Replacement battery: Any opinions on the Odyssey ODS-AGM16L (PC680) for my ‘02 R1150RT?

[tangoalpha]

I gave up riding in 1965 but in 1971 was once again receptive to the idea when my uncle in England nixed our idea of hitching hiking for our three month honeymoon exploring the UK, France and Spain (too many young hitch hikers found dead in the ditches). We bought two massive 49cc Honda mopeds wit a top speed of 35 mph in Scotland.These machines allowed us to go to the out of the way places on back roads, including over the Alps and the Pyrenees.

While in France we encountered BMWs being ridden by the police. That sparked my interest in the brand. Fast forward to 2004, my first year of retirement and I came home and mentioned that I had sat on a used BMW somewhere out in the countryside. My wife told me to go and by one as longevity runs in my family and my last words would be, “ I never got a BMW”.

When the first bike was to disappear in 2009 for down time work at a dealership, my wife sent me out to find a second one so there’d always be one to ride in case of another breakdown.

My four kids however are always telling to stop riding.

I think most of us here could say that our families aren’t thrilled that we ride, but at the same time recognize that we are much happier and well adjusted people for it. Mototherapy….as I like to call it. It demands our full attention to be alert at all times and ride defensively. When I ride…I’m not thinking about politics, work or family life. I think that’s one of the many things that I love about riding. There’s no room for anything else, than to be present in the moment and enjoy the sheer joy of riding.

 

[gregfeeler]

I think most of us here could say that our families aren’t thrilled that we ride, but at the same time recognize that we are much happier and well adjusted people for it. Mototherapy….as I like to call it. It demands our full attention to be alert at all times and ride defensively. When I ride…I’m not thinking about politics, work or family life. I think that’s one of the many things that I love about riding. There’s no room for anything else, than to be present in the moment and enjoy the sheer joy of riding.

"There’s no room for anything else, than to be present in the moment and enjoy the sheer joy of riding." THAT would make a great t-shirt!

 

[tangoalpha]

Last question and this is for you Odyssey users. What kind of float chargers are you using. I have a Battery Tender Plus unit which charged my BMW AGM battery just fine, until it gave up the ghost. What has your experience been? Any of you using the same charger?

This is the charger that I have.

Battery Tender Plus 1.25 AMP 12V Battery Charger and Maintainer

Our iconic Battery Tender® Plus revolutionized battery charging and maintenance through innovation in smart charging technology. This 12V, 1.25 AMP charger extends battery life for motorcycles, ATVs, watercraft, and more. With an industry-leading 10-year warranty, this advanced charger provides...

www.batterytender.com

 

[gregfeeler]

Last question and this is for you Odyssey users. What kind of float chargers are you using. I have a Battery Tender Plus unit which charged my BMW AGM battery just fine, until it gave up the ghost. What has your experience been? Any of you using the same charger?

This is the charger that I have.

Battery Tender Plus 1.25 AMP 12V Battery Charger and Maintainer

Our iconic Battery Tender® Plus revolutionized battery charging and maintenance through innovation in smart charging technology. This 12V, 1.25 AMP charger extends battery life for motorcycles, ATVs, watercraft, and more. With an industry-leading 10-year warranty, this advanced charger provides...

www.batterytender.com

Always ask the manufacture. Here's a link to the Odyssey site where they describe what's required to correctly charge one of their batteries. In short, to do a trickle charge probably any true AGM compatible 2A or larger charger should work. For general charging, the charger need to output at least 14.7V. However, these are deep discharge batteries, meaning that run totally dead, they can recover without harm IF they are charged correctly, and not all chargers can do that. Not that you intend to flatline your bike battery, but I've done it by leaving something turned on I shouldn't have.

How to charge an Odyssey battery: https://www.odysseybattery.com/news/faq-how-to-properly-care-for-an-odyssey-battery/

 

[tangoalpha]

Always ask the manufacture. Here's a link to the Odyssey site where they describe what's required to correctly charge one of their batteries. In short, to do a trickle charge probably any true AGM compatible 2A or larger charger should work. For general charging, the charger need to output at least 14.7V. However, these are deep discharge batteries, meaning that run totally dead, they can recover without harm IF they are charged correctly, and not all chargers can do that. Not that you intend to flatline your bike battery, but I've done it by leaving something turned on I shouldn't have.

How to charge an Odyssey battery: https://www.odysseybattery.com/news/faq-how-to-properly-care-for-an-odyssey-battery/

Thank you so much for the quick reply and the helpful link. I’m so glad I asked, because it appears that my charger will not be sufficient. Time to upgrade my charger.

 

[gregfeeler]

Thank you so much for the quick reply and the helpful link. I’m so glad I asked, because it appears that my charger will not be sufficient. Time to upgrade my charger.

