BMW Maintainer Charger

[Redman]

2004 R1150RT I got in 2014. And it came with a BMW maintainer battery charger with the BMW type connector (whatever that type is called) that is for the aux outlets on side of the bike. Previous owner had the bike since 2010.

 

The charger says "BMW Advanced Battery Charging System. For BMW Motorcycle Batterys."

Says 12vdc 1.25amps.

Has "12 0807" stamped on the bottom.

 

Other than the logo and lettering and the connector, it looks exactly like the Delran Battery Tender I have had for maybe 15 years.

Right down to the details of the case and the fasteners used, the lights, the labels that described the functions of the lights, the "made in China" sticker, the numbers stamped on the bottom (alothouh the Delran has "12 2804") . It looks like the same unit, even when look in through the vent slots.

 

But I fully realise with a few compnent changes it could operate at differnt set of amps or  voltages or differnt time delays.

 

But let me describe this:

I can have the RT1150 off the charger, parked for just a couple days, then plug in the BMW charger and it charges for most of the day, with red light on for several hours, then goes to flashing green (80% I think) for a few more hours before going to solid green. Over all about 12-14 hours. 

Now I know the RT has a big huge ($200) battery. Has BMW battery from dealer 3 years ago. I dont know the AmpHour rating. I think the charger has always operated that way, takes all day or overnight to go solid green.

 

Now: my Delran Battery Tender on 14 amphour battery (YB14LA2) in Suzuki. I can leave that parked for 3 weeks, in cold garage. Plug in the Battery Tender, and it Is solid red for maybe 15 minutes, flashes green for another 20 minutes or so, then is solid green. Same/similar on Honda with a 14 AH battery. 

 

I know the AmpHour rating of the BMW battery is lot more than battery in Suzuki.

 

But I ask:

Does anybody know if the BMW charger has that much differnt characteriscts than the Delran......?

Enough to cause the difference I mention....?

 

Oh, Hey..... Maybe I dont properly recall if it is a BMW battery that the dealer installed..... (Odyssey??)

What is the chance the BMW charger isnt exactly proper for the battery I have.

 

 

[dirtrider]

17 minutes ago, Redman said:

2004 R1150RT I got in 2014. And it came with a BMW maintainer battery charger with the BMW type connector (whatever that type is called) that is for the aux outlets on side of the bike. Previous owner had the bike since 2010.

 

The charger says "BMW Advanced Battery Charging System. For BMW Motorcycle Batterys."

Says 12vdc 1.25amps.

Has "12 0807" stamped on the bottom.

 

Other than the logo and lettering and the connector, it looks exactly like the Delran Battery Tender I have had for maybe 15 years.

Right down to the details of the case and the fasteners used, the lights, the labels that described the functions of the lights, the "made in China" sticker, the numbers stamped on the bottom (alothouh the Delran has "12 2804") . It looks like the same unit, even when look in through the vent slots.

 

But I fully realise with a few compnent changes it could operate at differnt set of amps or  voltages or differnt time delays.

 

But let me describe this:

I can have the RT1150 off the charger, parked for just a couple days, then plug in the BMW charger and it charges for most of the day, with red light on for several hours, then goes to flashing green (80% I think) for a few more hours before going to solid green. Over all about 12-14 hours. 

Now I know the RT has a big huge ($200) battery. Has BMW battery from dealer 3 years ago. I dont know the AmpHour rating. I think the charger has always operated that way, takes all day or overnight to go solid green.

 

Now: my Delran Battery Tender on 12 amphour battery (YB14LA2) in Suzuki. I can leave that parked for 3 weeks, in cold garage. Plug in the Battery Tender, and it Is solid red for maybe 15 minutes, flashes green for another 20 minutes or so, then is solid green. Same/similar on Honda with a 14 AH battery. 

 

I know the AmpHour rating of the BMW battery is lot more than battery in Suzuki.

 

But I ask:

Does anybody know if the BMW charger has that much differnt characteriscts than the Delran......?

Enough to cause the difference I mention....?

 

Oh, Hey..... Maybe I dont properly recall if it is a BMW battery that the dealer installed.....

What is the chance the BMW charger isnt exactly proper for the battery I have.

 

 

 

Afternoon Redman

 

Your battery charger needs to match your BATTERY, not the motorcycle.

 

You need to look at your battery then determine what type it is, conventional Lead Acid, AGM, or GEL. 

 

Once you determine battery type then you need to call  Deltran with your battery charger information & ask if that charger is suitable for your specific battery. 

