'14 RTW Battery Charger

[tlc]

I got my '14 RTW today (quartz blue metallic, all option packages), and the expensive BMW charger that is supposed to work with their canbus system does not seem to be working. I got that charger when I bought my '08 RT, and it worked fine with it. Did BMW change something?

[tlc]

The charger seems to be working now. The charge light showed red for about the first two hours of charging. It now shows green, or fully charged.

[Nomore76]

Is there something wrong with using a Battery Tender Jr wired directly to the battery terminals? That is what I've been using. The pigtail was installed by my dealer before I ever saw the bike.

[TEWKS]

Worked just fine on the K1600 and plan on moving the Tender over to the R very soon.

 

 

Pat

[strataj]

Is there something wrong with using a Battery Tender Jr wired directly to the battery terminals? That is what I've been using. The pigtail was installed by my dealer before I ever saw the bike.

 

Nope, this is the only way you can use this tender with the bike. The cam bus shuts down the BMW sockets unless it's a tender that can communicate with the cam bus system. I'm using my Battery Tender Plus the same way. Keep in mind you should have a 3A fuse as part of the pigtail.

 

Jay

 

[TEWKS]

Worked just fine on the K1600 and plan on moving the Tender over to the R very soon.

 

 

Pat

 

After rereading my post, I should of said worked just fine after wiring the B/T pigtail to the battery.

 

Pat

[MikeLang]

Will there any harm to the bike electronics to use a battery charger that also does desulfation?

[5336G]

Will there any harm to the bike electronics to use a battery charger that also does desulfation?

 

I have used the BatteryMinder desulfating chargers on all of my motorcycles, autos, and aircraft for many years with fantastic results. They are each hooked directly to the batteries in each application.

[Alfred02]

Not sure if the 2014 is using a GelCell and not a WetCell battery.

De-sulfunation is for WetCells only, as you find in most cars (and bikes), but not generally BMW's.

Now I am not 100% sure.

And if it's using an AGM battery, then yes, you will be able to use that function.

Personally, I would use that function just once every 6 months and have the battery disconnected from the bike, as that function works by driving the charging voltage higher then normal and I would be slightly concerned of possibly harming the electronics.

You don't have to pull the battery out, just disconnect the positive or negative lead on the bike (whichever is easier), do that charge process and when done hook it back up again.

[MikeLang]

The reason I asked was that I saw this in the 2014 Owner's Manual:

 

Charge connected battery

--------------------

Charging the connected

battery directly at the battery

terminals can damage the

motorcycle electronics.

To charge the battery via the

battery terminals, disconnect the

battery first.

 

[MikeLang]

Not sure if the 2014 is using a GelCell and not a WetCell battery.

De-sulfunation is for WetCells only, as you find in most cars (and bikes), but not generally BMW's.

Now I am not 100% sure.

And if it's using an AGM battery, then yes, you will be able to use that function.

Personally, I would use that function just once every 6 months and have the battery disconnected from the bike, as that function works by driving the charging voltage higher then normal and I would be slightly concerned of possibly harming the electronics.

You don't have to pull the battery out, just disconnect the positive or negative lead on the bike (whichever is easier), do that charge process and when done hook it back up again.

 

The 2014 Owner's Manual said it's an AGM battery.

 

[kgerry]

seems you've answered your own question...

 

as i understand it the desulfation process ramps up voltage beyond what the bike would normally see under use or possibly higher than certain electronic components are rated for....

 

if the bike is designed to run at 12-14 volts and the capacitors on a certain circuit board are rated to say 16 volts all is good... but if the battery charger takes things up to say 18 volts then you run the risk of damaging them....

 

i use an Optimate 4+ Canbus model.... which charges but i believe does not do desulfation...

[Nbtstatic]

seems you've answered your own question...

 

as i understand it the desulfation process ramps up voltage beyond what the bike would normally see under use or possibly higher than certain electronic components are rated for....

 

if the bike is designed to run at 12-14 volts and the capacitors on a certain circuit board are rated to say 16 volts all is good... but if the battery charger takes things up to say 18 volts then you run the risk of damaging them....

 

i use an Optimate 4+ Canbus model.... which charges but i believe does not do desulfation...

 

I have the same one, and it actually does, but it can detect when the battery is still connected to the bike and will only do a "low volt pulse desulfation" in that case. It will do the full desulfation only on a battery it senses is disconnected. I believe when used through the Canbus it is always in the low volt mode though.

NB