Glad to be helpful. I highly recommend the NOCO Genius line of chargers. Have used them for years with Odyssey batteries. Their battery repair function (de-sulfating) function works especially well. Check out their other products - they make some nice things.

NOCO - Genius

Discover the world of charging. Find battery chargers for cars, motorcycles, trucks and more. From trickle chargers to onboard marine battery chargers.

no.co

 

[omega man]

Glad to be helpful. I highly recommend the NOCO Genius line of chargers. Have used them for years with Odyssey batteries. Their battery repair function (de-sulfating) function works especially well. Check out their other products - they make some nice things.

NOCO - Genius

Discover the world of charging. Find battery chargers for cars, motorcycles, trucks and more. From trickle chargers to onboard marine battery chargers.

no.co

To add-
I have been buying a number of NOCO products including chargers, battery pig-tails and “bulkhead” pass-through A/C connectors. I’ve been satisfied with them all and, NOCO’s packaging is rather impressive.
OM

 

[tangoalpha]

To add-
I have been buying a number of NOCO products including chargers, battery pig-tails and “bulkhead” pass-through A/C connectors. I’ve been satisfied with them all and, NOCO’s packaging is rather impressive.
OM

Thanks for that insight and speaking of pigtails….that was another thought that I had. Up to this point I’ve been charging the battery with a Battery Tender Plus unit which only has the pigtail connection. Since BMW thought to add an accessory plug to our bikes, I bought the power port plug with a pigtail connection so I can connect to the charger. Since my current charger is only rated at 1.25Amp and the Odyssey battery needs a min of 2.0Amp charger, I wonder what the Amperage limit is that I can safely charge the battery using the power port outlet on the bike. Any idea? I don’t want to assume anything, but a 2.0Amp charger might be a slower but safer option as opposed to a 4.0Amp charger that I have my eye on.

I know this stuff is right up your alley, so I’m taking notes and grateful for any more insight you can provide.

 

[omega man]

Thanks for that insight and speaking of pigtails….that was another thought that I had. Up to this point I’ve been charging the battery with a Battery Tender Plus unit which only has the pigtail connection. Since BMW thought to add an accessory plug to our bikes, I bought the power port plug with a pigtail connection so I can connect to the charger. Since my current charger is only rated at 1.25Amp and the Odyssey battery needs a min of 2.0Amp charger, I wonder what the Amperage limit is that I can safely charge the battery using the power port outlet on the bike. Any idea? I don’t want to assume anything, but a 2.0Amp charger might be a slower but safer option as opposed to a 4.0Amp charger that I have my eye on.

I know this stuff is right up your alley, so I’m taking notes and grateful for any more insight you can provide.

I’m not sure of the “added” accessory plug but if it’s that “DIN” thing, I don’t use them. That “procedure” to enable the bike through to charge through the bikes power port just doesn’t sit well in my thinking.
My F800 and ATV have both a Battery Tender and heated gear coaxial battery access cables to enable easy connectivity. My larger batteries have the NOCO pigtails as needed for the height amperage charging from the NOCO high capacity (group 31) batteries.
Having easy access to the battery via a pigtail is important to me. For instance, the 12volt accessory inflation pumps need a direct battery connection in my experience.
I’m not sure what the direct to the battery cable is from NOCO but if it’s different than the standard SAE pigtail, I would have both on the bike.
It’s what works for me.
OM

 

[rogerc60]

I have an SAE pigtail on the battery in both of my bikes. I have a NOCO-to-SAE adapter for when I want to use the NOCO charger on one.

 

[gregfeeler]

I’m not sure of the “added” accessory plug but if it’s that “DIN” thing, I don’t use them. That “procedure” to enable the bike through to charge through the bikes power port just doesn’t sit well in my thinking.
My F800 and ATV have both a Battery Tender and heated gear coaxial battery access cables to enable easy connectivity. My larger batteries have the NOCO pigtails as needed for the height amperage charging from the NOCO high capacity (group 31) batteries.
Having easy access to the battery via a pigtail is important to me. For instance, the 12volt accessory inflation pumps need a direct battery connection in my experience.
I’m not sure what the direct to the battery cable is from NOCO but if it’s different than the standard SAE pigtail, I would have both on the bike.
It’s what works for me.
OM

My newest bike is my 2002 K1200RS - the rest are older K-bikes and Airheads, but I use the BMW (DIN) connectors with my NOCO Genius chargers all the time. Those connectors are not switched on any of my bikes and I've not seen any difference in charging performance between using that jack and a direct battery connection.

The NOCO direct battery adapter uses their proprietary connector which has an internal O-ring for moisture sealing and an attached protective cap.

 

[PGlaves]

My newest bike is my 2002 K1200RS - the rest are older K-bikes and Airheads, but I use the BMW (DIN) connectors with my NOCO Genius chargers all the time. Those connectors are not switched on any of my bikes and I've not seen any difference in charging performance between using that jack and a direct battery connection.

