Advice concerning leaving an Optimate on charge

[BOBAD]

What is the general advice regarding leaving an Optimate battery charger on permanent charge when the bike is unused during the months November-April?

Does it do any harm?

Bike is a 2011 R1200GS

Battery is one year old.

If the bike is not on charge it refuses to start the bike in 2 weeks and BMW say this is normal.

 

[Oldrat]

I have 3 bikes and 1 optimate.
I rotate the charger, a few days at a time on each.

There are generally two views,
Leaving a trickle charger on a bike full time is ok
Or it’s best not to.

Personally, I don't see a need to keep a bike hooked up permanently if you can avoid it.

 

[theoneandonly]

me.... i put batteries on charge for 1 day a week .

 

[littleade]

Used an Optimate 4 on all 3 of my GS' connecting it when ever the bike was in the garage including continuously over the winter period with no issues.

 

[Wapping]

I have used them since version 1, leaving them permanently connected, whenever the bike is not in use. Last year that was over eight consecutive months, including the full winter. Nobody and nothing died.

 

[Wapping]

I have used them since version 1, leaving them permanently connected, whenever the bike is not in use. Last year that was over eight months, including the full winter. Nobody and nothing died.

 

[Pops]

Same a Wapping, leave mine connected whenever the bike isn’t in use. The last battery lasted well over 10 years doing this and I only replaced it because I thought it was about time for a new one.

 

[Boxerboy55]

My 2015 RS12 sleeps on an Optimate all winter and most of the time when in the garage through summer.

Connected indirectly via Fuzeblock. Not via OEM Canbus socket.

Still on original battery. Coming up to it’s 9th birthday.

 

[stever1]

I leave my wing on a solar powered optimate. Not used the bike over winter, but started fine when I got it out last week.

 

[KMD]

May be worth mentioning that the later Optmates aren’t just battery chargers, they are battery conditioners. If they are left connected they turn on and off their charging to keep the battery at its best. I just leave my bikes connected every time I put them back in the garage.

 

[Rusty]

You will be fine just leaving it for months. As above Mr KMD says they are now "conditioners" as well as chargers. When I retired a few years ago and stopped my almost daily commute from the south coast to The Met I swore I would not ride through the winter months again .. and I don't. My GS sits in the garage on charge from November to early March. No issues at all.

 

[Greg Masters]

They are designed to be left permanently connected.

The charging algorithm ensures that the battery is fully charged before putting the battery onto a 'float' charge.

Disconnecting and reconnecting an Optimate, CTEK or similar causes the cycle to restart and is more likely to overcharge the battery.

 

[shuck raider]

Used an Optimate 1 and later Optimate 4 on my two over-wintered bikes for many years, never a moment's trouble - except that the Optimate 1 died sometime over the last few months and somehow killed the battery on my Hinckley Bonnie. Last minute dash to Halfords the day before MoT, then to Infinity for a new trickle charger. Bought an Oximiser 900 but the charging lead is ridiculously short so a bit of bodging and soldering was required to cannabalise the old lead to the new one.

 

[BOBAD]

Thanks to all who replied.

 

[Smithmas]

I just leave my bikes connected when not in use - 2018 Z1000SX, 2017 R1200 GS - zero issues

 

[Smiffypr]

I just leave my bikes connected when not in use - 2018 Z1000SX, 2017 R1200 GS - zero issues

My GS's first battery lasted 14 years, always on an Oximiser when in the garage. Lead acid batteries deteriorate least when fully charged.

 

[er-minio]

They are designed to be left permanently connected.

The charging algorithm ensures that the battery is fully charged before putting the battery onto a 'float' charge.

This ^^^^^

There is no harm.
I do use solar ones, so they stop working at night/no light (and the solar ones are more "basic" like trickle chargers), but all the bikes are hooked up when in the garage and they've been like that for years (and I stopped replacing batteries).

 

[tspivey]

I used an Optimate 6 on my 2011 R1200GS twin cam for years and then an Optimate 4 Canbus on my 2021 R1250GS shift cam. They were both connected permanently in the garage whenever the bikes were not in use, sometimes for months over winter.
I now have the BMW PLUS charger on my R1300GS and use that the same way, it’s reconnected as soon as I get home.