Battery tender

[Eddy Alvarez]

I have a dumb question...

I purchased a 2005 R1200GS on Saturday. I rode it to work on Monday and Tuesday (30 min each way). When I get home I plug her up to the battery tender but each time, the light on the Battery Tender just flashes red and she won't take a charge. I tried both of my Battery Tenders just to be sure and they both worked fine on my Suzuki.

This morning I turned the key and nothing...no starter clicking, no horn, no dash lights, nothing...I have placed a call to the previous owner to ask if it was a original battery (which after 6 years, it would be well overdue for a replacement) and to the dealer that sold it to me just to see if they would be willing to chip in for a $100+ battery after selling it to me five days ago...

Finally, my quesiton is: Should plugging the Battery Tender (with the BMW adapater) into the plug in just left of the instrument panel charge or the one under the left side of the saddle charge my battery the way it did on my F650GS?

I am going to access the battery tonight and hook the charger directly up to it overnight and see what that does. Either way, it sounds like I'm looking at a very expensive battery after owning it for less than a week...

[3dpano]

connect it directly to the battery. My Yuasa charger worked for the Honda and KTM but not when plugged in the BMW accessory socket. Something to do with the CanBus thingamajig... disconnecting the socket after a few seconds.

[smartin108]

3dpano is right. You cannot plug your battery tender into the power outlets on your bike. That connection gets terminated form the battery after a delay when you turn off the key. Only the BMW charger will work that way. No problem, though. Just wire your pigtail directly to the battery and all is well.

[Eddy Alvarez]

Many thanks! Will purchase a pigtail on the way home today! Hopefully the battery is not 100% dead, but nonetheless, I don't think I trust it enough to take it deep into the Jefferson National Forest anymore!

I new one will be installed soon...Now I just need to do some research and find out which one is best, that will fit without cutting.

Thaks again!

[pdxrmccgs]

I'm down for the proposition that 2 years is the limit of reliable
battery life for the GS. Compared to what is demanded of the
battery with the GS they are just to small. Batteries have
individual personalities and some guys report O.K. up to
5,6,7 years but that is the exception. The characteristics of
a sealed Glass Mat motorcycle battery are much different than
a car battery. Lots of battery discussion on the forums.

A AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery can take a charge (surface
charge) and still be shot. There is no way to test them like the
old floating ball electrolyte test on car batteries as they are sealed.

The other little rude scenario is supposedly the bikes engine computer
is required by EPA to sense the battery condition and if its getting
below a certain level while running (to much load for alternator and
battery to keep up) that indicates improper or incomplete combustion,
to shut the bike off. Heating gear for two can suck up a lot of
amps.

[3dpano]

Originally Posted by Eddy Alvarez

Many thanks! Will purchase a pigtail on the way home today! Hopefully the battery is not 100% dead, but nonetheless, I don't think I trust it enough to take it deep into the Jefferson National Forest anymore!

I new one will be installed soon...Now I just need to do some research and find out which one is best, that will fit without cutting.

Thaks again!

The Yuasa Smartshot 900 is good. Recommended to me by my KTM mechanic at the time and it comes with the pigtail with an inline fuse.

$30 bucks at Amazon.com ( Amazon.com: Yuasa YUA1200901 Smartshot 12V 900 mA Battery Charger/Maintainer: Automotive)

[pdxrmccgs]

Do yourself a favor and get a high end "smart charger". They are
capable of delivering a maintenance charge and desulphating.

Your battery if good and if charged properly should be showing 12.6 to 12.9 volts.

[3dpano]

I hear the Optimate 4 is a good choice and reasonnable price AND you can plug it in the BMW socket... is this true

[marc]

Originally Posted by 3dpano

I hear the Optimate 4 is a good choice and reasonnable price AND you can plug it in the BMW socket... is this true

The newest Optimate works with the BMW socket on the newest bikes.

TecMate Company World Wide says:

CAN-bus program: the KEY-LESS activation program guarantees automatic re-opening of the connection even with the ignition not turned on.

[t6pilot]

+1 for the optimate DUAL works super, be sure you get the dual charging one works with canbus through accessory port