Battery Tender/Gel Battery

[Softtail]

I have a 2002 RT which I purchased new with a "Battery Tender Plus, Advanced Battery Charging Sytem". About a year ago I purchased a BMW Gel Battery. I also have a gel battery on my FXSTC. Is the battery charger that I have compatable with the gel batteries??<<<Softtail>>>

[Ken H.]

Well this whole thing is starting to evolve into a 'religion'. Sort of like the, "What oil is best for my bike?" question.

 

But I keep coming back to one particular point - If all these various battery designs were so darn persnickety about what charger you can use on them when the bike is sitting in the garage, how can the bike that has a single charging system in it charge them ALL correctly when your out riding the thing? We change battery types in our bikes, but nobody's recommending (or even has) a different alternator/regulator we're suppose to be changing out to accomodate the new ________ battery design.

[Chugger]

Well this whole thing is starting to evolve into a 'religion'. Sort of like the, "What oil is best for my bike?" question.

 

But I keep coming back to one particular point - If all these various battery designs were so darn persnickety about what charger you can use on them when the bike is sitting in the garage, how can the bike that has a single charging system in it charge them ALL correctly when your out riding the thing? We change battery types in our bikes, but nobody's recommending (or even has) a different alternator/regulator we're suppose to be changing out to accomodate the new ________ battery design.

What a great felling! Charging my battery with the same charger I use for my car and marine batteries. Placing those big cable clamps to the battery posts under the seat. I laugh as I look at the BMW charger on the shelf.

[Ron Jarvis]

As Ken H knows well, I have taken his advice numerous times. We are 8 miles apart. I've charged my gel battery (R1100 bike) numerous times via the aux. outlet - no problem. Ron

[Ken H.]

Placing those big cable clamps to the battery posts under the seat.

Well I didn't say blow the damn battery up!

 

To clarify a bit, modern 'smart', 'tender' type regulated chargers. Not the 30 AMP monster brute force one for the 6-ton diesel truck!

[JamesB]

The original black charger/tender from BMW is only compatible with liquid electrolyte (traditional lead acid) batteries.

 

The later black "advanced" charger from BMW is supposed to be compatible with gel and liquid electrolyte batteries.

 

More than you wanted to know:

If you want to use one of the black "advanced" charges on the newer canbus RT's and their gel batteries, you need to attach the charger directly to the battery for charging (it won't work through an accessory plug). The newer bikes require a newer [read - "more expensive"] charger (grey in color) to charge a gel battery through the accessory plug.

[RCS]

"But I keep coming back to one particular point - If all these various battery designs were so darn persnickety about what charger you can use on them when the bike is sitting in the garage, how can the bike that has a single charging system in it charge them ALL correctly when your out riding the thing?"

 

As Ken probably knows, in a lot of the past Battery Tender/Gel battery threads I posed the same question.

 

Unless a battery manufacture RESTRICTS the use of their XX brand battery due to the EXISTING charging system IN MY BIKE, I'll continue to use my regular, non-specific battery tender on gell batteries.

 

regards