The NOCO direct battery adapter uses their proprietary connector which has an internal O-ring for moisture sealing and an attached protective cap.

You guys are comparing apples and bananas. Some DIN sockets are fused and wired to the battery in the OEM harness, and newer ones are computer controlled; ie, turned on and off by some mystical combinations of electrons and codes. I forget the names of which controller does what in the maze connected to the CANBUS network.

But absent the new tech, the electrons don't care if the wires go from a DIN socket to the battery in wires in the OEM harness, or from an SAE plug in separate new wires. All fused of course.

 

[gregfeeler]

You guys are comparing apples and bananas. Some DIN sockets are fused and wired to the battery in the OEM harness, and newer ones are computer controlled; ie, turned on and off by some mystical combinations of electrons and codes. I forget the names of which controller does what in the maze connected to the CANBUS network.

But absent the new tech, the electrons don't care if the wires go from a DIN socket to the battery in wires in the OEM harness, or from an SAE plug in separate new wires. All fused of course.

"The electrons don't care." That's one of the great things to know about electricity. I agree with you Paul, it depends on how your bike is wired. I have old bikes so things are simple for me.

 

[tangoalpha]

You guys are comparing apples and bananas. Some DIN sockets are fused and wired to the battery in the OEM harness, and newer ones are computer controlled; ie, turned on and off by some mystical combinations of electrons and codes. I forget the names of which controller does what in the maze connected to the CANBUS network.

But absent the new tech, the electrons don't care if the wires go from a DIN socket to the battery in wires in the OEM harness, or from an SAE plug in separate new wires. All fused of course.

 

[tangoalpha]

Hi Paul. Long time no talk! My only question about the DIN socket since it’s my preferred method of charging the bike (purely for convenience), do I need to be wary of a 5 Amp charger? My only concern would be blowing a fuse on the bike. It would seem to me that the socket must have at least a 10 Amp fuse to run cold weather gear. Eg…heated vests, etc.

Based on feedback from the group, I’m looking to purchase the Noco Genius 5 Amp charger and the Odyssey battery.

 

[tangoalpha]

I’m not sure of the “added” accessory plug but if it’s that “DIN” thing, I don’t use them. That “procedure” to enable the bike through to charge through the bikes power port just doesn’t sit well in my thinking.
My F800 and ATV have both a Battery Tender and heated gear coaxial battery access cables to enable easy connectivity. My larger batteries have the NOCO pigtails as needed for the height amperage charging from the NOCO high capacity (group 31) batteries.
Having easy access to the battery via a pigtail is important to me. For instance, the 12volt accessory inflation pumps need a direct battery connection in my experience.
I’m not sure what the direct to the battery cable is from NOCO but if it’s different than the standard SAE pigtail, I would have both on the bike.
It’s what works for me.
OM

OM,

My bike (‘02 RT) is a Non-CANBUS equipped bike. You and the rest of the guys on here have decades more experience than I do with these Oilheads, so it wouldn’t surprise me if there is some kind of special procedure. It leaves me wondering though…what am I missing? I’m not aware of any special procedure. Just plug and play.

 

[pauls1150]

On a plain RT (like mine) - plug the charger/maintainer into the bike before plugging it into the wall socket, as some need to sense a load right at startup to turn themselves on.

If your battery requires a special charger (for desulphating or some other reason; see post 24), then I don't know... some folks insist that on some CAN-bus bikes, it's necessary to dance under a full moon and sacrifice a virgin.

 

[PGlaves]

Hi Paul. Long time no talk! My only question about the DIN socket since it’s my preferred method of charging the bike (purely for convenience), do I need to be wary of a 5 Amp charger? My only concern would be blowing a fuse on the bike. It would seem to me that the socket must have at least a 10 Amp fuse to run cold weather gear. Eg…heated vests, etc.

Based on feedback from the group, I’m looking to purchase the Noco Genius 5 Amp charger and the Odyssey battery.

I am not positive but believe the accessory socket will handle 8 amps.

 

[tangoalpha]

On a plain RT (like mine) - plug the charger/maintainer into the bike before plugging it into the wall socket, as some need to sense a load right at startup to turn themselves on.

If your battery requires a special charger (for desulphating or some other reason; see post 24), then I don't know... some folks insist that on some CAN-bus bikes, it's necessary to dance under a full moon and sacrifice a virgin.

Noted. Must find a virgin. I’m not sure how Mrs Tango Alpha will feel about that. I’ll keep my Anonymous Book handy, just in case the bike and I need a place to stay.

 

[tangoalpha]

I am not positive but believe the accessory socket will handle 8 amps.

Thanks Paul. I’ll double check on it.