Battery optimiser

tc3nitro

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Morning fellow Gser's !

I have a 2015 1200GS TE and I'd like to fit battery optimiser whilst it's stood over the winter.

I already have a ctek unit for my sports bike and I'm wondering if I can buy another for my GS or do I need something that won't damage the canbus system ?

I'm hoping you guys can help me with this.

Thanks in advance.

Mark
 
The BMW socket on the dash really requires a canbus charger.
You can connect directly to the battery and use a normal trickle charger. My choice would be something like the Oxford Optimiser 900 as it switches off totally when the battery is recharged, then back on when the voltage drops. It comes with the fly leads etc. If you normally buy motorcycle magazines they are always doing free chargers with a subscription for a year:
https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/practical-sportsbikes-magazine

Don't worry about damaging anything using a bike trickle charger connected direct to the battery. After all the bikes alternator output is more aggressive in charging when the bikes running.
 
If you are storing the bike over winter - (and since battery is very accessible).........

Take the battery out, fully charge it - and leave it in the kitchen/utility room.

When you are ready to fit in the start of the year - it's ready to go.

Al
 
You don't need another charger - neither bike needs the charger connected full time. I would have fly leads to the battery on both bikes and then swap the charger from one to the other. Frequency of swapping would depend on whether the bikes have parasitic loads like alarms or LCD displays like my R1150GS that eventually drained the battery. If there is no load then an AGM battery will remain at full charge for a couple of months. Your 2015 GS will have an AGM for sure. If the sports bike is older it may have a "wet" battery that needs more frequent attention, but should still be happy for several weeks without any charge if there is no load to drain it.
 
Blackal said:
If you are storing the bike over winter - (and since battery is very accessible).........

Take the battery out, fully charge it - and leave it in the kitchen/utility room.

When you are ready to fit in the start of the year - it's ready to go.

Al
Click to expand...

+1 with the above, or if you do not want to take the battery out, just charge the battery up every times it gets a bit low, as them trickle chargers are battery killers, they are ok for a week or 2 but I would not leave it on all winter.
 
Not all trickle/smart chargers are the same. Just pick one that switches off when the battery is charged, I.e not a constant trickle charger. There's plenty to choose from. My R1150GS has been on one when not in use for several years. No damage whatsoever.
 
fatnfast said:
Not all trickle/smart chargers are the same. Just pick one that switches off when the battery is charged, I.e not a constant trickle charger. There's plenty to choose from. My R1150GS has been on one when not in use for several years. No damage whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Agree I always use Optimate 4, its a good bit of kit, but I still do not leave it on all the time.
 
Get yourself a Ctek Comfort Indicator for each of your machines and connect your Ctek to one of them. They'll all be flashing green assuming a good starting level of charge and obviously the connected one will be being actively maintained. When one of the others starts to flash amber, move the Ctek to that one and leave it there til another calls for attention. I've used one Ctek between 2 bikes and a stored car this way for several years. For info, the indicator flashes green when fully charged, goes amber at 80% and red at 60%. Even an occasional check is enough to never see a red light.
 
Sea Dog said:
Get yourself a Ctek Comfort Indicator for each of your machines and connect your Ctek to one of them. They'll all be flashing green assuming a good starting level of charge and obviously the connected one will be being actively maintained. When one of the others starts to flash amber, move the Ctek to that one and leave it there til another calls for attention. I've used one Ctek between 2 bikes and a stored car this way for several years. For info, the indicator flashes green when fully charged, goes amber at 80% and red at 60%. Even an occasional check is enough to never see a red light.
Click to expand...

