best charger for my gs 1200

  • Thread starter Thread starter KINNEY
  • Start date Start date

KINNEY

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Hello
I wonder if anyone can help.
I have a GS1200 and would like to buy a charger/battery maintainer.
I like the price of the optimate 4 with the extra plug in charger.
Can I charge the battery through the aux socket on the bike .
And can i leave it plugged in with out the use of the key in ignition.

thanks

look forward to a reply.::beerjug:
 
I use the optimate,wired direct to the battery,been like this for the best part of 2 years, no problem.
 
What Spock said - had two GS's kept topped up in this way for last 4 years and absolutely no problems :)
 
You're just in time to get the all-singing-all-dancing Optimate 4 that's just come out!

...not sure what it does differently...but know the Optimates (a mark 2 and 3) have worked faultlessly on mine for years now, and personally wouldn’t be without them. :thumb2
 
or use the bmw one direct through the socket
 
re chargers

i bought a £3.99 battery charger from lidl 3 years ago,thought at 4 quid it was worth a try the charger itself has the green,red lights fully charged and charging also when fully charged it switches itself off,when the battery drops a little it kicks back in again ive been using this for 3 years now and never had a problem with flat or non starting bikes the charger even has a 3 year warranty:thumb,my mate has just bouht one over the winter and they have increased the price to £4.99:augie couldny justify what optimates cost just my 2 pennys worth:aidan
 
cutmorej said:
i bought a £3.99 battery charger from lidl 3 years ago,thought at 4 quid it was worth a try the charger itself has the green,red lights fully charged and charging also when fully charged it switches itself off,when the battery drops a little it kicks back in again ive been using this for 3 years now and never had a problem with flat or non starting bikes the charger even has a 3 year warranty:thumb,my mate has just bouht one over the winter and they have increased the price to £4.99:augie couldny justify what optimates cost just my 2 pennys worth:aidan
Click to expand...
£10,000 bike, £4 charger,...i like that:). Direct to the battery, i assume?
 
gavin@iow said:
£10,000 bike, £4 charger,...i like that:). Direct to the battery, i assume?
Click to expand...

I paid £20 for my dumb trickle charger, but it did come with a DIN plug on it :)

So dumb it barges open the accessory socket so no need to go through the ignition on etc faff :)

And no desulphate mode either with it. Just plug into the mains, plug into the bike and on goes the little red light, and when the light is off, about 14v floating voltage for as long as I keep it plugged in :)

BM charger, more money than sense? Or a triumph of marketing over need?
 
This is what happens as soon as battery is fully laden (with all chargers) via aux sockets : aux sockets are shut down by on board PC.

The BMW charger (alledgedly) is the only one to communicate with the on board computer. After a specific period of time, the BMW charger 'asks' on board computer to open aux sockets again, so charging may begin again. This is what other chargers won't do.

So, with non-BMW charger, it's best to charge directly on battery poles (or on aux socket if you have your aux socket wired directly to battery).

However, be careful : if your battery is really dead, some intelligent chargers send high voltage through cables in order to revive battery. If on board PC is still wired to battery, this may damage on board electronics. To avoid, detach bike wires from battery . How do you know that battery is really dead : turn on ignition, if screen does NOT appear, battery's dead.

Phew. It's explained in your bike's manual, BTW.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a BMW ploy to force the customer into buying BMW stuff. Yes, I have a BMW charger, and yes, it works. :augie
 
i'm a big fan of the bmw charger, i got one free when i bought the bike.

i've not seen it yet, but it's under the tank somewhere :P
 
Ummmm... as far as I understand, aux sockets are definitely shut off when battery's full.
Trickle chargers leds will indicate it's still charging but nothing really happens .... :nenau
Only way to find out for sure is to measure current drawn etc... any volunteers ? :augie
 
Using a din double adapter, with one inlet for the voltmeter and the other the charger. Charger and voltmeter plugged in, charger plugged into mains, next to no voltage, charger charging light not lit.

Plug single din plug in = both charger and voltmeter = voltmeter shows up to 14. something volts, charger light lit. Indicated voltage around 14.2v light goes off on charger, indicated voltage stays at 14.2. Leave the charger / etc plugged in long enough and the charger light lights back up etc etc.

If you disconnect the single plug from the accessory socket, voltage goes back down to near enough zero.

Above has occured on a 54 reg 1200GS, 07 GSA and 58 reg F650 twin :)

YMMV :thumb
 
Anyone tried Nippy Normans CHARGER FOR BIKES WITH CAN-BUS WIRING? £69 though.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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