AGM Batteries in an R100GS
 

Has anyone had any experience using a gel/AGM battery (e.g Odyssey, Deka, etc) in an airhead boxer? I like the concept of a spillproof battery but from what I've read in their user manuals they are more particular about under/over charging.

I've been looking for a description of the charge curve Volts v RPM in a boxer on the web but haven't found one yet. Does anyone have any ideas, comments?

Thanks

Ian J

P.S A previous owner of my bike had wired up an extra headlamp in such a way that the +12V for the new headlamp was taken directly from the connector on the back of the high beam terminal instead of via the battery and a relay. This was a very BAD thing I found the insulation on this wire had melted and was about to short out. You have been warned!

I had the Odyssey on my 900 cc R75/7 and it was OK , but just before the two year warranty was up it just died under load ..

It was replaced without cost , and the second one did the same thing , this time just after the warranty expired.

The current battery cost 1/3 the cost and is fine after 15 months.

Odyssey
 

I had a simialar experience to BeemerBoff - purchased and Odyssey gel/ sealed battery for my R80 G/S, which died after a year and a half, and was replaced under warrenty. The replacement has been fine so far.

These batteries are reputed to have much more resistance to abuse (poor charging/ storage, etc.) which I have found to be true. It does seem that they occasionally go south - nice to have the 2 year warrentee, but it will not do you much good unless you can wait to return the battery to the dealer. This would put me off, except that it seems to happen to other brands as well, some batteries just die and early death. On the whole I think they are a good product, and it is one less thing to worry about when you dump your overloaded machine on some remote road.

I put a Panasonic (sometimes labeled Westco) battery in my R-100 GS five years ago and it has been flawless. I rode around the whole world, crashed and left the bike on it's side overnight, run heated vest, lights on at low RPM for hours and left the battery connected without using the bike for four months only to have it start right up.

I can't think of any other way to test this thing. It still works great.

I am also running a high output voltage regulator. Some people do not like them with conventional batteries because they tend to keep the battery hot and the it dries out quickly. Not an issue with a gel battery though. I love this setup.

...+1 on the Panasonic! Awesome batery.

Thanks for the feed back,

I think that I will bite the bullet and buy a Deka ETX30L it's not that much more expensive than a standard battery.

The only difference between it and the standard Mareg battery is that the Deka is 5mm higher and the +ve terminal does not have an insulating cover. Insulating tape covers a myriad of sins.

Ian J