1300 GSA BMW battery maintenance

[grantmac]

would like to buy one of the BMW versions that plug into the DIN socket on the bike. For my GSA 1250 I have this one.....




but I cant find it to easily and when I google BMW battery chargers this is the one I get.


Is the second one just the upgrade / newer model of the previous one?

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

The top Black edition is the one you need for the 1300GS with the Lithium battery.

 

[leadfarmer]

The second one is a rebranded Ctek charger, which are excellent chargers but nothing to do with the BMW Plus in the top picture

 

[Welsley]

Rebranded CTEK 5.0 version is the latest one. Works perfectly on my 1300 GSA attached to the DIN socket.

 

[Smartbazza]

Need to get a lithium specific charger. I’d recommend the BMW as my battery and bike electrics were never the same after using another brand through the socket. To the point I first got a free BMW charger then a new GS.

Use any other type suitable for lithium direct to the battery or the BMW charger through the socket.

Barry

 

[wessie]

Use any other type suitable for lithium direct to the battery or the BMW charger through the socket.

direct to battery every time for long term maintenance, especially where the owner will be in a different country for much of the time

 

[Deleted account 251212001]

Need to get a lithium specific charger. I’d recommend the BMW as my battery and bike electrics were never the same after using another brand through the socket. To the point I first got a free BMW charger then a new GS.

Use any other type suitable for lithium direct to the battery or the BMW charger through the socket.

Barry

That is no longer the case Barry - there was a bmw software update to the initial bikes due to a can bus charging issue, as confirmed by optimate (it was posted on another thread) , and proven by me as I am using an optimate lithium charger through the socket with no problems , optimate sold by nippy Norman for the R1300 and it works fine.

 

[RadioFlyer]

CAN-bus has nothing to do with charging. That's a popular misconception.

 

[Deleted account 251212001]

CAN-bus has nothing to do with charging. That's a popular misconception.

whatever the socket is known as , it works fine charging via it with an optimate 4 quad.

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

CAN-bus has nothing to do with charging. That's a popular misconception.

If canbus says no. No charging !

 

[RadioFlyer]

If canbus says no. No charging !

Sorry but you are a victim of the popular misconception. A bus just serves as a communications medium. It does not have any ability to control charging. There are no CAN messages required to open or close the charging port.

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

Sorry but you are a victim of the popular misconception. A bus just serves as a communications medium. It does not have any ability to control charging. There are no CAN messages required to open or close the charging port.

I thought the charger "shock hands" with the canbus and said yes or no ?
The canbus being the information super highway.
We learn something new everyday !

 

[Pablo1]

So I've just bought a 1300 gs and always charged my bikes previously with an optimate 4 connected direct to the battery via a fly lead, are we saying that's not suitable foe the 1300 ??

 

[RadioFlyer]

I thought the charger "shock hands" with the canbus and said yes or no ?
The canbus being the information super highway.
We learn something new everyday !

How often have you seen or heard the term “CAN-bus” in the context of a compatible charger for the accessory socket? Way too often and almost always dead wrong.

“CAN-bus” is probably the most misused term in all of BMW-related forum electrical discussions. For an understanding of what the CAN-bus actually is and does I suggest reading the article on Wikipedia.

The ZFE (Zentrale Fahrzeugelektronik or Central Chassis Electrics) is one of several controllers on modern BMW motorcycles. Its job is to manage chassis electrics. It senses logical inputs from switches and responds by turning things (lights, horns, grip heaters…) on and off. It also monitors current draw. If the current draw exceeds a threshold then the circuit is shut down so the ZFE replaces fuses. If the current draw is below a threshold on a light circuit the ZFE assumes that there is a burned out bulb or a wiring fault and tells the Kombi (the instrument cluster) to display a warning. The ZFE manages the accessory port and shuts it down if too much current is drawn (> 5A or >10A depending on the model and year). The ZFE also monitors the accessory port for the presence of a compatible charger and connects it to the battery for charging.

