Battery Chargers

[guest2360]

My point was these things are branded BMW but not sold through their bike dealers.

[David.]

Some BMW Bike Dealers do sell Optimate Battery Chargers, I've seen them at Barrie Robson BMW York.

[guest2360]

Optimate yes, normal aftermarket stuff, but these chargers are branded BMW  but no BMW bike dealer sells them and they are not listed in Real OEM bikes.

[David.]

Have been using the Optimate for over a year on the NineT and for the past few weeks on the R1200RT. Works like a charm. The BMW dealer recommended this one over the BMW, which is a nifty unit, purely on price (almost half).

I'm surprised that BMW Dealers are recommending the use of non-OEM Battery Chargers.

[guest2360]

I'm surprised that BMW Dealers are recommending the use of non-OEM Battery Chargers.


Don't think they are, just giving you a choice. I have never trusted Optimate since they started printing "suitable for Gell Batteries" on the box.  This was a few years ago when Gell ones starting to be used. When you got it home be read the small print they pointed out they meant back up batteries in things like house alarms, not starter batteries. Once bitten, twice shy.

[David.]

The Optimate 4 is recommended for AGM/MF, Standard, GEL and spiral cell batteries.

"The only motorcycle battery of a genuine Gel construction is a hybrid starter/DC battery made by Exide for BMW".

[guest2360]

Now only fitted to all pre 2014 R Series bikes and the 1600s. It's a big old lump compared to the AGM one on the LC.  I agree Optimate 4 is OK. It took them some time to get there though. 

[David.]

Looks like the Original Optimate was produced in 1995, http://www.optimate1.com/CHARGER, all suitable for STD., AGM. & GEL. type batteries.

The first Optimate would charge Batteries up to 50 Ah.

[guest2360]

My last word on this subject.
A dealer might recommend one unit over another but the reason will have more to do with mark up than performance. Aftermarket items can have double the mark up of OEM items.  At the end if the day they are there to make a living.
We ride one of the most expensive touring bikes around and BMW provide all the necessary accessories for their maintenance and long life.
I can see no point in buying aftermarket chargers, brake pads, oils or anything else just to save a few quid.

[David.]

I'm resigning from any further input.

[guest2826]

Looks like the Original Optimate was produced in 1995, http://www.optimate1.com/CHARGER, all suitable for STD., AGM. & GEL. type batteries.
The first Optimate would charge Batteries up to 50 Ah.

Indeed I remember this. I was riding Harleys at the time but not using the bike every day. After having experienced more than one flat battery I looked for a charger. "Smart" chargers were then fairly rare and the old style chargers that you could not leave on indefinitely were more common. I bought an Optimate 1 and it lasted for around 13 years, using it very frequently. I don't ride daily and sometimes a bike might not be used for months but would stay on charge.

I have never had a flat battery again on any of the wide range of bikes I owned since buying that Opti and subsequently CTEKs. Nor have I suffered the fried battery that you sometimes hear about.

Smart chargers are a marvellous invention in my view as an infrequent rider. I doubt there's much to choose between makes though, but personally I would exclude the very cheap ones and stick with the well known brands like Optimate, CTEK, BMW. If I didn't have my CTEK charger when buying my RT LC last year, I may well have bought the BMW one. Whichever, I'd certainly never be without one as an infrequent rider.

[David.]

The first M/C Battery Charger which I purchased was made by FKI in the UK, it's a 6/12V unit with fixed outputs of 750 & 500 mA respectively.

In the 12V mode with a 0.5A output, it's most unlikely to cause any damage to a 19 Ah Battery.

Chargers like this are still available,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Battery-trick ... 1c3c9de761



The Datatool Charger which I've now had for 12 years, successfully maintains my car (MF),  Yamaha (STD) & RT (GEL) Batteries.

[guest2826]

That's interesting David. I recall using my old Optimate 1 on both the old style wet batteries with removable cell caps, as still fitted to my Enfield some years ago, and the MF types too as just about every make started to fit those. It did the job on both as far as I could tell in that the batteries were kept charged for indefinite periods.

I've used my CTEK on a couple of cars as well, as I have a model with two ranges that suits both low and higher Ah batteries and in fact the RT needs the car setting. There's also a setting for certain types of AGM batteries like Odyssey but I've never used that as I don't have such a battery.

I doubt there is much difference in charging qualities between the latest Optimate or CTEK or BMW or as you mention, Datatool etc. so price apart, the differences are probably just superficial in the appearance, indicator lights etc. They tend to bring out new models every so often but I suspect that's more down to marketing than any real improvements in charging though sometimes it's due to new battery or other technology, like the BMW bus system.

[David.]

From what I can remember, the 6V setting was used on a Honda C90.

[David.]

I've used my CTEK on a couple of cars as well, as I have a model with two ranges that suits both low and higher Ah batteries and in fact the RT needs the car setting.
There's also a setting for certain types of AGM batteries like Odyssey but I've never used that as I don't have such a battery.

As far as I know, the RT LC has a type of AGM Battery.