremely well on my R1200C with the vented battery. I now have an '07 RT that I bought used.

 

Gael

[Ken H.]

Presuming your charger is one of the 'smart' controlled cycle chargers, "Battery Tender" is one brand name, yes you can us it. The charge curve for gel batteries is slightly different, but not enough to matter.

[George Brown]

Presuming your charger is one of the 'smart' controlled cycle chargers, "Battery Tender" is one brand name, yes you can us it. The charge curve for gel batteries is slightly different, but not enough to matter.

b]Be Careful![/b] I'm not an expert, but here's my recent experience: I bought and installed a WestCo AGM battery late last December. I kept the bike on a Battery Tender (note: not a Battery Tender Plus) whenever bike was in garage.

 

During summer, I began to notice that the ABS wouldn't reset when I left the house but after riding a few miles (usually less than 10), I could shut off the bike and restart it while riding and the ABS would reset. Sometimes, I had to do this OFF/ON routine a couple of times but usually within 10 miles it would reset. I also noticed that within a minute or two of connecting the Battery Tender the green light would come on and the red light would go off.

 

Note: The BT only annunciates charging (red light) and charged (green light) whereby the BT+ (and the BMW charger, which I think = a BT+ plus $25 as they both look and smell a lot alike) annunciates charging (red light on), 80% charged (red light on and flashing green light) and charged (red off and green on steady). It also signals wrong polarity (flashing red).

 

I trailered the bike to the UN in early September, but on the way down we spent a night at our daughter's, two nights on a sailboat on the Chesapeake and one night in a motel. I hooked up the battery tender at my daughter's but not for the next three nights. When I got to the UN and unloaded the bike the battery was dead as could be. I jump started the bike using jumper cables (purchased from RidersWarehouse, with usual disclaimer) with my van. After a short ride the ABS reset OK. While at the UN I rode every day and did not use the battery tender and everything was OK.

 

After riding the last day I spent at the UN, I loaded the bike in the trailer that evening but did not rig up the battery tender. The next evening when I got home there was not sufficient cranking power to start it.

 

Since then, the ABS situation worsened to the point that I could not get it to reset. Also, the cranking power was lessened and a couple of times I did not have enough battery power to start the bike when cold. It would only crank for a few seconds (<5 sec). Warm restarts when riding was not a problem.

 

My bike, which I have owned since '99, has always had a small electrical leak that has run batteries down if not left on the BT for two to three days. The previous owner had installed a full boat load of aftermarket radios and communications gear. I've chosen to manage this problem with the BT rather than did into it to solve it.

 

This AGM battery seemed to be deteriorating much faster than the conventional lead acid batteries I have used for the last 8 years. I got two to three years out of them usually several complete discharges due to my neglecting to connect the BT after a ride. This was not the case with the AGM battery and except for those two times mentioned above of not using the BT, it was always connected. Plus, the deterioration was noticed before the two complete discharges.

 

Last Monday, I purchased a BMW battery and a BMW battery charger. I’ve observed that with the BMW charger the 80% charged signal comes on within a few minutes (usually < 3 min) but, the completely charged indicator does not happen for several hours. I’ve charged the old AGM battery once with the BMW charger and its fully charged no-load voltage is 12.9 vs. the new battery at 13.49. I haven't had time and weather to get more than a couple short rides in with the new battery but so far the ABS system still won't reset even after riding 30 miles. I plan to stop by a dealers and have the ABS system put on the diagnostic equipment. Hopefully they may be able to reset something.

 

I suspect that using the original BT and not completely charging the battery for several months is what killed it rather than the couple complete discharges.

 

I’m now committed to resolving the electrical leakage problem on my bike and I want to do some more testing with the battery chargers.

 

One more note: on the BMW Charger's Package it stated that for 2005 and later bikes the battery should be removed from the bike to be charged rather than through the accessory plug. Must be a can-bus thing.

[Ken H.]

I kept the bike on a Battery Tender (note: not a Battery Tender Plus) whenever bike was in garage.

Well I did say it needs to be one of the current smart chargers that sense battery charge level and adjust their charge, maintenance curves appropriately.

[stubblejumper]

Since Deltran makes both the Battery Tender,and the BMW charger,I would hope that they know what they are talking about when it comes to charging the batteries in BMW motorcycles.

http://www.batterytender.com/