Replacement battery ... Oddysey PC680 (anyone?)

[Semper Gumby]

Just becareful that your "high amp" non-Oddessey charger doesn't exceed 15 volts or you will do damage to an expensive battery.

caveat emptor!

[barcelona_r65]

.... an airhead alternator wouldn't charge it. ...

Are you saying that without a charger, my alternator ... even if I were to ride from say here to Madrid and back, would not be able to fully charge an Odyssey battery? ... wow ... this is getting complicated!

I spoke with my mechanic about this today. He says that he has access to and installs Genesis dry-cell batteries (128€ + 35€ charger)and has many pleased customers with them ... Will the Odyssey FIT without having to modify the tray/wires/etc? ... Carlos says that he drops the Genesis right in ... not fuss ...

[msbuck]

I've had several Oddysey batteries in the past and just used the same trickle chargers we've always used on the BMW batteries.  No problems for me - and I don't ride daily.  My Oddysey batteries outlasted my BMW batteries.  They are getting a bit expensive, though.  So this time I've bought a generic battery...we'll see how it lasts.

Interesting thing.  We bought this most recent battery from O'Reilly Auto Parts store.  Had to special order it and wait 2-3 weeks for it to arrive.  No problem since it's in the middle of winter/holiday season and we wouldn't be riding anytime soon (plus I had others if we did want to ride.)
Got the battery just before we headed to Atlanta for the holidays and left it until we returned.  As we were checking it out before installing it, Graham noticed that there was no acid in the battery!  Huh - that was a first.  We went back to O'Reillys and they offered to SELL us some battery acid - 6 quarts worth!!!  They said that not all the batteries they sell came with acid, like their motorcycle batteries.    Interesting thing was we had recently special ordered 2 small batteries for our dirt bikes that came in a box, dry, but with the acid included separately.  Quick and easy - turn the acid container upside down on the battery and it self-fills.   O'Reilly's seemed completely unphased by the ridiculousness of selling a battery that is completely useless without the acid.  

Luckily I still have a good relationship with the dealership I used to work for and they took care of me.  Now that's one for the books!

[msbuck]

Will the Odyssey FIT without having to modify the tray/wires/etc?

Yes, it drops right into place.  The terminals are a little tricky though.  Just different.

[Bob_Roller]

The charging system on your R65 will charge the battery properly regardless of type, as long as the engine speeds are at least in the 4000-4500 rpm area .

Highway speeds are what the charging system is designed for, not in city type use .

The requirement for 'static' charging, charging not done by the charging system, is for a higher voltage to keep the battery at a peak level of charge, batteries tend to last longer if kept at the higher charge level when not in use .

[Barry]

Are you saying that without a charger, my alternator ... even if I were to ride from say here to Madrid and back, would not be able to fully charge an Odyssey battery? ... wow ... this is getting complicated!
 

Not at all.

I was saying that our airhead's do charge it so Odyssey's requirement for a special charger is therefore invalid. (The statement was an over simplification but lets not make it even more complicated).

However in a perfect world and particularly for those who do short journeys maybe our airheads could charge it at a slightly higher voltage than they do for a standard wet cell but not too high as Bill points out and that's probably the reason why Odyssey recommend auto chargers.

Any automotive charging system must be a compromise when faced with different journeys with batteries of different chemistry and slightly different charging requirements. It is possible to make our charging system adjustable if you seek perfection. Snowbum covers this in great detail. Most will see this as an unnecessary complication and that's fine.

[Barry]

We went back to O'Reillys and they offered to SELL us some battery acid - 6 quarts worth!!!They said that not all the batteries they sell came with acid,  

It's not uncommon for mail order batteries to be sold unfilled they have the excuse of transport regulations but a store should have filled it for you or supplied the acid in those special tubes.

At the risk of going on and on about battery care I hope everyone realises that a new battery is not ready for use when you put the acid in. It needs charging !  

As ever Snowbum provides for perfection if you want to do it right.
http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/newbattery.htm

[barcelona_r65]

Ok ... so throughout all this "hub-bub" I'd decided to get this problem out of the way ... hence I lean on all of you, dear friends ... and I truly thank you all for your input....

Here's what's gone down:  I still have my old battery ... and I haven't had to push-start in 3 days now! (I start it early morning, lunch, after lunch, quittin' time  ... and a couple other times each day ... let's say an average of 6 starts per day ... and typically only city-riding ... with far too many traffic lights) But I've changed my riding "style" a bit in an attempt to charge and keep charged my battery ... focusing more on higher rpm's ...  I even changed my morning route to include about 10k of open highway (80km/hr limit, though ...)  

Bottom line? ... I've got my battery up, charged and working ...
Trade-off? ... I am now spending as much or more money on gasoline (more km's higher rpm's, etc ...) than it would have cost me to get the Odyssey w/charger and have my baby runnin' just fine ...
Risks? I ride almost always with my "position" light only (the little one, parking light? Not sure what it's called in English ... but it's the dim bulb linked w/rear light) instead of the low beam (as is required by LAW here!)
Benefits? ... I get more ride time ... and am surely diggin' that ... even if it's just my morning commute ... once the warm weather arrives it'll be even better!

Next topic! ... what replacement bulb(s) can I use to reduce battery consumption? Are there LED's out there that will do the trick without draining my battery? (... or my wallet!!!) ....

Thanks y'all!  

[Crossrodes]

There are new, longer lasting (claimed) Lithium Ion batteries now availble for Goldwings.  They my also be vailable for other bikes.  Check this out:
http://wingstuff.com/pgroup_detail/41_Home_New_Products/32651_Shorai_Gold_Wing_Battery_Worlds_Lightest_Longest/?goto=%2Findex.php

[Crossrodes]

Some more info from the Shorai website:
http://www.shoraipower.com/s-49855-R65LS.aspx

[Barry]

what replacement bulb(s) can I use to reduce battery consumption?

I think I already mentioned that one option is to substitute the 5 w "parking bulb" with a 20w halogen. Even if it wasn't halogen a 20w bulb is a lot more than 4 times brighter than a 5 w because of increased efficiency. They really are at least 10 times brighter. Worth a try for a couple of euro's. You need to search for a BA9s Halogen.

[Dizerens5]

An LED bulb in the pilot light (parking light) will economize power, same for the rear lamp, although a red LED behind a red lens will be a bit dim and unnecessary. In this country LEDs for the R65 pilot are available from Paul Goff, though I don't know if he has a white one for the rear lamp. I'm sure there are suppliers in the US too.

[Vegasrandall]

I saw this on another site.it involves switching the parking light wire so you can run with the parking light on instead of the headlight.
http://www.roadkill.com/~davet/moto/euromod.html

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

That looks like a good source to bookmark: http://www.roadkill.com/~davet/moto/bmw.html

[Barry]

That really is a good site. The link to Jim Buchanan's article on the BMW charging system appears to be broken though.  Strange as his other articles are ok. Here's a link to his own web site.

http://www.buchanan1.net/motorcycles.shtm