'09 R1200RT need Odyssey PC680 battery?

Got an '09 RT with about 20k miles. Gets ridden at least 5-6 times a month for 2+ hours on highways. Been working good but the last two times it didn't want to start even just 2-5 days after a long ride of 3+ hours. I've been using the heated seat, grips and Gerbing lately. Yesterday after sitting for 3 days after a 3+ hour ride and without a Battery Tender Jr attached, it would not start....lights come on and such, but just a sorta "click" start noise. Connected a Battery Tender (no the junior) and 5 minutes later started fine. Then rode for about 90 minutes on the highway(using just the Gerbing), and shut off the engine for a gas stop.....would not start, same symtoms as above. Jump started immedately using a friend.

FYI, after the ride I connected the Battery Tender Jr; within 12 hours it indicated a full charge (steady green light).

I think I need a battery, but need to consider it might be something else? Bike is on warranty for a few more months.

Any idea what the dealer will charge for a replacement battery?

If I get a non-dealer installed battery, I want a replacement battery to fit in the bike without modifications that might be beyond my talents (they are pretty few). The Odyssey needs mounting brackets or something? What's that?

I see a lot here about the Odyssey battery - is the PC680 the correct one folks are using successfully?

Will a regular Battery Tender (not special, just the generic one), JR work correctly with the Odyssey battery?

Any other suggestions? I plan a visit to the dealer next week but do not want to pay a fortune for a mediocre battery, thought I needed to be educated here first.

Thanks, this forum is a life-saver!

Not being in the USA, your rules would be different, but as general, the batteries are just covered for 12 months

AS you are having additional accessories like heated seats, which would cause a high battery drainage, using an Odyssey battery that has higher capacity (higher stored internal energy) and higher capable current ability, would be the way to go.

Why don't you simply call an Odyssey battery supplier and ask him which battery you need and either get him to install it or take the battery (once you get it) to a BMW dealer to install it for you ?

My OEM battery did the exact same thing after only two years. Changed the battery (Odyssey PC680 works very well) and the problem went away and has been gone ever since. I have no idea what the dealer charges, I got mine online. Someplace in Florida, but I can't remember the name of the place. Lots of suppliers though. My PC680 came with the "L" shaped brackets in the box, but didn't say it would so I ordered an extra set ($5)

Check this LINK out for instalation.

I was using a battery tender jr for my OEM battery. Still have it, and I'm sure it works fine, but have never needed it since putting the new battery in.

Hope this helps!

If you are looking for a battery exactly the same size as OE, check out the Yuasa 51913. It's a conventional lead-acid battery (meaning it needs checking once in a while), but only mod you'll need to do is adding a venting tube to it. Easier done than said.

Gives a bit more starting power and (hopefully) shouldn't die as suddenly as the OE Exide.

Check with you dealer: sometimes BMW dealers carry them to fit to older bikes, otherwise it's easily available on the Internet.

Thanks, I will look for a local dealer to get an Odyssey. Never thought about that. I have to call my BMW dealer first, for all I know they carry them also. I have a feeling this is gonna cost more than I want to spend after the Holidays.

Thanks for the link on installation.

What are the "L shaped" brackets?

If you are looking for a battery exactly the same size as OE, check out the Yuasa 51913. It's a conventional lead-acid battery (meaning it needs checking once in a while), but only mod you'll need to do is adding a venting tube to it. Easier done than said.

Gives a bit more starting power and (hopefully) shouldn't die as suddenly as the OE Exide.

Check with you dealer: sometimes BMW dealers carry them to fit to older bikes, otherwise it's easily available on the Internet.

Thanks, I'll check that out too, I am inclined to check prices and compare the "nmumbers" on the two batteries. I also wonder if my Battery Tender Jr will work correctly with the Odyssey, but I figure it will fine with the Yusas battery. My BT jr is the regular version, not the special BMW, Gel, etc, etc version. It always acted like it was charging properly. I was told (somewhere) that using the BT Jr was fine with the OEM BMW battery, but then I am without a clue as to what battery is OEM.

