Gel Battery Charger: Fact or Fiction?

[Hollow Road Rider]

My '04 1150RT has a gel battery. I ran across this on the web:

BMW Motorrad USA Service Bulletin

Date: April 2003

Bulletin No: 61 002 03 (007)

“Instructions for Handling Gel Batteries”

 

This document basically says that I will probably ruin my battery and other components of my electrical system if I use anything but a BMW battery charger.

 

Is this true?

 

(I could include the whole document, but it's long.)

[drjay]

I have used a Battery Tender, the smart kind, for about 4 years with my BMW gel battery. I haven't killed the battery, the bike, or myself.

[terryofperry]

Not true, but you will need one that will charge GEL batteries at the proper rate.

 

My BMW Gel battery is 6 years old and started right up today.

This is the charger I use and I got it at Lowe's for less than $80. It has settings for Gel, AGM and conventional. It will trickle charge, and 2 higher rates, and will jump start my tractor. Do a google search on charging batteries and go to the manufacturers web sites and read. BMW does not make batteries, oil, filters, tires, etc.

 

 

http://www.blackanddecker.com/productguide/product-details.aspx?productid=15579&toolview=2#details

 

Just my opinion

 

Ride safely

Terry

[KER]

the BMW gel charger is just a Deltran Battery Tender Plus with a bmw outlet plug. Go onto amazon, order the battery tender plus, then order an adapter from bmw. Together they should still be atleast half of the price of the "BMW Gel Charger"

[squints]

I have a Battery Tender that I bought in 2001 before the gel batteries were around in BMW's. I still use it on my 2004 RT which has the original battery in it. Mine didn't show any signs of weakness when I last used the bike in December 2009. In fact it's on the battery tender as we speak.

[Ken H.]

Gel Battery Charger: Fact or Fiction?

Fiction.

 

While there are differences in ideal charging curves, they are so minor as to be inconsequential.

 

Think about it, if you change battery types in the bike you don’t have to do anything to ‘tell’ the bike there is a different kind of battery in it. And it charges them all just fine.