Motorcycle Battery Tips

Every time many of us get ready to fire up our bikes a dreaded feeling rears its ugly head. Will my bike start up? We have all, at least, a few times turned the key on only to come up with crickets or the wheeze of a battery ready to conk out.

Since many of us do not ride every single day of the year, some lapses can go a few days or weeks that affect your battery’s performance. With the location of many batteries causes bruised knuckles to access I’ll admit that at times I have promised I would get around to taking it out for a charge tomorrow.

Actually, batteries are relatively easy to maintain, and if you’re not a procrastinator who avoids working on things, you should always be able to start your engine with a full surge of power.

Don’t wait until your battery is dead to charge it. Look at some of the early warning signs and do the preventative maintenance that is necessary. Some warnings are your lights dimming and flickering while you are riding, strange sounds when you use your horn, or the need to crank the key a few times to get the starter to work. All of these are signs of an under powered battery.

You know the removal drill, but here is a quick refresher: Disconnect the negative first then the positive. Remove it slowly from the battery belt or strap so the overflow tube is clear and that the battery doesn’t fall out of your hands.

Once your battery is out, clean off any debris or fluid and spray it with battery cleaner. If your terminals look corroded or rusted, clean them with a wire brush, then spray on some cleaner and dry it with a cloth. Check your cables and clamps also before putting the battery back in your bike.

Make sure if you are putting the battery on a charger or tender that you do not rest the battery on metal or concrete. Sounds strange but it is true. I used to take my battery out, charge it and then leave it on the garage floor. When it seemed to be discharging at a quick rate, I went to the shop. They told me, and it’s true, that concrete and metal are conductive and have an adverse effect on the charge.

Also, common sense says that if your suffer through cold winters remove your battery and store it on a trickle charger in some warm area of your home.

Stay charged!