BMW K bikes (Bricks)


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elle

elle
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Silver member
Hi just getting feedback on how long they usually last this ones just 2 years old and if anyone has used gel batterys and lifespan etc. pete

    

Rick G

Rick G
admin
admin
Hi Ya Pete haven't seen that pretty face for a while.
I have been getting 5-6 years from those batteries. I did have to replace one at 3 years but the bike had a discharge problem with the ABS which has been fixed.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

JR_K100RS

JR_K100RS
Life time member
Life time member
I'm using an AGM ( absorbed Glass Mat ) battery now , an Odyssey PC680 , I believe MOTOBATT AGM's are cheaper but I havn't personally used them , much lighter , completely sealed , don't know about Gel .

Anyone ?

JR

Melbourne Australia


__________________________________________________
Diamond Grey ( 617 ) 1987 K100RS ( European Delivery ) Original owner
    

blaKey

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I've got this (AGM type) on fitted to my RS. Been there for over 2 years. Trickle charged between rides. No issues at all.


__________________________________________________
Neil
K100RS 1986 RED!

Dress for the ride and the potential slide.
    

charlie99

charlie99
VIP
VIP
gell batteries dry out ...eventually ..and there is no way to replace the fluids-gell

my experience is in the alarm industry ...so i have seen many that hold a charge but not verry good at supplying current after about 4 years .

probably not reccomended if you do lots of long distance riding ....(boil off factor )

but for infrequent casual riding should be ok ...just dont try to charge them really fast

hope that helps elle


__________________________________________________
cheezy grin whilst riding, kinda bloke ....oh the joy !!!! ...... ( brick aviator )

'86 K100 RT..#0090401 ..."Gerty" ( Gertrude Von Clickandshift ) --------O%O
'86 k100 rs.. #######..  "Fred " (f(rame) red ) ( Fredrick leichtundschnell ) - -
bits and pieces from many kind friends across the k100 world ...with many thanks ..
1987 k100rs ########   "Red"  - (red sports rs TWB style )
1989 K100rt #009637   "Black Betty"  (naked rt ala Nigel , now sporting an rs main fairing )
    

88

88
Life time member
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charlie99 wrote:gell batteries dry out ...eventually ..and there is no way to replace the fluids-gell

but for infrequent casual riding should be ok ...just dont try to charge them really fast

hope that helps elle

+1

They are not long lived sub zero temperatures either, from experience.

88


__________________________________________________
Batteries? how long do they last and gel better? Ir-log1188....May contain nuts!Batteries? how long do they last and gel better? Ir-log11

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." - St. Augustine from 1600 years ago & still true!

K1 - 1989 - AKA Titan (unique K1/K1100RS hybrid by Andreas Esterhammer)
K1100RS - 1995. AKA Rudolf Von Schmurf (in a million bits)
K100RS - 1991 AKA Ronnie. Cafe racer project bike
K75RTP - 1994
K75C - 1991 AKA Jim Beam. In boxes. 
K1100LT 1992 - AKA Big Red (gone)
K100LT - 1988 - AKA the Bullion brick. Should never have sold it.
    

sidecar paul

sidecar paul
Life time member
Life time member
Just looked at the receipt for the outfit's last battery. It's a good old fashioned 'wet' top-up-able Varta that's been there for 5 years and still going strong.

Paul.


__________________________________________________
'84 K100RS (0014643) (owned since '85), 86 K100RS (0018891) with Martello sidecar (built as an outfit in '88),
'51 Vincent (since '67),'72 Montesa Cota (from new), '87 Honda RS125R NF4 (bought 2015) 
....No CARS never ever!
    

Comberjohn

Comberjohn
Life time member
Life time member
My last K still had the same battery as it came with after 5 years and was still ok when I sold it.
Current (pardon the pun) K has the battery it came with after sitting for nearly 2 years and still starts fine all year round.
Both normal wet batteries, but I do use an Optimate trickle charger when they are parked in the shed.

http://www.johnsdrivingschool.co
    

MikeP

MikeP
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Life time member
Odyssey batteries were in favour with many GS owners for years believing that they were better than the standard sealed-for-life OE battery. It took a while but many have come to the conclusion that Odyssey are no better and certainly not worth the extra money.

