Optimate III Good deal????

[swebb]

Hi guys...

I've been checking some online prices and found the the Optimate III available for £36.54 inc VAT and Next day delivery....

1st Question... Is that a good deal?
2nd Question... Is the Optimate III all it's cracked up to be?

Here is a Link to the site i've found if anyone is interested.

(Usual applies, no link to website, owner, product etc etc)

cheers - Stu.

 

[Larry]

Dunno about the price but I know that the can recommend the Optimate as a good bit of kit (especially the one marked workshop that a certain much maligned on here BWM dealership left in the pannier of my bike after doing some work - ahem!). The service item "1 litre of oil - £40" obviously included a free optimate.

 

[teal'c]

"FREE"

Bike magazine had an advert this month for Bikecard credit card, after you use it for the 1st time you get a free Oxford Oximiser.
5% off at Hein Gericke, 10% off DUKE video.

Freephone no: 0800 028 2440, quote 31B5URSV

 

[Droopy Dick]

The price is lower than they ere asking at HG today..

As for fitness for purpose?

Well, I fitted the Uptimate lead to the battery (rather than use the BMW accessory socket PLUS purchase of the relevant lead from Optimate).

It's the work of seconds after parking the bike in the garage to plug the lead from the charger into the lead on the bike

No messing about. All very straightforward.

And no worries about the alarm draining the battery if the bike is left for any period over the winter.

 

[swebb]

Well, I fitted the Uptimate lead to the battery (rather than use the BMW accessory socket PLUS purchase of the relevant lead from Optimate).

It's the work of seconds after parking the bike in the garage to plug the lead from the charger into the lead on the bike

I like the idea of having the "permanent harness" on the battery, how much extra is that little gem, and what cables are required? Overall cost etc?

 

[fatone]

Optimate fantastic for cars and all bikes. You can make up your own harness with bits of old wire and those neat little plug-ins for pennies or just stick with the croc-clips if you can get easy access.
I also find the Halfords multimeter v useful for more in-depth analysis, if you're that way inclined.

 

[PeeBee]

I've used an Optimate 3 on 3 different bikes over the last 4 years. Excellent product for stopping the drain that bike alarms place on the battery. My Optimate came with two leads - one for permanently connecting to the battery and another with crocodile clips.

Just looked at the link; it shows both leads - good price too.

 

[verstichel]

Go for it. I bought mine Euro 70+. It is a good tool to have. Use it any time the bike is idle, summer and winter. It will keep the battery in great shape. On the other hand, don't expect it to do miracle if the battery is very low (less than 9-10 V), in which case you better off to use a classic battery charger first and than the Optimate to finish it up.
Note that while it will work directly into the power socket of a 650 CS (my wife's bike), it wont work in the power socket of the 1200 b/c of the bus. There is an cable to fix directly on the battery poles ending w/ a plug to hide under the seat. Works great.

 

[wessie]

Go for it. I bought mine Euro 70+. It is a good tool to have. Use it any time the bike is idle, summer and winter. It will keep the battery in great shape. On the other hand, don't expect it to do miracle if the battery is very low (less than 9-10 V), in which case you better off to use a classic battery charger first and than the Optimate to finish it up.

I bought an Optimate MkI when they first appeared. I've used it on bikes & cars. Excellent piece of kit. Like mine, the Mk3 comes with a lead that permanently attaches to the battery and a set of crocodile clips for ad hoc use.

I disagree with the comment quoted above. Part of the design remit of the Optimate: the capability to rejuvenate sulphated and discharged batteries that would not be recovered by a standard trickle charger.

 

[Alcat]

Optimate

An auto electrical engineer friend of mine says it's a BAD idea to connect ANY charger to a vehicle battery that is still connected to that vehicles wiring. He says chargers put loads on diodes etc that they were never designed for. He also says the use of such chargers invalidates any warranty in the event of electrical failure..

 

[wessie]

An auto electrical engineer friend of mine says it's a BAD idea to connect ANY charger to a vehicle battery that is still connected to that vehicles wiring. He says chargers put loads on diodes etc that they were never designed for. He also says the use of such chargers invalidates any warranty in the event of electrical failure..

Is he very old? He may have a point for a Vincent Black Shadow c.1955. He needs to go back to school.

All modern vehicle electrical systems have regulators in the charging circuit to protect the system from overloads.

Do you think Optimate would still be in business if their highly successful product fried electrical systems? Datatool would struggle to sell its alarms without such a product on the market.

 

[AndyR34]

Ditto, Wessie

Fully agree with Wessie there, had one on my 748 which only occasionally saw the light of day. Never a single problem, started first time every time and that was with a Datatool Series three.

Andy

 

[ed4554]

Just bought one at the Classic Bike show Stafford. £34. However after fitting connections to battery the bike starts but wont throttle up. It just dies? Help anyone. I've tried the 2 twists of the throttle thing still no go??

Ed

 

[swebb]

thanks for the advice

Thanks for all the advice guys.... i've placed my order, waiting for it to arrive...

as always... a veritable goldmine of information on this forum....

-Stu

 

[Steptoe]

I was doing them for £33 - Here when everyone else was charging £40 plus

I would think i could do them even cheaper now - but i stopped through lack of interest - never mind

 

[Alcat]

Is he very old? He may have a point for a Vincent Black Shadow c.1955. He needs to go back to school.

All modern vehicle electrical systems have regulators in the charging circuit to protect the system from overloads.

Do you think Optimate would still be in business if their highly successful product fried electrical systems? Datatool would struggle to sell its alarms without such a product on the market.

Not old, but seems very set in his ways, he's convinced my Optimate destroyed the alternator on my wifes Corsa..

 

[wessie]

Not old, but seems very set in his ways, he's convinced my Optimate destroyed the alternator on my wifes Corsa..

No, AC Delco electronics wasted your alternator

My former employer had a contract to make printed circuit boards for AC Delco. They supplied all of the materials and we assembled it to their specification. It was poorly designed and made from cheap & nasty materials. We did okay from the contract: even after they stopped using the pcb on new vehicles we had to make quite a few batches of spares.

(AC Delco is the elctronics division of General Motors)

 

[Davel]

When I had a few electrical problems with my 1200GS, Blue Bell Crewe suggested that an Optimate might be the a possible cause of the problem.

Since my garage is locked and alarmed anyway, I simply don't use the bike alarm unless away at night somewhere to minimise the need for an Optimate.

My previous Ducati Multistrada was always on charge when not in use but, since the electrics shut down on the 1200 (apart from the alarm) there hasn't been a need for re-charging the battery so far.