Good little tip, I only have one bike so I just look at this Optimate battery level, and when it gets down to Yellow, I put the Optimate 4 on the bike then.

https://www.optimate.co.uk/products/o124-monitor-eyelet?category=SAE+Accessory+Leads

Or you can use this also if you need to charge your phone as well as monitoring the battery level.

https://www.optimate.co.uk/products/o100-usb-charger?category=SAE+Accessory+Leads
 
You can get a voltmeter for very little money. Wire the positive to any 12V switched live and earth the other side.
It will show volts drop when engine starts and how quickly the battery recovers.
I don’t have power to the garage so use a Lithium starter battery.
Differences to lead acid are subtle but big gain is no damage when left unused and a lot less weight. Never use a smart charger on a lithium.
 
why is the BMW battery charger designed for the bike not popular ?:nenau
 
QRF said:
why is the BMW battery charger designed for the bike not popular ?:nenau
Click to expand...

It’s designed to plug into the power socket but has to contend with canbus switching everything off.
An Optimate connected direct to battery is more reliable and is supplied with its own little connector.
 
Bendy toy said:
It’s designed to plug into the power socket but has to contend with canbus switching everything off.
An Optimate connected direct to battery is more reliable and is supplied with its own little connector.
Click to expand...

The BMW charger is specifically designed to use with canbus. Just plug it in (it already fitted with the correct plug) and away it goes. No fitting fly leads etc. I have one on my LC (Xmas prezzi) and it's been 100% reliable as you would expect.
Maybe it's the higher cost or people already have a charger from a previous bike?
 
Blackal said:
If you are storing the bike over winter - (and since battery is very accessible).........

Take the battery out, fully charge it - and leave it in the kitchen/utility room.

When you are ready to fit in the start of the year - it's ready to go.

Al
Click to expand...

Smogbob said:
+1 with the above, or if you do not want to take the battery out, just charge the battery up every times it gets a bit low, as them trickle chargers are battery killers, they are ok for a week or 2 but I would not leave it on all winter.
Click to expand...

STORING the battery in a cold environment is much better than storage in a warm environment.

A battery CHARGER, permanently connected, would kill a battery. Optimates and CTEKs are rather more sophisticated and are specifically designed to be permanently connected.

For the OP, a CTEK CT5 Powersport seems about right. Buy it, connect it and leave it alone. Don't be tempted to unplug for a while - when you reconnect it restarts the charging algorithm again and you risk overcharging.
 
20170206_1925191_zpsbltqbh7i.jpg


Sea Dog said:
Get yourself a Ctek Comfort Indicator for each of your machines and connect your Ctek to one of them. They'll all be flashing green assuming a good starting level of charge and obviously the connected one will be being actively maintained. When one of the others starts to flash amber, move the Ctek to that one and leave it there til another calls for attention. I've used one Ctek between 2 bikes and a stored car this way for several years. For info, the indicator flashes green when fully charged, goes amber at 80% and red at 60%. Even an occasional check is enough to never see a red light.
Click to expand...

I have a pair on my Polaris - one for each battery. By connecting a CTEK to the primary battery, the tactical battery isolator will reconnect the secondary battery when the primary is charged meaning that both batteries are always properly tended.
 
The canbus is clever stuff and chargers like Optimate are clever. Those sold to work with the BMW canbus do the job but it’s another layer of electronics to get muddled up. IMO keep it simple and use the little connector provided by Optimate.
Alternatively use a lithium battery which does not need a battery tender. They have advantages and disadvantages compared to lead acid. Some time with Google will give all the information you need.
 
Greg Masters said:
20170206_1925191_zpsbltqbh7i.jpg
Click to expand...

I have one of those Ctek Comfort Indicator Panels my Narrowboat to keep an eye on the starter battery (the domestic bank charging/monitoring arrangements are a bit more sophisticated). Good bits of kit, aren't they.

On the garage fleet, it's the smaller Comfort Indicator Connectors I use, which are easy to tuck away on a bike. I've always managed to find a way to tuck it being a side panel such that the flashing indicator is either directly visible or, as on my Thunderbird, reflects in the engine case. That way you can keep an eye on the state of charge without having to access the connector unnecessarily.

I haven't had a look at the BMW bike charger, but their car ones are rebranded Ctek.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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