Deek-

FYI Odyssey batteries are on the high end of the price scale - they're also head and shoulders above other typical VRLA batteries. Expect 8-10 year life @ +25C vs. 3-5, expect up to 1.5 years shelf life @ +25C vs. 3 months, and expect construction which is nearly identical to the Genesis Series batteries used on military applications such as HMMWV and aircraft. They cost more, and they're worth it. You will have no problem charging the battery (which ships charged) with your Battery Tender.

-MKL

I've used Odysseys for a long time in track cars, bikes, etc and they are very good indeed.

BUT there are a couple things you need to remember about them

1) Safety- unlike the BMW battery, Odysseys lack an insulating cover over the positive terminal. No track on the planet would let you through a tech inspection without one because of the potential fire hazard. So make a cover from a bunch of duct tape or cutting and piece of rubber tubing and taping it over the positive.

2) You will need to bend the retainer strap on the RT and/or insert a spacer to hold the batttery well.

Regular Battery Tenders (there are several models) in general do not work well with Odysseys in my experience. If the battery is at all discharged, they will typically fail to recharge it though they work OK on one in good shape to maintain it. I suggest at some point you get a more powerful modern design like an Optimate 4 Dual an Xtreme, etc. The most recent pulse chargers are sometimes capable of recovering batteries that other types will not recharge so having one in your garage can pay for itself. A little while I ago I recovered a stone dead car battey (not even a glow on thee dome light and no starter relay click) using one of my Xtremes after other more powerful chargers failed to recharge it and that battery tests fine and is still in use.

My personal experience with Odyssey batteries has been mixed. I've had three, one in an 1150RT, one in an 1150GS, and one in a 1200RT. Despite their great specs and reputed long service life, and despite the great service that many have actually gotten from them, I don't trust 'em anymore. The one in my GS died after only 18 months. Following that, I learned that this is not all that uncommon with Odysseys. Following that, I replaced the one in the RT, which had given me fine service for more than four years, because I didn't trust it anymore. In addition, one of the first things I did to my new-to-me 1200RT was to replace the four year old Odyssey it came with. I'm back to Westco exclusively. Never had a bad experience with them. Just sayin' what happened to me. Others may get ten years from their Odysseys.

Checked with the BMW dealer. A new "BMW OEM" battery installed is $178. That's the only battery they have for the Beemer. I asked about Odyssey, he said the early ones had some problems but he hears the current ones are fine. I found a PC680 locally for $150, several on the i'net for about $130, and the least price I found today is Amazon at $104.

So I ordered through Amazon, and also order a set of the "L brackets". I am not sure if they are included with the PC680, but for $5-6 I'll order a set to be sure. I don't want to find out at the last minute I'm missing something I need to do the install myself. BTW, my BMW dealer would charge $35 to install my battery.

I'll continue to use the Battery Tender, JR I have now. I really cannot find anything definitive about the other battery chargers that would cost another $60 or so. I think I ride enough (generally 4-6 times during each month except for two months inthe Spring and maybe the winter when I'm down in Florida without the BMW (I take my Triumph).

Now, can anyone point me to a link of what I need to know before I disconnect the old battery and install a new one? I already have the one (link above) that shows how to install the PC680. But I think I will have to reset my RT's clock, and maybe do a throttle-reset (a reminder how-to would be appreciated ).

Thanks for the help guys.

Just disconnect negative cable first then positive cable. Replace battery, attach positive cable then negative. You will have to reset clock. I don't think the '09 requires resetting your throttle but to reset it you turn ignition to on but don't start bike. Open throttle wide open then off and repeat. You are set to go.

Linc G.

On the Odyssey website is a list of their approved chargers by maker and model number. And you can use other chargers that function in the same way as one of the approved ones. Basically the very low current models will not even initiate a charge on a discharged Odyssey so just when you most need it, it won't work and you might erroneously conclude you have an unrecoverable battery.