Compatible chargers are often referred to as “CAN-bus” chargers or some other term using “CAN-bus”. This is nonsense and has led to a great deal of confusion. This misuse of the term “CAN-bus” probably originates with charger vendors. Early on the vendors would characterize chargers as being suitable for “CAN-bus equipped” motorcycles as a way of saying that the motorcycle had a ZFE. Later the terminology morphed into terms like “CAN-bus compatible”, “CAN-bus charger” and “CAN-bus mode”.

The CAN-bus itself does not play a role in charging via the accessory port. That many say it does is part of the mythology.

The ZFE “listens” for a specific electrical handshake from a charger and if the handshake is present the ZFE connects the charger through to the battery. No CAN-bus messaging is required to accomplish this.

A ZFE compatible charger sends and repeats a pulse train to the accessory port. The pulse train starts with the charger presenting 12V to the port for 1 second. Then it waits for 150 milliseconds. Next it sends a series of ten 12V pulses each having a duration of 10 microseconds and spaced 100 milliseconds apart. It repeats this pulse train until it senses that the ZFE has connected it to the battery and then it starts its charging procedure.

None of this has anything to do with the CAN-bus.

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

Splitting hairs can-bus style. I like it

 

[RadioFlyer]

Splitting hairs can-bus style. I like it

I don't see how making a distinction between something that is factually incorrect and something that is factually accurate is splitting hairs.

Attributing the actions taken to open the charging port to the CAN-bus is like saying that the telephone flushes the toilet. The two aren't related (and it sounds really absurd).

Lots of folks get this incorrect because of careless usage by vendors. There is an Optimate video on YouTube where someone points this out in the comments. The Optimate rep replies conceding that indeed referring to the port as anything to do with CAN-bus is incorrect but they do it anyway.

 

[Smartbazza]

That is no longer the case Barry - there was a bmw software update to the initial bikes due to a can bus charging issue, as confirmed by optimate (it was posted on another thread) , and proven by me as I am using an optimate lithium charger through the socket with no problems , optimate sold by nippy Norman for the R1300 and it works fine.

View attachment 386144

Morning, that sounds good re the software update (I wasn’t aware) as it was the same charger from NN I had which created the problems. If BMW hadn’t given me the free charger I would probably be using an Optimate on the fly lead. Just raising it as my experience as I’d hate the thought of someone else suffering the same.

Barry

 

[pbbanks]

Sorry but you are a victim of the popular misconception. A bus just serves as a communications medium. It does not have any ability to control charging. There are no CAN messages required to open or close the charging port.

Think it's you who's misleading, if the charger isn't canbus compatible it won't open the port to charge the battery.

 

[Deleted account 251212001]

Morning, that sounds good re the software update (I wasn’t aware) as it was the same charger from NN I had which created the problems. If BMW hadn’t given me the free charger I would probably be using an Optimate on the fly lead. Just raising it as my experience as I’d hate the thought of someone else suffering the same.

Barry

Fair do's mate, I believe it is sorted and optimate etc is ok from my own experience, will definitely post back if I start getting problems although has been fine for me over a number of months using the socket to charge, I got the bike out the other week after it being plugged in for a month or two unused, starts on the button, no messages or anything on my journey.

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

I don't see how making a distinction between something that is factually incorrect and something that is factually accurate is splitting hairs.

Attributing the actions taken to open the charging port to the CAN-bus is like saying that the telephone flushes the toilet. The two aren't related (and it sounds really absurd).

Lots of folks get this incorrect because of careless usage by vendors. There is an Optimate video on YouTube where someone points this out in the comments. The Optimate rep replies conceding that indeed referring to the port as anything to do with CAN-bus is incorrect but they do it anyway.

I just sat my nan down and explained to her in no uncertain terms, its not a bloody hoover, its a Dyson animal xe 132/777B in purple.
She stuffed her dentures right up my back end.