Optimate question

[kcain]

My favourite (!!!!) dealer has just told me that I should not use an Optimate to charge the bike via the accessory socket.

This is what he said:
"Like many manufacturers, BMW advises customers to use their own products & devices.
As stated by "BMW Motorrad Service Information Bulletins", "we should not charge the battery with non-BMW chargers over the on-board socket", since the sulphate removing process during charging may damage the electronic equipment on the bike. Let me remind that you can charge your battery directly on the battery's poles, after removing the bike's electrical connections."

I have happily used the Optimate for years without problem and have told him that he is wrong but what do others think?

 

[Greg Masters]

Theoretically, they are quite right. But in practice that advice is pretty much pure bollox!

If the battery is not sulphated, an Optimate will not offer more than 14.3v - that's less that the bike's alternator produces - so the chances of any circuit damage is about nil. If fact Optimate warrant that their unit will not damage a bike's systems.

Only if the battery is suphated will the Optimate offer up to 22v. Even that shouldn't do any damage, but then if the battery is that bad, you probably haven't been riding the bike for a while so you may well be in a position to disconnect the battery from the bike.

Greg

 

[Tarka]

All of my bikes are on Optimates when in the garage,one of them for quite long periods,and I haven`t had any trouble apart from ignoring the red LED on one of them`cos I thought I`d knocked the plug,when,in fact,the electrolyte level was low.I`m sure I read BMW making big noise about the wonders of the accessory socket for charging,and don`t Motorworks and Moto-Bins sell chargers with the matching plug ready fitted?