The battery will come with the clips so you'll end up with 2 sets.

The clock procedure is in the Riders Manual and you don't really need to do anything special after installing the new battery except ride the bike. If you don't have the manual you can get one from the Danish BMW website where they are online.

The $104 isn't bad at all. Sometimes this can be beaten by $10 or so. The $150 local price is eseentially list and what they can be bought for at local places that stock them (and then you get to add whatever your sales tax is).

Morning Deek

In the U.S. your original BMW battery is warranted by BMW for 2 years from time of purchase (unless you purchased a used bike or a demo). Sounds like you are way over that.

Although the PC-680 isn't a drop in fit it is close enough that it will work just fine & I think you will find it a very good long term addition that will last longer than most replacements & better yet will easily start that bike even at below 0° temps.

On the installing the "L" brackets-- no big deal as all they do is convert the battery from a vertical post battery to a configuration close to the stock BMW battery. Just install the "L" brackets per this picture.

On fitting the PC680 in the bike-- it will be just a bit too thin to stay in place properly using the stock hold down strap. The PC-680 should come with some foam pieces protecting it in it's shipping box. Just place one of those foam pieces in front of the battery when sliding the battery into your 1200RTs battery box (shims the battery to almost a perfect fit).

Next you will find the stock battery hold down strap a bit lose on the battery so a short piece of stiff wall rubber hose squashed down between the strap & battery works just great at making the hold down strap retain the battery properly.

Be careful when tightening the cable bolts on those "L" brackets (use a wrench on both nut & bolt head) as those "L" brackets give enough leverage on the battery to allow battery post damage if not held in position while tightening the cable bolts.

As mentioned above after battery install re-set the clock & do a TPS re-learn

To do the TPS re-learn-

After new battery install (before starting the engine) -

*Turn the key to on (do not start the engine)

*Then fully open & fully close the throttle twice

*Then just start the engine ( & ride off if you want to)

That's it!

I put an Odyssey 680 in my 2009 RT a few months ago when the original battery died suddenly with no warning and left me stranded. So far, so good. I just bent the connector strap here and there until it held the battery in securely. I got it at Amazon. It came with the terminal adapters. I had an Odyssey on my previous 1100RT and it worked out well.

Thanks for all the great info on the install,that's going to helpo me a lot.

I did order an extra set of L brackets as it was not clear on the Amazon site if they were included. I also read somewhere the installed recommended using both to give a firmer "post". I'll have to rig up something to shield the positive terminal I know. Odd that Odyssey doesn't stick something in the carton for that, or at least a warming and suggestions. I think I have an old inner tube somewhere or I'll use the old standby; duct tape.

I have reached no decision on the "approved" chargers, one on the Odyssey recommended chart. The least expensive is more than I want to spend right now. My understanding is that a regular Battery Tender will not FULLY charge the Odyssey, but will "only" charge it to 13 or so volts....But then actually riding the bike WILL charge the battery fully....so I'm assuming the battery would s-l-o-w-l-y drop from its full charge (14v?) down to the high 12s or low 13s....at which point my BT would keep it from going lower. I cannot anticipate not riding at all for periods longer than 2 months, which is what I do now, twice a year - once in the fall, once in the spring. When I do tht I connect a BT jr to the battery. The remainder of the time I ride the BMW at least once a week for serveral hours - which ought to provide a full charge.

Looks to me like those higher amp chargers, like the Optima Ultimer or others on the Odyssey recommended charger chart, would ONLY be required if the Odyssey battery for some reason got a very low charge on it, but I don't know what volts that would be, or how long it would take to get there IF there were no charger, even a BT jr connected.

FedEx tells me the battery arrives today, so hopefully I can get it installed tomorrow, do my clock and TPS reset and go riding!

Morning Deek

Your Battery Tender should do just fine. My last Odyssey battery is fully charged at 12.91 volts & that is what I get when charging it with my Battery Tender & after sitting 12 hours to flash off the surface charge.

