Motorcycle Battery Care Guide

This is intended as a guide only, please consult your owners manual for individual instructions and care/maintenance requirements.

Motorcycle batteries, if left unused or only used for short rides, will go through the process of self-discharging. They like to be used! If a battery reaches a stage of being deeply discharged then it is often impossible to recover, even if the battery is relatively new.

‘When you start up your bike, the electric starter draws a current from the battery. When you are riding, the alternator will then re-charge what you have 'used'. In normal circumstances the alternator will then provide all the current required by the bike whilst riding. However at times when you are in slow traffic or doing short runs, the alternator will not provide enough current and will start to drain on your battery. Persistent short and slow runs will deteriorate your battery as the alternator will not have the 'time' to recharge what you have used by starting the bike, and what you are pulling from the battery during the short runs. It will take about 10-15 minutes riding at 50-60mph to recharge what you've used starting the bike up.’ Information from http://www.hartside.com.

Regular Charging is the ONLY way to work against the process of self-discharging.

Before charging, ensure that your battery cells are topped up to the recommended level. You need to add distilled or de-ionised water to the cells with low levels. DO NOT use tap water as this contains elements that will permanently damage the battery. Once the battery has been commissioned you should never add any further acid as this will seriously degrade the life of a battery.

Never user a normal car battery charger to charge a motorcycle battery, even for a short time. Car chargers supply far more current than a motorcycle battery can cope with and can very quickly damage the battery plates beyond repair. The absolute maximum charge you should use on a motorcycle battery is about 1 amp.

Info from http://www.motorcycle.co.uk

Charging is best done with the battery removed from the bike. Ensure that the area is well ventilated to prevent the build up of explosive gases.

Connect the battery positive-to-positive and negative-to-negative. Charge the battery according to the manufacturers recommendations.

 

 Types Of Charger

Trickle chargers charge the battery continually at a fixed rate. However, they require a watchful eye, as they do not have a way of responding when a battery is fully charged. Leaving them to charge excessively can damage the battery.

Taper chargers decrease the amount of current delivered through the battery as the voltage rises. As with trickle chargers they require a watchful eye to avoid overcharging. Both taper and trickle chargers are slow.

Optimiser or intelligent chargers monitor and collect feedback from the battery's voltage during the charging process and drop into a standby mode once the battery is fully charged. When the battery naturally discharges to a certain level the charger will go into charging mode and restore the battery to its normal charge. An intelligent charger can be left unattended for long periods of time, but you should still carry out periodic fluid level checks.

Charging a new motorcycle battery

The first charge of a new battery is the most important charge of the batteries life span. Most are dry charged which means they will perform for a short while. If your battery is not fully charged when you first put it on your bike then it starts at a disadvantage.

If you have a dry battery, fill the cells slowly and leave the battery for around half an hour, to allow them to settle and then top up if required. Do not overfill the cells!

The minimum charge should be for at least 8 hours, if the battery during this time gets warm, turn off the charger and wait until it cools down.

It is advisable to put your battery on charge every two weeks using a suitable battery charger. Optimisers are ideal as they will not overheat or over charge your battery.

All of our 6v and 12v batteries can be viewed/ordered from our website here. If you need a new battery but are unsure which one you need then simply give us a call on 01225 767630 and we will look up the required battery for your bike!

All of our battery chargers can be found here and range from £13.99 up to £54.95!