In a K, I prefer the normal 'wet' type battery. To begin with they fit better so that means it cannot move about in the tray, I like being able to check the level and monitor the electrolyte specific gravity from time to time. Finally, they're cheaper and unlike a GS which is more likely to end-up on its side (if used as intended and not just for the weekend shopping run) where being sealed is a benefit.

I managed to pick-up a BMW battery tender second-hand some years ago. It has certainly extended the life of the batteries that have been in my bikes over the years. I know that Optimate is well thought of but the one that I had before the BMW tender didn't fill me with confidence. Unlike some battery tenders that just constantly trickle-charge, the BMW one (according to the instructions) will replicate normal use when standing by loading the battery as well as charging it.

    

Themason

Themason
Gold member
Gold member
Gel cell batteries require a different float voltage to maintain their charge than conventional wet batteries or AGM batteries require. If the bike's voltage regulator, and your battery tender are not designed for a gel cell battery, it will be sent to an eary and costly death.

There is a company in the US called East Penn Manufacturing that sells auto and motorcycle batteries under their own in house "Deka" brand name, as the OEM battery for most US manufactured cars and Harley Davidsons, and as the house brand for Parts Plus auto parts stores. They spec out superior to any of the competitive AGM batteries and if you buy one from an auto parts store like Parts Plus, cost a good deal less than the so called premium batteries such as Optima (something I learned ruefully comparing the price and specs of an Optima battery in one Audi to the Deka battery I ended up buying for the other Audi). A battery from Deka would be my recommendation. Otherwise it is hard to fault the stock BMW battery for durability, but you pay for it.


__________________________________________________
I live in a parallel universe but have a vacation home in reality :arrow:

1984 K-100RS Alaska Blue w/Parelever and 16V wheels.

1984 K-100RS Metallic Madison stock

1986 R-80G/S w/1000 cc engine

2007 Harley Davidson Street Rod Mirage Orange w/XR1200 wheels, Race Tech, True Track, Works Performance shocks

2007 Harley Davidson Street Rod Vivid Black stock

1993-ish K-100/1100RT/LT hemaphrodite frankenbike thingy to be painted satin black from a rattle can eventually
    

Themason

Themason
Gold member
Gold member
Read and learn.

[url=http://batterytender.com/resources/battery-basics.htm/]http://batterytender.com/resources/battery-basics.htm/[/url]

Now we can have an informed discussion.


__________________________________________________
I live in a parallel universe but have a vacation home in reality :arrow:

1984 K-100RS Alaska Blue w/Parelever and 16V wheels.

1984 K-100RS Metallic Madison stock

1986 R-80G/S w/1000 cc engine

2007 Harley Davidson Street Rod Mirage Orange w/XR1200 wheels, Race Tech, True Track, Works Performance shocks

2007 Harley Davidson Street Rod Vivid Black stock

1993-ish K-100/1100RT/LT hemaphrodite frankenbike thingy to be painted satin black from a rattle can eventually
    

krambo

krambo
Life time member
Life time member
Link doesn't work for me Sad


__________________________________________________
1984 BMW K100RT, 1993 BMW K1100LTIC,1982 Kawasaki KZ1100 Spectre
"Aut viam inveniam aut faciam." Batteries? how long do they last and gel better? Uk-bmw12
http://www.its-personal.net
    

Rick G

Rick G
admin
admin
Comes up as 404 no page.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

blaKey

avatar
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404 no page.

It looks like can't have an informed discussion...sorry folks, but we may have to close this thread...

...unless we can all discuss about what we have learnt about batteries through experience over the years.


__________________________________________________
Neil
K100RS 1986 RED!

Dress for the ride and the potential slide.
    

twincarb

twincarb
Life time member
Life time member
The link that wasn't working is HERE


__________________________________________________
BMW K100LT 1988 Matt Black Peugeot Electra Blue (ELX) Colour is now confirmed...
Yamaha Thundercat
Triumph Spitfire (not a bike but hell it's British chaps)
Batteries? how long do they last and gel better? 169042Batteries? how long do they last and gel better? 169034
    

Rick G

Rick G
admin
admin
I really don't consider that we need to read all that to give our opinion regards the original question.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

Rick G

Rick G
admin
admin
sidecar paul wrote:Just looked at the receipt for the outfit's last battery. It's a good old fashioned 'wet' top-up-able Varta that's been there for 5 years and still going strong.

