Many questions spring to mind when motorcyclists start talking about their motorcycle batteries. When I was in motorbike dealers the other day, one of the customers asked the salesman if his motorcycle battery could get wet.
Many motorcycle batteries are leak-proof and spill-proof up to a 90-degree angle. A battery’s high-tech design provides excellent resistance to vibration and extreme weather conditions, so you can allow a motorcycle battery to get wet, and it will have no problems operating as normal.
As well as motorcycles and scooters, the same batteries are used in other types of vehicles. These include motorsports vehicles, quads, and snowmobiles.
Below I have listed the qualities of many batteries available for motorcycles:
- Many batteries are pre-filled and ready to use
- They are 100% maintenance-free with no filling required
- leak-proof and spill-proof (up to a 90-degree angle)
- They have optimal starting power with a high CCA
- They are built for extreme weather conditions and can get wet
- They have excellent resistance to vibration
Motorcycle batteries are built to last with the battery’s internals being in a sealed container, so there is no deterioration if they get wet. Just wipe away the water and carry on as normal.
If you click HERE you can view a wide range of motorcycle batteries on Amazon.
What Does CCA Mean For A Battery?
CCA is the Cold Cranking Amp rating of the battery and is critical for good cranking ability. The number of the amps a battery can support for 30 seconds at a temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit until the battery voltage drops to an unusable level.
The higher the cold-cranking amps, the better the battery for your motorcycle.
How To Choose A Motorcycle Battery.
All your motorcycle’s electronic equipment is powered by the battery and releases a surge of energy when you start your bike. The battery then replaces this energy by way of recharging as you ride.
There are a few factors you should consider before buying a motorcycle battery. This includes the weather conditions, the batteries’ technology, and how you intend to use your motorcycle.
- The size of the battery: Make sure that the battery you choose is the same size as your existing one; otherwise, it may not fit.
- The battery’s polarity: Make sure the polarity of any new battery is the same as your old one to minimize complicated connection issues.
- Check the CCA of the battery: (Please refer to the article above)
- Check the type of battery you require: Whether it is an AGM, Lithium, or GEL, as they all have different advantages.
If in any doubts ask for advice at your local motorcycle dealers.
Motorcycle Battery Comparison Chart
| Battery Type | Factory-Activated AGM | Gel | Pure Lead | LifeP04 Polymer Cells | LifeP04 Cylindrical Cells |
| Starting Power (CCA) | Good | Moderate | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Vibration Resistance | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Weight | Heavy For Size | Heavy For Size | Heavy For Size | Very Light | Light |
| Resistance To Low Temperatures | Medium | Good | Good | Low | Low |
| Self-Discharge Increases With Age | Moderate | Low | Very Low | Very Low | Very Low |
| Instillation | Ready To Use | Ready To Use | Ready To Use | N/A | N/A |
| Maintenance | Maintenance Free | Maintenance Free | Maintenance Free | Maintenance Free | Maintenance Free |
| Maximum Mounting Angle | 90 Degrees | Any | Any | Any | Any |
| Spill/Leak Proof | Up To 90 Degree Angle | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Life Expectancy | Up To 500 Cycles | Up To 1000 Cycles | Up To 1500 Cycles | Up To 2000 Cycles | Up To 2000 Cycles |
You can read our other article,’ How long does it take to charge a motorcycle battery?’ by clicking the link HERE.
How Do You Charge A Motorcycle Battery? A Helpful Guide.
The battery on your motorcycle is getting harder to start your engine in the mornings, so it’s time to charge it up to see if this will solve the problem.
So, How do you charge a motorcycle battery?
- Firstly remove the battery from the bike
- Attach the charger to the terminals (The order is not important)
- Make sure you have connected it to the correct terminals
- Positive to the positive terminal and negative to the negative terminal
- Make sure the charger leads are firmly attached to the battery
- Turn on your charger
- It is recommended you use a smart charger as this will turn off automatically once the battery is fully charged.
- If you use any other charger type, keep a constant watch on it and turn it off once the battery is fully charged.
- Reinstall the battery making sure you connect the correct leads to the correct terminals
Batteries in motorcycles are small and don’t take kindly to being discharged and left this way for a period of time. Some batteries may be able to take and hold a recharge successfully, but others may not. This is because batteries can be damaged by both the discharging and recharging process.
So if you have not taken good care of your motorcycle battery and allowed your battery to go flat, the recharging process may not work, and you may end up having to buy a new battery.
Before attempting to recharge your battery, check to see which type of battery you have.
GEL, Lead Batteries, and AGM batteries can all be charged in a normal manner. However, lithium-based batteries will need their own unique chargers depending on the manufacturer, so you will need to refer to the manufacturer’s handbook for advice.
What Type Of Battery Chargers Are Available?
So, you have decided to charge the battery on your motorcycle, but what type of battery chargers are available?
There are three types of battery chargers available for charging the battery on your motorcycle:
- The Trickle Charger
- The Float Charger
- The Smart Charger
If you click HERE you can view a wide range of battery chargers on Amazon.
Trickle Charger
The trickle charger converts the AC power in your plug socket to DC power and continually feeds this into the battery until it is turned off again.
This type of battery charging will have to be constantly monitored throughout the charging process and manually switched off at the mains once the battery is fully charged. Overcharging your battery can cause permanent damage.
The Float Charger
Float chargers are also plugged into the electricity socket. Still, the difference between a float charger and a trickle charger is that once the battery is charged, the float charger will automatically switch on and off, keeping the battery at an optimal charge level.
You can connect the float charger to your motorcycles battery and leave it there for a long time, helping keep the battery in tip-top condition.
The Smart Charger
A smart charger will monitor the batteries charging progress and will charge at different rates to keep the damage that may occur to the battery at a minimum. Using electrical pulses and varying the voltage used can displace the sulfur inside the battery, known as desulfation. It may well have a mode switch activated with the same name.
However, in many cases, lithium batteries will not be charged with a smart charger as many have a management system built-in, which cannot deal with the electrical pulse. You would need to check with the manufacturer for further advice on this matter.
In some cases but not all, if the battery is completely flat, a smart or float charger may not be able to charge the battery in the first instance due to the internal fail-safe system built into the chargers, which prevent it from applying current to something which is not a battery.
In this instance, you may need to start the battery charging process using a trickle charger until the battery voltage is high enough for a float charger to detect the battery’s voltage.
What Went Wrong? Motorcycle Or Battery?
Depending on the circumstances surrounding the flat battery on your motorcycle, you should investigate further why the battery went flat in the first place.
If your motorcycle had been sitting around throughout the winter period or the battery is quite old, then the charging system on your motorcycle is probably fine.
However, if you have a fairly new battery and have been riding your bike regularly and the battery went flat, you should look into the reasons for this further as the motorcycle may have a battery charging problem.
Happy riding!
