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[Mike Werner]

I've checked the manual of my BMW C Evolution from beginning to end. I've sent emails to BMW France and BMW UK. No response.

No where can I find if I can leave my charger connected to the battery and to my household plug (Mode 1 charger).

Any opinions?? I know Zero recommends that you leave it plugged in, but nothing from BMW.

[Richard230]

Gee Mike.  You would think that the owner's manual would cover that important item.     You sure are getting no respect from the two-wheel electric vehicle distributors in France.  You, being a (very) early adopter of the C Evolution, will make you the go-to guy for questions like this in the future.   

If it was me, I would keep it plugged in and if the system blew up I would take advantage of the great BMW after-sales warranty system.   

[Mike Werner]

Tell me about it... I got an English and a French manual. Nothing! And I emailed French and British BMW, and no answer. I just can't write German, so can't write them. Frustrating...

[protomech]

If you have to choose a simple policy, it's far better to leave it plugged in 100% of the non-riding time than to rely upon the user plugging in the bike just in time to prevent bricking.

If you use the bike every day, then just plug it in whenever you need to charge.

My two cents.

[Mike Werner]

If you have to choose a simple policy, it's far better to leave it plugged in 100% of the non-riding time than to rely upon the user plugging in the bike just in time to prevent bricking.

If you use the bike every day, then just plug it in whenever you need to charge.

My two cents.

Thanks. My idea as well. I use it everyday, so no issues there, but am going on an assignment abroad this friday for a week. But I guess I'll just leave it plugged in, but tune down the Amps (you can do that with their charger).

On another note, their manual was obviously rushed. It says there is a 12V plug in the right side glove compartment, but there is none... The manual says that the separate 12V battery, used for the electronics, needs to be trickled charged if you are not going to use it for some time. But there is no 12V port... strange...

[kingcharles]

My Vectrix had to be unplugged after charging otherwise the charger would burn out.
It also was not capable of keeping the batteries charged. You had to manually plug it in once per month while in storage.

So I would still press for an official answer.

[morimaxx]

Hi,

i come from germany and try to translate the german manual for you into english from BMWs website:
http://www.bmw-motorrad.de/_common/jsp/download.jsp?file=http://www.bmw-motorrad.de/de/de/services/bmwmotorrad_betriebsanleitungen/com/PDF/C_0C03_RM_0214_Cevolution_00.pdf

Note: I'm neither a professional translator nor a lawyer, and also non emplyee of BMW.
This is just for information; For legal proof information please contact BMW Service!

At Page 112 you'll find:

E-Scooter stilllegen
Fahrzeug nicht für einen
längeren Zeitraum mit zu
geringem Ladezustand stehen
lassen. Vor längerer Standphase
mithilfe der Ladezustandsanzeige
sicherstellen, dass der Hochvoltspeicher
vollständig aufgeladen
ist.
Ladezustand regelmäßig
kontrollieren. Sonst kann
bei übermäßiger Entladung der
Hochvoltspeicher beschädigt
werden.
Fahrzeug nicht länger als
14 Tage abstellen, wenn
die elektrische Reichweite weniger
als 10 km beträgt. Bei
Standphasen von bis zu drei Monaten
das Fahrzeug möglichst
an einer geeigneten Stromquelle
angesteckt oder nahezu voll aufgeladen
abstellen.

Means:

Putting E-Scooter out of Service

Do not let the vehicle stand in a lower charging level for a longer period of time. Before a longer period of standing ensure that the high voltage battery is fully charged using the Charging Status Display.
Please check state of charge regularly. Otherwise the high voltage battery may be damaged when getting excessice discharged.
Do not let stand the vehicle longer than 14 days if the electrical range is less than 10 kilometers. For longer standing up to three months let the vehicle plugged in at a propriate power source if possible or let it stand nearly fully charged.



The Scooter also has got a separate common 12 Volt Battery, I guess a lead-acid type.
At page 102 you'll find:

Sachgemäße Pflege, Ladung und
Lagerung erhöhen die Lebensdauer
der 12-V-Batterie und sind
Voraussetzung für eventuelle Gewährleistungsansprüche.
Um eine lange Lebensdauer der
12-V-Batterie zu erreichen, sollten
Sie folgende Punkte beachten:

Wartung
Batterieoberfläche sauber und
trocken halten.
Zum Laden der 12-V-Batterie
folgende Ladehinweise beachten:
Bei angeklemmter 12-VBatterie
entlädt die Bordelektronik
(Uhr, usw.) die 12-
V-Batterie. Dies kann zu einer
Tiefentladung der 12-V-Batterie
führen. In diesem Fall sind
Gewährleistungsansprüche ausgeschlossen.
Bei Fahrpausen von mehr als
4 Wochen sollte ein Ladeerhaltungsgerät
an die 12-V-Batterie
angeschlossen werden.
Das Laden der angeklemmten
12-V-Batterie direkt an
den Batteriepolen kann zu Schäden
an der Fahrzeugelektronik
führen.
Zum Laden der 12-V-Batterie
über die Batteriepole: 12-V-Batterie
vorher abklemmen.

