is there a video on charging and putting charging cables on the R18TC i took off the side cover and boy o boy so much stuff in there

BigFoot@3

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is there a video on charging and putting charging cables on the R18TC i took off the side cover and boy o boy so much stuff in there
 
I plug my charger (BMW SmartCharger), which was included with the purchase of my bike into the DC socket located on the left side, just below the Reverse Lever.

My dealership also installed a very simple charging cable, which is connected to the battery terminals; that can also be used for a generic third party charger.
 
I plug my charger (BMW SmartCharger), which was included with the purchase of my bike into the DC socket located on the left side, just below the Reverse Lever.

My dealership also installed a very simple charging cable, which is connected to the battery terminals; that can also be used for a generic third party charger.
yes I called the dealer he said to charge. where you said (CAN-BUS) by the shifter thanks for your reply!
 
The BMW smart charger can be plugged into any of the DC sockets on the bike (sorry Scott 🙁).

I'm just lazy and plug mine into the plug on the dash. It works just fine from there. Because it's CAN-BUS, it doesn't matter where it's at on the bike...it's ALL 12 volts at each 12 volt socket.

Battery charger plugged in.jpg
Alcina's battery has been charging with zero issues ever since I got the charger and use the plug on the dashboard. She's living proof.

Myth busted???

Mike
 
The cable from the BMW charger to the bike seems short? I'm considering the BMW charger but was hoping to have the charger hanging on the wall behind the bike, and connecting to the lower 12V outlet. From the picture it doesn't seem feasible though. Roughly how long is that cable and is it extendable or exchangeable?
 
The cable from the BMW charger to the bike seems short? I'm considering the BMW charger but was hoping to have the charger hanging on the wall behind the bike, and connecting to the lower 12V outlet. From the picture it doesn't seem feasible though. Roughly how long is that cable and is it extendable or exchangeable?
DC current by its nature drops in voltage over moderate lengths of cable length. That's why Nikola Tesla's/Westinghouse's AC power won over Thomas Edison's DC; less AC booster stations needed for long-range power transmission lines, whereas Edison residential DC power needed continuous boosters every mile or so (if my history is correct?).

Depending on how long you want the line, you could simply cut and splice in a similar AWG and not suffer any loss in voltage. However, if you are looking at something like 15-25', you might want to consider swapping the entire cable out and increasing the AWG of the cable up a couple AWG's to accommodate the increased distance. That means opening the charger open, unsoldering the wire and soldering a heavier AWG wire in its place.

The cable itself is 3-4' (sitting here at my desk, thinking about it) and no, the cable is not extendable, unless you want to mate the DC minijack to a female extension cord with a male DC minijack outlet. Or, like I mentioned, actually splicing the DC cable itself and wiring an extension cable that way (the cheaper option).

If you don't want to bother with any of that, I wouldn't let it dissuade you from this charger. IMO, it's worth it, especially because it also includes a lithium charging capability, should you ever need to charge any 12V lithium batteries with a smart charger as well.

Mike
 
I have my charger attached & connected to an AC outlet, which is hanging from a retractable extension cord on the ceiling of my garage; this allows the charger to hang just above my bike. For the reasons that Mike mentioned; it's best to move the charger in close proximity to the bike via an AC extension cord, vs running longer DC cables.
 
Thanks. I'll have to go measure properly but I think I'll need somewhere between 4-5 feet so it just might work if I'm lucky. The retractable extension cord hanging from the ceiling is a great idea, but would require drilling the ceiling. I think I'd rather attach a short DC extension cord (I think 1-2 feet more couldn't matter).

In the meantime I'm covered by my ctek charger. But I also need the ctek at another location, hence looking for an additional charger.
 
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