What battery charger? Optimate or Acumen?

[Tailspin]

Always used an optimate. Had it on 4 different bikes and now the gs (only just heard of potential problem with canbus bikes though!). Never had a problem with it, touch wood!

 

[deaninkl]

couple of years ago while on a trip to the US I picked a battery tender made for Harley Davidson and sold under their own brand. I've never used it and it is 120 volt input, but I have a stepper to make it 220 volt so that should not be an issue. Any of you electrical bods know of a reason why this can't be used on my GS? it comes with the convenient plug in eye connectors so can be left on the bike when not being charged. As I have recently had flat battery problems it would save me buying the types mentioned i this thread, that are anyway not readily available where I live.

Advice appreciated.
Cheers.

 

[Fredb51]

Your "stepper" may change the voltage but is unlikely to be able to change the AC frequency the charger's transformer is expecting, so a flash and a puff of smoke is a possibility. If you've searched these forums you'll have noted a general lack of enthusiasm for the BMW charger, and a good amount of praise for Optimate/Accumate/Acumen/Oxford. In your part of the world you may find it easier to get hold of either of the Yuasa Smartshot chargers- one is 900 milliamp, the other 1500 milliamp. Both are excellent (even maybe better than the chargers I mentioned earlier); they come with tails you can connect easily to your battery leaving the charger connector poking out the underside of your seat. As far for the story about your 2nd battery getting ruined because it wasn't hooked up to an AGM-specific charger, unless that was a fast charger designed for car batteries etc. I call hokey, b/s, and profiteering. I'd expect an AGM battery to survive several boosts from a regular lead-acid charger, though you wouldn't want to make a habit of it.

 

[deaninkl]

Fred, thanks for the valuable input. It actually turns out that the HD and BMW chargers are both made by the same company that makes the Battery Tender series of chagers. I had also thought that the 60Hz rating on the model I have may be a problem. Anyway I will try it first on a spare battery I have for my sons off road bike.

I will look for the Yuasa model you mentioned as Yuasa is the most common quality brand available in Asia.

My local BMW center have told me they have the BMW charger available but at over 200 US$ I will not be buying one, I paid 25 $ for the Battery Tender Jr I bought in a sale at a HD showroom in Ohio...

again thanks for your help.

Dean

 

[Fredb51]

Put the Battery Tender on a clear area of floor away from any vehicles or anything else flammable when you try it out. 60Hz transformers of the kind you probably have in your charger have less iron in them and can get quite hot running on 50 Hz. Don't leave it hooked up overnight or while you're away from it until you're comfortable it runs at a reasonably cool temperature.

 

[deaninkl]

Noted Fred. But for the money we are talking about I think I'd have better peace of mind buying the Yuasa unit you mentioned. As I'm in Singapore this week I'll see what they have here.

I travel most weeks, so the point of a trickle charger for me is to leave it unatended, the risk isn't worth the 25 bucks the tender cost me. I'll pass on to an American friend.