Means:

Appropriate care, charging and storage will increase the lifecycle of the 12 Volt Battery and are requirements for eventual guarantee claims. To get a long life of the 12 Volt Battery you should take care of the following points:
Keep the surface of the battery clean and dry. For charging the 12 Volt Battery take care of the following hints:
When the 12 Volt Battery is connected the vehicles electronic (clock, etc.) will discharge the 12 Volt Battery. This may lead to a deep discharge of the 12 Volt Battery. In this case guarrantee claims are voided.
At driving breakes longer than 4 weeks you should use a maintaining charger for the 12 Volt battery.
Charging of the 12 V Battery directly at the battery poles can lead to damages on the vehiles electronic. For charging the 12 Volt battery please disconnect the battery prior to charging.

[Mike Werner]

Thanks a million morimaxx

Guess I'll be leaving it plugged. Now I need to get a 12V plug to the normal batter to use a trickle charger.

Danke. One less item on my to do list.

[morimaxx]

You should disconnect the 12 Volt battery from the vehicle before using a charger; Otherwise the vehicles electronic may get damaged, says the manual.

[Richard230]

I always end up buying the first new BMW model off out of the factory and I usually live to regret it.  BMW really tends to send out their new motorcycles half-baked, as if they just don't have time to fully test them before placing them on the market.  Most of the time during the first model year things will go wrong, service updates will occur that get resolved by the dealer, official recalls will happen and parts and materials improvements will be made to next year's models.  I think almost every long-time BMW owner has discovered that you never want to purchase the first-year model, which comes with a lot of bugs.  By the second year of manufacture, BMW has corrected most of their design and manufacturing mistakes and the bikes get progressively better in succeeding years - before they come out with a new model replacing the old one and the process starts all over again.   

Regarding long-term charging, all of BMW's accessory chargers are well-designed (and very expensive) battery maintainers that can be left connected to a 12-volt battery forever.  I would expect them to use a similar type of charger in any battery-powered vehicle.  In this case they probably use the same charger that is used in their electric car.

[Richard230]

You should disconnect the 12 Volt battery from the vehicle before using a charger; Otherwise the vehicles electronic may get damaged, says the manual.

On both of my IC BMW motorcycles, the $150 BMW accessory battery charger is designed to be left connected to the bike continuously.  The bikes have a Can'tBust computer system that monitors the battery condition to insure that the 12-volt battery remains charged and is not over or under charged.  I have seen my charger turn on, check the battery voltage, charge a little, then turn off.  It seems to do this every few hours when plugged in.

[Mike Werner]

You should disconnect the 12 Volt battery from the vehicle before using a charger; Otherwise the vehicles electronic may get damaged, says the manual.

On both of my IC BMW motorcycles, the $150 BMW accessory battery charger is designed to be left connected to the bike continuously.  The bikes have a Can'tBust computer system that monitors the battery condition to insure that the 12-volt battery remains charged and is not over or under charged.  I have seen my charger turn on, check the battery voltage, charge a little, then turn off.  It seems to do this every few hours when plugged in.

Yeah, that's my experience as well. Funny thing was I sold my 1150GS last year, thinking I would never own a BMW again (planned on the Gold Wing and the Zero), so I gave away my expensive BMW trickle charger. Now I got to buy one again.

I wonder if I can claim that BMW instal the 12V plug....

[Mike Werner]

morimaxx,

does the German version of the manual say anything that there should be a 12V plug???


It's really strange, it says it in the French and UK one, but it also says that the heated hand grips and the alarm are optional extra items to be ordered separately, but surprise, surprise, both are on my bike.

[Richard230]

morimaxx,

does the German version of the manual say anything that there should be a 12V plug???


It's really strange, it says it in the French and UK one, but it also says that the heated hand grips and the alarm are optional extra items to be ordered separately, but surprise, surprise, both are on my bike.

BMW has a tendency to pack their first year's models with an "introductory" set of factory-installed accessories that are included in the price (usually at an additional cost over the base price) of the vehicle.  Most likely that is what they did with your C Evolution.  Naturally, you likely paid a higher price than if you had bought a "base" model at the advertized "low-ball" price, but then those bikes typically have to be special ordered from the factory. 

I did that with my first-year 2009 F650GS, which was manufactured in June of 2008 - and it eventually reached my dealer's showroom in September of that year.  I special-ordered the bike without ABS and likely have one of the few models in the U.S. without that feature.

[Mike Werner]

Actually, surprisingly I'm paying less than advertised. The monthly lease was advertised for the base modem to be €295, but am getting it for €271. And it's not a press price, since it's directly with the dealer.