One more time= the basic low output Battery Tender WILL NOT charge a fully discharged 680 or any larger Odyssey. It will not even initiate a charge on a dead Odyssey and will just sit there as a hot little cube- seen it a lot more than once which is the reason I own the right ones having used Odysseys for a long time in track machinery and keeping them in good shape so that at least in sprint races there were no surprises. A basic low output BT can be used to maintain an Odyssey with a decent charge to begin with and that's all- and its not optimal for that.

A substitute you might find in an old garage if you don't want to buy the correct tools to maintain what you own is a charger of the type designed for maintenance free batteries in the days of lead-Ca plates. These put out high enough voltage at the start of charging to get even a dead Odyssey coming up the curve again (they take a lot more deep discharge abuse than most types) BUT they lack automatic shutoffs, having only a tapering charge so can't be left connected permanently or you'll "cook" out the water and kill the battery. I've got an old 10A that I used to recharge my freshwater fishing rig batteries in the late 1970s and it works but only on the "maintenance free" setting, not the one meant for refillable FLA batteries with regular lead plates. Odysseys can be safely charged at higher current rates than would be correct for a similar size FLA battery but its best to stick to the rates in the makers charger recommendation.

Morning Racer7

Actually a Battery Tender or Tender Jr will do just fine recharging a fully depleted Odyssey motorcycle battery. You just have to know how to do it.

Is it a question of semantics? The float charger from the Chinese Tool Co. says in the fine print not to use that charger on AGM or gel batteries. Only on flooded lead-acid batteries. Some people call that a battery tender.

The Deltran battery tender is designed to work on all batteries including AGM. You get what you pay for. You can get five or more Chinese float chargers (HF) for the cost of a good device.

Afternoon Dazzz

I'm not sure why this or that particular Chinese battery float charger says not to use it on an AGM or Gel battery but they must have a good reason to not recommend their unit be used on AGM or GEL.

Some cheap float type chargers are not electronically regulated to recognize or totally control the charging voltage to acceptable levels for GEL or AGM batteries.

Some have built in charging programs that run a high voltage desulfation cycle on flooded lead-acid batteries & those can harm an AGM or Gel battery.

One thing is for certain- you never want to charge an AGM or Gel battery at higher than recommended voltages as that can easily damage the battery (permanently)

"...the basic low output Battery Tender WILL NOT charge a fully discharged 680 or any larger Odyssey. It will not even initiate a charge on a dead Odyssey and will just sit there as a hot little cube- seen it a lot more than once which is the reason I own the right ones having used Odysseys for a long time in track machinery and keeping them in good shape .."

I installed the PC680 in my RT on Saturday then did a 200+ mile ride with 3-4 stops and engine restarts. Everything looks good. The battery had about 12.7 vdc when I installed it. I haven't measured the volts since. I did connect a BT jr to it after my ride - figured it can't hurt anything. I just hope my Odyssey never gets a really low charge on it, because my research agrees with what you said. I suppose if/when that happens I'll have to get one of the more expensive chargers, such as those listed on Odyssey's web page to take the depleted battery up to a workable level.

I haven't seen anything that says a BT jr or Plus cannot or should not be used to MAINTAIN an Odyssey battery, so I hook up my bike when it's not gonna be used for a few days. However, this spring the motorcycle will sit in the garage for 2 months.....and I'll hook up the BT jr to it. Hopefully it will start the bike up after a two month lay-off!

I've used the older battery tender on my Odyssey for years as the bike sits for about 5 months over the winter. Never had an issue. Bike starts up fine every spring...

I'm wondering if anybody has used the TruGel battery on their bike. I looked at them, but the price kept me away when I replaced my RT battery this past year. I may go down that road if the replacement battery doesn't last more than the two plus years the OEM battery lasted.

