Trickle Charger

[njbhorn]

Hi people, I'm a new boy here, I've been lurking for a few months and I think I'll be an infrequet rider so I feel the need for a trickle charger to keep my battery going.

Anyway from the accessory catalogue I have (Jan 2005) there only appears to be one

Battery Charger 71 60 7 688 864 for £65 English pounds.

Is this the one?

In the pitcure it looks like a tranformer with cables, so a bargain at the price!

Any help appreciated.

 

[Yoda]

A cheaper option (and one which many here have employed) is the Optimate. Hardwire it directly to the battery using the supplied cable, then just plug-in if the bike's likely to be stood for more than a week or so.

 

[Mutley]

There are plenty of them on the market - Oxford do one as well. Check any bike accessories shop 9e.g. Heine gericke).

Well worth the money though. Probably the best bit of kit I have ever bought.

 

[Thunder]

As has already been said there are alternates to the BM charger (I use the Oxford one myself), it really comes down to whether you want to connect using the bikes auxilary power socket, if you do it has to be with the BM charger as the Can bus wiring system will not work with anything else.

Connecting direct to the battery works perfectly well though.

 

[Tartan Terror]

I take that you can connect direct on to the battery and charge as long at it's within 15 muntes of switching the ignition off?

 

[Mouse]

You can connect your charger directly to the battery at any time you like. The 15 minutes business is only if you want to charge via the accessory socket, which given how easy it is to access the battery under the seat, seems like pointless complication to me.

 

[Mutley]

Most of them come with (or have the option of) a lead with a plug at one end and rings to go onto the battery terminals at the other. You zip tie it to the frame where you can access it easily and just plug it in when you get home.

The plug attached to the bike has a rbber cover to keep it dry. Works fine for me.

 

[Tartan Terror]

Cheers guys I see Optimate III's on ebay for around £30 & p&p, That sound about right?

 

[Mutley]

Buy it now!

 

[John Armstrong]

it really comes down to whether you want to connect using the bikes auxilary power socket, if you do it has to be with the BM charger as the Can bus wiring system will not work with anything else.

If you're not wrong, then you're not entirely correct! I used this charger at just over £20 from Motobins for the 6 months I had a 1200 GS, with no problems, and yes it was only used through the aux socket

PS it also works with the 1150 GS as well