optimate question ?

[spatuk]

Who leaves there optimate on all the time ? I have just been told that it fry's the batteries ,but ive never had any problems with my other bikes so what do you think ?
regards spatuk

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Ive never had an issue either .............. then again I'm still on the original battery on my 06 GSA

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Rubbish

".....Who leaves there optimate on all the time ? I have just been told that it fry's the batteries....." The whole point about an Optimate is that it CAN be safely left on all the time. It will automatically cut out charging when the battery is fully charged.
Incidentally a little vaseline on the terminals is a good idea
.

 

[twig]

ive used an optimate on a bike i bought some 10 years ago and it still has the same battery on it, so i don't think it's done that one any harm. if ime not using the bike its plugged in so the point ime making is i let it do its job and it has
hope that helps

 

[GS_Chris-08]

No problems on any of the bikes I have had

 

[buellzebub]

".....Who leaves there optimate on all the time ? I have just been told that it fry's the batteries....." The whole point about an Optimate is that it CAN be safely left on all the time. It will automatically cut out charging when the battery is fully charged.
Incidentally a little vaseline on the terminals is a good idea
.

I used to leave my Optimate connected all the time to a Buell X1 Lightening, a Yam Fazer 1000 and then a Kwak ZX7R without ever having a problem. I then did the same with my 1150GS, fitted with a new genuine battery, and after about 10 months the battery was 'brown bread'.

I believe the dead battery was to do with the type of battery it was, i.e. AGM, rather than any fault with the Optimate; the Optimate just couldn't charge it properly.

I have heard stories of Optimates frying batteries, but have never experienced it. However, the price of new batteries being relatively high, and the fear of coming out to a dead/fried one, it does kinda make you a bit cautious. But as I've mentioned, it never fried any of mine and I don't believe the BM failure was a fault of the Optimate.

I used to leave a Ctek 3600 permanently attached to my poor departed Moggy ( ) and will leave it connected to the MX-5 JB ) when it's laid up. This seems to be a good charger which is capable of charging AGMs, but I'm still a bit wary of leaving it on the GS . I tend to put it on till the lights turn green then disconnect it. I've got an email from Ctek tech support with their recommendations for BMW/AGM batteries but it's on a different PC, I'll see if I can find it and post it up.

One thing I did find with the Optimate was that it wasn't very good at actually charging a flat battery. It will charge it so far, but not give it a full charge; it tends more to 'maintain' the existing level of charge. The Ctek on the other hand will fully charge a flat battery, but then Ctek say it is designed to and it is a 'beefier' charger capable of handling a wider range of battery sizes/amperages.

 

[h0wz3r]

I have an Oxford Oximiser permanently attached to my bikes, including my R1200GS without any problems.

I believe that once the battery has reached it's optimal level of charge, the optimiser simply trickle charges it at a very low value, something like 0.1A. Wouldn't have thought this level of current could damage a battery of any sort?

 

[Monty]

I used to leave a Ctek 3600 permanently attached to my poor departed Moggy ( )

No wonder the cat is dead if you connected him to a battery charger.

 

[motobiker]

just replaced a battery... one which my optimate said was fine and dandy... would charge. test and then go to a steady green light.

the battery though was thoroughly goosed.

clock resets at every start-up.. abs set faults at every start-up.. and progressively lazier starting..

but the optimate was telling me the battery was 'perfect' it never once showed a red light 'fault'

With this new battery I will leave the bike to keep it charged up.. by riding the thing!!

 

[MattW]

All these 'smart' chargers (whatever their flavour - optimate, Ctek etc) don't work by magic. Think about it - how do they know what capacity battery you're trying to charge? - do you programme it in first? - No you don't.

They work out what they 'think' is happening with the battery via its charge curve - as any lead acid battery charges from empty to full, its voltage / current relationship changes in a predictable way. The charger uses this to tailor its output and switch modes.

The trouble is that once you've flattened a battery you've permanently reduced its capacity and it behaves as a battery of much lower amp/hr rating. There is no way round this - once you heard that click, click sound of a flat battery you will be buying a new battery sooner rather than later - this is a certain fact of life.

The charger doesn't know about this reduced capacity it just monitors the charge curve and does its thing. Hence even though it gives you a green 'fully charged' light, it's actually saying it's fully charged to its new reduced capacity. You may get away with this in warm weather but when it gets cold (which further stresses batteries) it'll let you down.

The only way to get good battery life is to keep it trickle charged (using whatever fancy charger you like - I use a Ctek) and never use more than 50% of its capacity (almost an impossibility with small bike batteries). Lead acid batteries (whatever type they are) hate deep discharge and love to be stored full.

 

[Beemerman59]

I have a Westco AGM fitted on my K1100 and the OEM battery (I think is also AGM) still on the GSA, 2 years old now. I keep them both charged up on the Optimate with direct connection to the battery. No problems with either. The Westco is 5 years old now and as strong as ever. I would say, that I connect them up whenever the bike is not being used so the battery never gets low on charge.

 

[bose]

Who leaves there optimate on all the time ? I have just been told that it fry's the batteries ,but ive never had any problems with my other bikes so what do you think ?
regards spatuk

someones telling porkys or there brains av been fried!!!!!!!! believe what the forum tells you

 

[Budweiser]

Hi Mate - so you finally got rid of the Pan (great bike IMO). Some say you should use a BMW charger due to the canbus system? Fooked if I know. keep safe mate and regards to the Misses

 

[macca]

I use an optimate when the weather forces testicular retraction and no problems so far............!! many many years.....

 

[Kaybe]

Ran a trickle charger on the following;
a GPZ 900r
A Ducati 996r, it definetly needed a trickle charger as the alarm systems used to run the battery down if left unplugged.
A Firestorm
a GXSR
an SV1000s

and now a 54 plate GS (still original battery)

No problems - all with an optimate plugged direct to the Battery.

In fact I would now not consider keeping a bike without it plugged into this charger.
Easy for me to say with garage and readily available power supply.

So not a problem based on my experiences to date past 10+ years

 

[Miz]

Charging

If you are still unsure, have a read on here

http://www.batterystuff.com/tutorial_battery.html#3


explains the difference between types of battery and their uses..

 

[arrybash]

I have kept a '98 Kawasaki ZX10 on an optimate for years now and have been forced to replace at least 3 batteries because the optimate boils them dry.

I can assure you the rumour is true!!!!!!!!!!!

However I think there may be some contributing factors.

The batteries are lead acid not sealed gel type so its easy for the acid fume to vent away.

I used to just plug it in and not touch it for 6 months, by which time the acid would virtually completely dissappear.

I have solved the problem now. I plug the optimate into a timer. I set the time to come on for just 1 hour per week. This is all it takes to top up the battery and the light goes green.

I have not had any problems for a couple of years now. Its been so succesfull I use this approach on my boat and Yamaha TTR250 as well.

Regards

Chris

 

[elevensies]

its a knoWn fact thAT they shag the battery up long term,


besyt thing to do is ride ya bike and donut plug it in

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Well known to some.......

Another "well known fact" is that 'a trickle charger' can be obtained cheaply to produce a regulated voltage of not more than 13.4 volts and less than 1 amp of current. This will keep the battery 100% charged. It will not boil or heat a battery but will maintain it at 100% readiness.

 

[John Armstrong]

Another "well known fact" is that 'a trickle charger' can be obtained cheaply to produce a regulated voltage of not more than 13.4 volts and less than 1 amp of current. This will keep the battery 100% charged. It will not boil or heat a battery but will maintain it at 100% readiness.

About £20 from Motobins and mine's still going strong