Wayne

Yesterday my five year old stock battery barely started the bike when I stopped for gas so I'm about to order a PC680-P from Amazon ($96.25 w/ free shipping). I've heard yes-they-do and no-they-don't come with the L-brackets. Anybody know for sure?

If you look through the customer reviews there is one posted yesterday that says the adapters were provided (review below).

Bought this battery here after doing plenty of research online. The price was the lowest I found and after I ordered it the price here went even lower. I also bought the L-adapter kit to go with the battery for around $5 and was surprised to find a kit included in the battery box. The comments didn't mention one being included now.

Afternoon Bob

While there is no guarantee as Amazon offers a few vendors to buy from the last one I bought from Amazon & the last PC 680 my friend bought from Amazon came with included "L" brackets.

Thanks, I figured it's pretty much hit or miss on the brackets. I'll roll the dice and hope they're included.

Yes they come with it.

The last one I bought came with the L-Brackets....

I really need to visit this forum more often. You guys just saved me $85. Ordered from Amazon at $96.25 — no tax and free shipping. We'll see if it actually arrives.

Thanks!

I have an IQ only slightly above that of an idiot when it comes to anything involving a wrench. So speaking as a humble member of the mechanically inept, I have a question.

I ordered the Odyssey PC680 battery, got it yesterday and installed it in my '09 RT this afternoon. No problems, I reset the clock, the bike started right up, I took it out for a 15-mile run up the road and back, and everything seems normal.

When I was installing the battery, I attached the cable to the positive terminal, then the the other cable to the negative. When I touched the connectors together on the negative terminal, however, I got a small spark — not a big one, just a barely noticeable little spark that happened each time I touched the cable to the battery terminal.

Is this normal? Is this just the minor flow of electricity necessary to hold basic memory information in the computer, like the clock time? Or am I looking at something that shouldn't be and will drain the battery in short order?

Yes. Yes. No.

Yes. Yes. No.

I've got to admire someone who says so much is so few words. Thank you!

Would anyone be able to tell me if an Odyssey PC680 would fit my R1200RT 2015 byke?

I've been studying this thread and other info and consider this would be the best replacement for me. (The Shorai LFX21 "L" polarity sounds like a good idea, but is just too expensive compared to the Odyssey, especially with delivery to Mexico. OEM is not a good option for me.)

I'm new to these forums, but did search here and elsewhere for anyone having installed any non OEM battery on a 2015 wethead but found next to nothing.

I haven't been able to find the specs for the original battery including size in order to check and would rather have the new battery in hand before going to the trouble of taking the old one out, which is failing but still works if placed on the tender the previous night.

Many thanks for reading and for any pointers or ideas.

Happy motorcycling...

Would anyone be able to tell me if an Odyssey PC680 would fit my R1200RT 2015 byke?

I've been studying this thread and other info and consider this would be the best replacement for me. (The Shorai LFX21 "L" polarity sounds like a good idea, but is just too expensive compared to the Odyssey, especially with delivery to Mexico. OEM is not a good option for me.)

 

I'm new to these forums, but did search here and elsewhere for anyone having installed any non OEM battery on a 2015 wethead but found next to nothing.

 

I haven't been able to find the specs for the original battery including size in order to check and would rather have the new battery in hand before going to the trouble of taking the old one out, which is failing but still works if placed on the tender the previous night.

 

Many thanks for reading and for any pointers or ideas.

 

Happy motorcycling...

Evening Dr. Montano

You posted in the wrong forum here (you will probably get better feedback by posting in the Wetheads forum).

I haven't had to install a new battery in a 1200 wethead yet but I'm not aware of a direct fit Odyssey battery.

Here is an old thread on the 1200wc battery (not a lot of help)

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=978383&page=1

With some research you might find an Odyssey that will fit with a little modification. They claim there is no Odyssey that will fit the BMW 800 GS but I have been able to fit them with some grinding to the battery tray.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction: There is a lot of information there, including the size of the battery and alternatives. Many thanks.