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  #1  
Old 24 Jun 2011
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Question Dual Battery Set-Up
I am considering setting up a secondary battery on my R1200 GSA via an isolator. Has anyone done this before? I am wanting to run some accessories off this secondary battery (eg Phone, Heated clothing,Ipod, LED lights) and avoiding draining my Start up battery. The Police BMWs have such a set up, and as much as I'd like to find out more, my local BMW dealership ain't no help.Seems like any variation to 'factory standard' is an impossibility.
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Old 24 Jun 2011
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Surely a high output generator would be a far simpler and easier solution...

Or just throw the Touratech catalogue away
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Old 24 Jun 2011
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The reason the police bikes have two batteries is that they shut the bike off and have their lights flashing and use the radios for long periods of time. Then they can start the bike and leave.
I have only seen the BMW RT's with two batteries.

Do you want to use your phone, heated gear, lights while the bike is off ?
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Old 25 Jun 2011
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check out with motor caravan places, they use exactly this system. that way if you run down the non bike battery you still able to start and go.
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Old 25 Jun 2011
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Also check out Maplins
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  #6  
Old 25 Jun 2011
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Cheers..that's the line of thought I'm running with...My experience is, these bikes play up and are easily overloaded with accessories.
Thanks
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Old 26 Jun 2011
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What you want isn't really different than what many have on their bikes...

Why not get an optimate plug for your battery and give it an overnight charge every week if you feel you're draining it a short commute and lots of accessories. Its the same issue sports bikes have with their small batteries and alarms etc.

If you want to get away and do some long days and fear that you're accessories are too much for your generator, then by far the easiest and more relevant (and cheaper) option would be a higher output generator.

You don't need to buy a big gun for a knife fight !!
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Old 25 Jun 2011
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Yeah I am a sucker for accessories...good point. Sometimes best to keep it simple.I will say though, I had and still have a GPS wired to the accessory socket under the tank and a Starcom communications system with Starcom Camera hooked up direcly to the battery. The direct link to the battery resulted in a leak of Amperage at 1 amp every 5 hours (so I'm told by my mechanic). The spin-off of this was my bike was stalling randomly as the low start-up power was scrambling the ECU. Yes we had gone through the motions of checking all sensors, throttle body,alternator and so forth and it came back to the 'Battery' and the bloomin' accessories, hence my toying around with, 'how can I avoid this happening again', especially now as I have this gadget thing going on.
I use my bike as a daily commute and although the generator is ample, my daily to and fro work kms is neglible.And that also compunds the problem with 'charge'. I don't have a problem on the long getaways.
The secondary battery I am considering is an Odyssey pc535...it's a deep cycle batt and can be run flat, apparently.
So were you eluding that a bigger generator is available for the GS?
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