Gerbings liner and accessory plug

fly · Post by **fly** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:03 am

I went for a cold ride on Friday and couldn't understand why my Gerbings jacket liner wasn't getting warm. I had picked up the Gerbings cord that goes from the jacket to the accessory port earlier in the day. I started the bike first and then plugged in and...nothing. Hmmmm. After trying a number of times I gave up and resorted to google - go figure, there is too much of a draw on the system that the bike turns off the port. The older bikes are fine but not the new ones. Oh well, wired the standard patch cord directly to the battery along with a switch and tested and all works fine. Went for a 100km run yesterday and was toasty warm. From what I've read the port has sufficient power to run the BMW heated gear but not much else.
Now I'm left with a Gerbing patch cord with a plug on one end that is of no use so I am considering cutting it and making a patch to allow me to use my Optimate III charger through the accessory port. I've researched this a bit and you can buy cords ready made that will allow this but I don't want to get it wrong. Anybody out there with a BMW or other charger with the plug to the accessory port that can tell me if the center pin on the plug is positive or negative on the charger? Thanks much.

Skippy · Post by **Skippy** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:22 am

The socket turning of has to do with the can bus system. If you connect an optimate charger thrue this socket it won't work either because of the canbus. There are special chargers(sold by BMW but also other stores like NippyNormans) that give the canbus system a signal so that the socket remains working. This is probably the same that happened with the Gerbring clothes not the amps being to mutch but a sort of lack of comunication from the attatched gear(don't know all the ins and outs of the canbus system but it's digital and this creates all this possebilities to block non BMW aproved gear). I also use an optimate and ran a wire straight from the battery as you did with the gerbring gear. I also got a special socket from the BMW dealer that can be placed on the original spot and this should be working fine with all sorts of stuff but I'm not sure if I'm suppose to wire it to the original wires that came of the old socket or that I should use a sepperate run(like with the optimate and gerbring) and connect to this new socket. As it is I like the solution as it is wright now so I have the original socket and the seperate wire. Easiest thing for you is probably to get a plug that fits the gerbring patch cord and connect this to the Optimate.

fly · Post by **fly** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:44 am

Thanks Skippy.

I have an extra patch cord for the Optimate to wire directly to the battery which seems to be the simplest solution. The recommendation by BMW is to disconnect the battery from the rest of the bike for charging in this manner...this would be a royal PITA. Anybody using a charger direct to the battery without disconnecting the battery from the bike?

Post by **AllanCook** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:21 pm

Dean, can you enlighten us on this topic? Is it possible to use our electrics with the accessory socket on an R1200R, or do we have to use a directly wired plug?

I wonder how the BMW engineers missed this obvious issue, since most riders I know ride year-round with electrics.

TWI · Post by **TWI** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:44 pm

The technicians at the place where I bought my R1200R (Morton's BMW) were aware of this situation. They recommeded the following, which I had them do: Install a fuse block wired to the battery, but with a relay to the lights so the block only draws power when the ignition is on. Wire a pigtail for my Gerbing's jacket to the block. Rewire the accessory outlet directly to the battery to permit use of any charger, or (in dire circumstances) draw power direct from the battery.

Keeps me warm and keeps the CANBus happy.

Post by **celticus** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:49 pm

What I understand about the new Can't-bus port on our bikes are that they are just for the special BMW chargers. I have been charging my bike with a Battery Tender Plus wired directly to the battery. Thier adapter is hardly noticable sticking out under the frame. I don't think the BMW engineers were thinking of us when they came up with this system.
This is the reason I bought the BMW female accessory plug and the accessory bracket listed just below it. However when after a month and a half I got them both here at the house I find that they were not meant to go together. The hole in the mounting bracket is much larger than the female accessory plug. On to plan B.

Mark

fly · Post by **fly** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:24 pm

Mark
So when using the battery tender do you first disconnect the battery from the bike's electrical system?

Post by **celticus** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:48 pm

Mark , No I don't. The Battery Tender Plus is made for the newer type (gel?) batterys so I just plug it in like with the pre Can't Bus bikes.

Mark

Skippy · Post by **Skippy** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 3:52 pm

I also charge my battery this way. The optimate is connected all the time when I'm not riding and so far I haven't had any problems so I guess it's fine.

fly · Post by **fly** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:36 pm

Thanks for the replies - that's what I'll do as well.