Battery Charging

[wpm]

I am sure some of you are sick of these questions but I will ask anyway.

I am not sure about these canbus chargers that you just plug into the auxiliary socket.
Can I just use a regular Battery Tender and connect direct to the battery?
If I do will it have any effect on the canbus system?

Cheers,

 

[Steptoe]

A battery is a battery, not a canbus battery.

Connect a charger to the battery and charge away, it won't cause any problems.

 

[wpm]

Thanks Steptoe,
so if i connect a battery tender to the battery while it is still on the bike i wont fry anything?

 

[wessie]

Thanks Steptoe,
so if i connect a battery tender to the battery while it is still on the bike i wont fry anything?

depends on the battery tender - read the instructions

most chargers made today are able to sense they are connected to a battery in circuit. They will switch themselves to a safe mode whereby they charge the battery but will not go into a recovery mode. Every version of the Optimate from the original version made in the 1990s has been like this.

If your charger was made by your grandad from entirely analogue components with crude regulation then you might cause a problem.

 

[iandavid]

Don't do it. It'll boil the canbus fluid.

 

[MartinK]

That's what I do through times when the GS is not in use. One screw, pop off the right side panel, and connect my C-Tek overnight, once a month...
Don;t lose the upper rubber grommet - it has a habit of falling somewhere hard to reach
There's a red protective mushroom on the +ve side terminal (not the battery terminal) circled here, and you can access the negative terminal on the battery with a crocodile clip.
Takes 30 seconds, so personally not bothered with an "umbilical".
Rare mine goes a month without being ridden except the darkest saltiest part of winter
borrowed pic

 

[GSian]

The eyelet terminals supplied with he chargers are intended to be connected to the battery permanently. I've used Ctek chargers connected directly for years and very rarely had to change a battery. I had my ZX12R 16 years with the same battery, it was still spot on when I sold it. Both my Harley and my GS are CAN-BUS and are connected directly.

 

[wpm]

Thanks for the replies guys

 

[Stevie4scoops]

depends on the battery tender - read the instructions

most chargers made today are able to sense they are connected to a battery in circuit. They will switch themselves to a safe mode whereby they charge the battery but will not go into a recovery mode. Every version of the Optimate from the original version made in the 1990s has been like this.

If your charger was made by your grandad from entirely analogue components with crude regulation then you might cause a problem.

Additionally, Lithium batteries don't like being charged with non-lithium chargers

 

[wpm]

Thanks Steve,
I don't have Lithium I'm still a little Old School.

 

[wpm]

Just put Optimate 4 on both bikes using the pigtail direct to the battery and no issues whatsoever.

 

[Deleted account 210901001]

Plus one for optimate.

With the lead you can then.........

1. Keep Battery sweet

2. Power your ancils such as air compressor, heated kit etc etc

3. Not have to piss about with croc clips

4. Not loose any grommets etc

Its the first 7 quid I spend on any bike

 

[GSian]

Just put Optimate 4 on both bikes using the pigtail direct to the battery and no issues whatsoever.