 

2 battery chargers can look identical but the charging voltage,  absorption current, & algorithms might be vastly different. 

 

As far as your different battery charge time from red to green goes?-- larger amp hour battery's take longer but also how low the battery is at start of charge  makes a difference (your BMW has a higher patristic drain than your  Suzuki does)

 

 

[Redman]

5 hours ago, dirtrider said:

 

...........

 

 

Thanks DR,

I shall identify my battery better per your suggestion.

 

I found the service order from when battery was replaced in 2016.

It says "Battery Gel R11's"......

...... and has a part number 61212356800 , which I find is BMW part number for the BMW Exide Sealed Gel battery rated at 19 AmpHour. 

 

 

https://www.shopbmwmotorcycles.com/p/BMW__/Battery--maintenance-free/42763123/61212346800.html

 

https://www.bobsbmw.com/store/product/bmw-battery-12v-19ah-sealed-gel-3-deep

 

///////////QUOTE FROM Bob's

Genuine BMW Battery, 12 volt-19AH Sealed GEL (3" deep

This is a sealed, high output AGM battery that can be shipped complete.

//////////ENDQUOTE

Hum, the main description says "Gel", and later says "AGM". All the other places say GEL, I will go with that.

 

So, to me, seems to be the stock BMW battery, so I am thinking the stock BMW charger should be appropriate (or enough so).

 

Well, unless, someone says the stock battery for 02 R1150RT was other than "GEL", 

 

 

 

[dirtrider]

13 hours ago, Redman said:

Thanks DR,

I shall identify my battery better per your suggestion.

 

I found the service order from when battery was replaced in 2016.

It says "Battery Gel R11's"......

...... and has a part number 61212356800 , which I find is BMW part number for the BMW Exide Sealed Gel battery rated at 19 AmpHour. 

 

 

https://www.shopbmwmotorcycles.com/p/BMW__/Battery--maintenance-free/42763123/61212346800.html

 

https://www.bobsbmw.com/store/product/bmw-battery-12v-19ah-sealed-gel-3-deep

 

///////////QUOTE FROM Bob's

Genuine BMW Battery, 12 volt-19AH Sealed GEL (3" deep

This is a sealed, high output AGM battery that can be shipped complete.

//////////ENDQUOTE

Hum, the main description says "Gel", and later says "AGM". All the other places say GEL, I will go with that.

 

So, to me, seems to be the stock BMW battery, so I am thinking the stock BMW charger should be appropriate (or enough so).

 

Well, unless, someone says the stock battery for 02 R1150RT was other than "GEL", 

 

 

 

 

Morning Redman

 

The 61212356800 is a GEL battery so takes a special GEL rated battery charger (your Deltran might or might not meet that spec, you will have to call.

 

Well, unless, someone says the stock battery for 02 R1150RT was other than "GEL", -- The 2002  BMW  1150RT did not come stock with a GEL battery it came with a conventional lead acid.  According to an old BMW service bulletin that I have BMW stared phasing the GEL battery into 1150 production with the introduction of the twin spark engine.  

[Redman]

15 hours ago, dirtrider said:

.

. .. According to an old BMW service bulletin that I have BMW stared phasing the GEL battery into 1150 production with the introduction of the twin spark engine.  

 

Thanks, DR.

Is amassing the knowledge you have, and the other info you have access to.

 

Ah, so 2002 RT stock battery was probably standard lead-acid, with the GEL starting in 2004.

 

One detail for me to repeat: THe charger I am using on the 1150RT with BMW GEL battery is a BMW branded "BMW Advanced Motorcycle Battery Charging System" "1.25vdc".  (Has the connector for the RTs aux port.)

THE BMW charger does look exactly like my other one, (more details in original post) a "Delran Battery Tender" except for the logos and the numbers stamped on the bottom. .

The numbers on bottom of the BMW charger are "12 0807" that I suspect mean 1.25amp  week 08 year 2007.

(The BatteryTender has had some, ah, non-stock modifications-repairs after having an unfortunate incident of being half run over.) 

 

At first I was asking if anyone knows if the BMW specific unit any different than the generic Delran unit.

 

Now we are discussing in general, what charger is needed for a GEL battery.

 

I understand a charger meant for the lead-acid flooded cells will charge to a bit lower voltage.  THE chargers for the sealed AGM and GEL will charge to a little higher voltage because those batterys can tolerate that. If charged a flooded lead-acid battery to the higher voltage they will gass off more (some might call "boil off").

SO if my "BMW Advanced Motorcycle Battery Charging System" is meant for flooded lead acid, but am using it on GEL battery, then the problem might just be that is not charging to as high of voltage as could be.