Paul.
I just replaced the old type lead acid battery in a K75s that was new in 2006, it was on the way out and most likely would have failed this winter as it had showed some signs of failure recently. The barrery was never kept on a tender and the bike was ridden often but also had 3-4 weeks of not being used on occasions. Just sayin


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

rosskko

rosskko
VIP
VIP
Batteries? how long do they last and gel better? 61-21-2-346-800

This is what I have. 61212346800

Has 4/10 on the back. Works like a charm. Expensive, but I didn't have to buy it. Never charged it.


__________________________________________________
1986 K100RT VIN 0093801K100RT with summer fairing for a northern visitor

Basic/2 6308802K100CJ  05/1988

K1100RS 0194321
    

Guest

avatar
Guest
Over the years I have used many batteries on the different BMWs. Some came from the factory with gel battery fitted as standard. Never had a problem with them, neither do I believe that one needs a different charger for a gel, the R1100S has the same charging system on the early bikes (wet battery) as on the late bikes (gel battery).
I love the Odyssey AGM battery. I have fitted one to my aircraft and find that it has no problem spinning up the 100hp 4 cylinder engine even in freezing weather after being left unused for months.
When I need a new battery for the K it will be the Odyssey.

    

K-BIKE

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Life time member
Life time member
I know when I stuffed a battery by having an old battery tender which overcharged it, silly me I did not check the float voltage I assumed it was OK and made an ass out of me for sure Embarassed.

I talked to my friendly parts man at our BMW official dealer and he said they had an unacceptably high failure rate for brand new BMW batteries and he recommend a YUASA battery which I researched and then bought, it is a conventional wet battery and has been good as gold for the two years since.

I bought a CTEK charger and have it on charge whenever I am not riding. There has been quite a bit of discussion on this list about battery types in the past and has been said in this link absorbed glass mat and gell type batteries are not really able to be topped up whereas a wet battery can be. I voted with my wallet and went with the recommended YUASA.
Regards,
K-BIKE

    

AL-58

AL-58
Life time member
Life time member
I'm running a Panasonic LC-X1228P UPS battery with great success. 28AH, same size as a K battery. 5 years in now, its never had a problem even though the sidecar can be parked for moths. Doesn't get regularly charged either. It cost much less than most equivalent motorcyle AGM batteries.
The BMW/Exide in my wifes F650GS was shit from day one and needed to be charged often if the bike was to be used. Replaced with a better battery now (AGM of some sort) and it's fine the bike just goes when we want it to. The Odyssey in the R1150R has been good but probably near the end of its life now.
I prefer AGM over Gel as they have a higher CCA rating (better cold starting) and don't need any different chargers. Also they have very high vibration resistance. A gel battery charged with a normal charger can overheat and cook the gel, this doesnt kill the battery vut does reduce its capacity


__________________________________________________
'93 K1100LT
'08 F650GS (798cc)
'19 R1250RS

+ another boxer engined motorcycle and sidecar

"When I'm too old and too foolish to handle a sidecar I'll buy a Sportsbike"

Batteries? how long do they last and gel better? K-dogs10
    

22Back to top Go down   Batteries? how long do they last and gel better? Empty battery advice Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:27 am

elle

elle
Silver member
Silver member
Thanks for all the views guys. Live just off moors here so freezing winds etc. The one ive got to replace (2 days slow charge and started her up fine two days later not even juice for horn!) is a lead wet exide started to play up a little last year (needed boost pack a couple of times) even when still used as regular commute. Original battery that came off when purchased had no idea of age etc. Just looking to get some feedback to see if worth forking out that bit extra. Every bike ive had here has drained wet batterys from a RXS 100 cb400n cb250n and now bmw!
cheers pete

    

TacKler

TacKler
Life time member
Life time member
My original battery in my '91 lasted for thirteen years. I did not believe it at first but checked the manufactured date to confirm it. Admittedly it was ridden intermittently after the first few years and I always used distilled water when topping up. Queensland weather, so relatively mild compared to some on the forum.

Dave.


__________________________________________________
Red 1991 K75S
    

ShedBob

ShedBob
active member
active member
I've been using Odysseys from Motorworks for a few years now. They've been excellent & stand deep discharging when I forget to recharge over winter. I've got 4 of them on the go now & am happy with them on a variety of bikes.
Only thing is that when my first one died after over 8 years it did so really suddenly & I needed to scrounge a push to bump start the K100.
Replaced it with the same.

    

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