Motorcycle batteries are improving rapidly with constant technological advancements in the automobile industry. If you’re a motorbike rider or simply a motorcycle enthusiast, you surely want to understand every nook and cranny about these motorcycle batteries, especially if you’re planning to replace your old battery or buy a new one.
While purchasing a motorcycle battery, it is essential to know critical aspects such as which battery type to buy, its specifications, the right way for charging a motorcycle battery and how often you should charge it, best battery for a motorcycle or even the best battery charger for a motorcycle.
Let’s dive deeper into the world of motorcycle batteries to find the answers for everything related to enriching your bike riding experience.
How to Charge a New Motorcycle Battery?
Charging a new motorcycle battery can be quite complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing, especially if you’re a new rider. But don’t worry because we got you covered. Here are the recommended steps to charge a new motorcycle battery:
Step 1
Charging a battery for the first time is the most essential step to ensure its long life. It’s vital to charge it 100% for making it work to its full potential and capacity. This might even take up to 12 hours to finish charging fully. Use only a motorcycle cell to power your battery, preferably one that charges at less than 1 AMP.
Step 2
In order to install the battery, attach the positive terminal first, followed by the negative terminal, to prevent electrical shorts. We recommend installing a battery tender pigtail. A pigtail enables you to power your motorcycle’s battery without physically accessing it. It simplifies future battery charging and only takes a few seconds to install.
Step 3
Ensure that the closed circuit voltage while charging is roughly at 14.2 volts to avoid overpowering or undercharging the battery. After the battery is charged and its voltage measures between 12.06 volts and 12.62 volts, it needs to be charged more. The optimum voltage should be 12.73 volts and then you’re good to go!
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How Often Should You Charge a Motorcycle Battery?
Any type of lead acid battery should always be kept completely charged. After that, you should either power your battery every 30 days, or consider purchasing a smart adapter to keep your battery charged all the time. These new “smart” chargers will keep the voltage at its peak while lowering the current to almost nothing, avoiding overcharging even when left on for months at a time.
According to Halfords, a leading motorcycle provider, it is recommended to regularly charge a battery at least once a month, especially if you do not plan on riding the motorcycle for a long period of time. Older batteries tend to depreciate and deteriorate rapidly, requiring more frequency for charging the batteries.
How to Check a Motorcycle Battery?
Batteries contain acid which are generally known to be a highly explosive hydrogen gas. It’s integral to follow these safety precautions before performing any tests or services on your motorcycle battery. There are two ways to check a motorcycle battery:
Static Test
Use a charger or simply go for a trip to let the charging device do its work. Allow at least one hour for the battery to settle before testing. Carry out this evaluation while the motorcycle is switched off. Set the voltmeter to DC scale from 0-24 or equivalent. Attach the meters and record the voltage. A fully charged battery should have a voltage of about 12.6VDC.
Load Test
A load test is performed when the motorbike is switched on and electricity is drawn from the battery. The voltage at the battery terminal is then measured. Before the charging mechanism kicks in, the voltage will start to decrease. If the voltage falls below 9.5VDC, your battery’s charge capability is extremely low. Replace it immediately to avoid being stranded in the middle of nowhere.
How to Tell if a Motorcycle Battery is Dead?
Imagine you are on a long bike ride with your friends and you stop for a small smoke break. When you get back to starting your bike, you are unable to start it. So, the simplest answer to “Is my motorcycle battery dead?” is when you cannot start your bike. Furthermore, if you are getting a slow engine response or the starter is not spinning as fast as it should to start the engine, it is a fairly good sign that your motorcycle battery is dead.
But fear not, a high quality dead motorcycle battery can be recharged several times before you actually need to replace it. It may require several hours to try and get the old dead battery going. A standard battery charger can charge at 5 AMPs, but a motorcycle battery should never be charged at more than 1 to 1.2 AMPs. A car battery should not be used to charge a dead motorcycle battery as it can fry out the bike’s battery very quickly.
How Long Does a Motorcycle Battery Last?
A motorcycle battery is typically designed to last at least three to five years, depending on its quality and the power. However, the life of the battery may be subject to the type or the quality of the battery brand. In layman language, you should get nearly 1,000 starts from a lead-based battery (lead acid), whereas approximately 2,000 battery starts can be equipped with a lithium battery before it runs out.
In winters, the storage of the battery should be according to the specifications for its type. For instance, an AGM lead-based battery is recommended to be stored with a quality tender or maintainer to regularize the temperature of the battery.
On the other hand, the best way to store lithium batteries in winters is by disconnecting them when there is a long period of no use. This will be effective in avoiding over-discharge of the battery and help increase its battery life. The best way to judge the life of the battery is by its performance. Do make sure that you replace the battery in time before it goes bad.
Which is the Best Battery for a Motorcycle?
The best battery for a motorcycle is measured by critical variables that require your attention to ensure you pick the right one. With a wide range of motorcycle batteries present today, bike riders should weigh the unique advantages that offer the most advanced features for security, protection, entertainment, aesthetics, and of course, power.
There are several good brands that have the best battery for a motorcycle including Shorai LFX LFX09A2 Lithium Standard Battery, Chrome Battery YTX30L-BS, Yuasa’s YUAM320BS, Odyssey’s PC680, KMG YT12A-BS Sealed Maintenance-Free Battery, and many others. You can choose the best battery for optimizing your bike’s performance.
In terms of the best battery charger for motorcycles, it’s important to be careful about using a charger which is specifically designed for motorcycle batteries or else you can end up ruining a battery which was otherwise in adequate condition. There are multiple brands in the market from which you can choose the best battery charger for your motorcycle.
For effectively charging a motorcycle battery, you can pick NOCO Genius 5 Charger, Battery Tender Junior Charger, CTEK MXS 5.0 Charger, Tecmate Optimate Lithium 4s Charger and other high quality battery chargers to keep your motorcycle ride going.