 

I did find an email for Deltran tech support.

I gave the numbers on the bottom, and asked if the BatteryTenderPlus is appropriate for the AGM battery (I think so). And I asked if the BMWAdvanced is appropriate for GEL.  I also included the picture, maybe that not a good idea (thier liability concern may not like my modification har har har)

 

Edited November 17, 2019 by Redman
email tech support

[dirtrider]

10 hours ago, Redman said:

 

Thanks, DR.

Is amassing the knowledge you have, and the other info you have access to.

 

Ah, so 2002 RT stock battery was probably standard lead-acid, with the GEL starting in 2004.

 

One detail for me to repeat: THe charger I am using on the 1150RT with BMW GEL battery is a BMW branded "BMW Advanced Motorcycle Battery Charging System" "1.25vdc".  (Has the connector for the RTs aux port.)

THE BMW charger does look exactly like my other one, (more details in original post) a "Delran Battery Tender" except for the logos and the numbers stamped on the bottom. .

The numbers on bottom of the BMW charger are "12 0807" that I suspect mean 1.25amp  week 08 year 2007.

 

(The BatteryTender has had some, ah, non-stock modifications-repairs after having an unfortunate incident of being half run over.) 

 

At first I was asking if anyone knows if the BMW specific unit any different than the generic Delran unit.

 

Now we are discussing in general, what charger is needed for a GEL battery.

 

I understand a charger meant for the lead-acid flooded cells will charge to a bit lower voltage.  THE chargers for the sealed AGM and GEL will charge to a little higher voltage because those batterys can tolerate that. If charged a flooded lead-acid battery to the higher voltage they will gass off more (some might call "boil off").

SO if my "BMW Advanced Motorcycle Battery Charging System" is meant for flooded lead acid, but am using it on GEL battery, then the problem might just be that is not charging to as high of voltage as could be.

 

I did find an email for Deltran tech support.

I gave the numbers on the bottom, and asked if the BatteryTenderPlus is appropriate for the AGM battery (I think so). And I asked if the BMWAdvanced is appropriate for GEL.  I also included the picture, maybe that not a good idea (thier liability concern may not like my modification har har har)

 

 

Morning Redman

 

See if you can find any other numbers on that BMW charger.  You are looking for something like  72 60 7 679 040, or  99 99 0 005 370, or 99 99 0 005 656. That type of number anyhow, as those 3 are BMW chargers,  are GEL rated (non can-bus era though), & all 3 look like aquarium pumps.

 

Most (older) BMW branded chargers 'that I know of'  for the GEL battery looked like aquarium pumps not old style battery chargers.

 

Just keep in mind that I am far from a BMW GEL battery charger expert as I personally use, & have always used, non BMW branded GEL & AGM battery chargers that meet my & my battery's needs. 

 

GEL battery charging is kind of fiddly & special, using a lead acid battery charger on a GEL battery can easily damage it.  GEL battery's are easily heat damaged with charging voltage input being one factor but most GEL battery chargers use  'constant current' to prevent battery overheating & damage. Most good GEL chargers are also temperature compensated.

 

You might possibly get by with a quick charge on your GEL battery using a lead acid type charger but no way should you allow it to stay connected for long term storage.  

 

Just keep in mind that it is easy to damage the BMW Excide GEL battery using an incorrect charger & once damaged there is no recovering what was  lost . 

[Redman]

Okay, thanks.

I am concerned about this, since I had that BMW Advanced....... on the BMW Excide GEL battery almost all the time for 3 years (and intermittently since got it home here this summer).

 

 

 

Perhaps this is what you mean by "aquarium pump" style.

https://www.bmwlt.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2529&title=bmw-charger-72-60-7-679-040&cat=22

 

BMW Charger 72 60 7 679 040

[dirtrider]

6 minutes ago, Redman said:

Okay, thanks.

I am concerned about this, since I had that BMW Advanced....... on the BMW Excide GEL battery almost all the time for 3 years (and intermittently since got it home here this summer).

 

 

 

Perhaps this is what you mean by "aquarium pump" style.

https://www.bmwlt.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2529&title=bmw-charger-72-60-7-679-040&cat=22

 

BMW Charger 72 60 7 679 040

 

 

Morning Redman 

 

Yes, to me those look like aquarium pumps.

 

Well, maybe that charger is OK, if it hasn't killed your Excide GEL battery in 3 years then it can't be that bad. Those Excide GEL batteries barely last 3 years even with the correct charger.