Essential Winter Storage Guide for Powersports Batteries
As a powersports vehicle owner, protecting your vehicle during the winter is important. Whether it’s a motorcycle, ATV/UTV, or jet ski, properly storing and maintaining your vehicle's battery during the winter months means that you’ll be able to hit the road, trails, or water faster when the weather cooperates. In fact, proper maintenance and storage of your powersports vehicle's battery is crucial for ensuring optimal performance and longevity, especially when the cold sets in.
Extreme cold can have a significant impact on battery health, potentially causing damage if left unchecked.
In this guide, we’ll dive into essential winter battery storage tips for various powersports vehicles, helping you avoid common pitfalls and maximize battery life. For more general guidance on off-season storage, check out our Off Season Storage Guide.
Why Winter Battery Maintenance is Crucial
Winter weather can take a heavy toll on your powersports vehicle’s battery, especially if proper maintenance steps aren’t followed. Without proper storage, the cold temperatures cause the batteries to lose charge more quickly, potentially leading to a frozen battery if the charge is too low.
When that happens, it can lead to permanent damage, reducing the battery’s lifespan and, in some cases, rendering it unusable.
In addition to the cold, leaving your battery inactive for long periods without regular charging can result in sulfation—where lead sulfate crystals build up on the battery’s plates, reducing its ability to hold a charge. This can happen to both AGM and conventional batteries, if not stored and maintained properly.
By taking the right precautions, such as keeping your battery charged and stored in the right conditions, you can prevent these problems and ensure your vehicle is ready to go when you are.
How to Ensure Battery Longevity During Winter
To keep your battery healthy over the winter, it’s important to take the right steps and stay consistent with your maintenance. Here are key actions to extend the life of your powersports vehicle’s battery:
- Check for Correct Installation: Whether you are planning on removing the battery for storage, or keeping it in your vehicle, review your Manufacturer’s Guide to make sure that your battery is installed in the correct orientation, if it is not, carefully remove the battery and reinstall with the specific installation instructions found in the guide.
- Clean and Protect the Battery: Any buildup on your terminals could decrease your batteries performance or reduce longevity. Start with an inspection of your terminals, clean off any build up, and apply a terminal protectant to prevent corrosion. This keeps the battery in good working order for quick reinstallation and avoids power issues when you're ready to use it again.
- Use a Battery Maintainer: Keep your battery connected to a maintainer that regulates the charge. This prevents it from dropping below an optimal level, which can happen during long storage periods.
- Monitor Charge Levels Regularly: Even with a maintainer, it's good practice to periodically check the battery's charge. If the battery drops below 12.4 volts, charge it back up to avoid sulfation.
- Store in Ideal Conditions: Always store your battery in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight or extreme cold. Consistent room temperature conditions prevent charge loss and freezing, especially for vehicles that are stored for long periods.
These steps ensure your battery stays healthy throughout the off-season and is ready to go when you are.
Common Winter Battery Storage Mistakes
While preparing your powersports vehicle for winter, there are a few easy-to-overlook mistakes that can cause long-term damage. Avoiding these pitfalls will help you get the most out of your battery and ensure it performs well when you're ready to ride again:
- Assuming AGM Batteries Don’t Need Attention: It’s a common misconception that AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries require no attention during winter storage. Although you don’t need to check fluid levels, AGM batteries still need to stay charged. Leaving them idle all winter can lead to reduced performance, shorter lifespan, or a dead battery.
- Skipping a Charger: Many riders believe that simply storing the battery in a cool, dry place is enough. In reality, even a slight charge loss can lead to sulfation, shortening the battery's life. Using a battery maintainer or trickle charger during winter ensures it will stay ready at full capacity.
- Incorrect Battery Orientation: Especially in snowmobiles and PWCs, where batteries are sometimes installed at odd angles, it’s important to ensure the battery is installed in the correct orientation during storage or reinstallation. This prevents potential acid leaks or damage.
- Not Cleaning Before Storage: Some riders skip cleaning the battery terminals before storage, leading to corrosion buildup. Corroded terminals can reduce battery efficiency and complicate reinstallation.
By taking these precautions, you can prevent unnecessary damage or replacement, ensuring your battery is in peak condition when the season changes.
Winter Battery Storage Tips for Different Vehicle Types
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say, and a bit of preparation keeps your powersports vehicle ready for action when the season changes. While many tips apply across all vehicle types, there are still some key differences depending on whether you’re storing a motorcycle, ATV/UTV, or PWC/Jet Ski.
Motorcycles
- Keep the Battery Charged: Use a battery maintainer or trickle charger to ensure the battery stays charged throughout the winter. This prevents it from discharging and losing capacity.
- Clean the Terminals: If you notice corrosion or buildup on the terminals, clean them using a solution of baking soda and water to ensure optimal performance when you’re ready to ride again.
- Check Fluid Levels for Flooded Batteries: If you have a conventional battery, check the electrolyte levels and top off with distilled water as needed. This prevents sulfation and ensures the battery stays in working condition.
ATVs/UTVs:
- Storage Not Always Required: Many riders continue to use their ATVs and UTVs during the colder months. If that’s the case, make sure to periodically check the battery’s charge, especially after long rides in freezing temperatures, and charge with a maintainer as needed.
- Store Properly if Not in Use: For those storing their vehicles, follow the same steps as with motorcycles: keep the battery charged and clean, and check fluid levels if using a conventional battery.
PWCs/Jet Skis:
- Clean and Inspect: Before storing your battery, clean the terminals and inspect for any signs of damage or corrosion that could affect performance when summer comes around.
- Long-Term Storage Considerations: Since PWCs are often only used in the Summer, it's important to remove the battery and store it in a cool, dry place. Once safely removed and stored, connect it to a battery maintainer to keep the charge steady.
For snowmobile owners, particularly Ski-Doo riders, be sure to review our Ski-Doo Battery Fit Guide for common installation and fit challenges.
Taking these steps helps ensure your vehicle's battery stays in working condition during winter, reducing the risk of damage and increasing its longevity. There are, however, some common issues riders deal with when storing or replacing their batteries.
The Best Batteries for Performance and Maintenance
When it comes to ensuring your powersports vehicle is ready for winter storage, having the right battery is essential. Yuasa offers a range of batteries known for their reliability, durability, and performance in cold conditions. Here are some of the most popular Yuasa batteries for motorcycles, ATVs/UTVs, and PWCs/Jet Skis:
Motorcycles:
- YTX20L: A popular choice for motorcycles, this battery is known for its dependable power and long life, making it ideal for winter storage.
- YTX20HL: This high-performance model is designed to handle more demanding power requirements, ensuring your bike starts strong even after extended storage.
- YTX14: For smaller or less power-hungry motorcycles, the YTX14 offers reliable performance and easy maintenance throughout the winter months.
- GYZ20HL: For riders looking to upgrade, the GYZ20HL delivers more cold cranking amps (CCA) and is designed to handle the extra load of accessories like heated grips or GPS units during colder months.
ATVs/UTVs:
- YTX20L: This battery is widely used in ATVs and UTVs due to its powerful output and ability to endure long periods of storage without significant power loss.
- YTX20HL: For ATVs or UTVs with more accessories or heavier power needs, this model provides extra cold cranking amps for better winter performance.
- YIX30L: Known for its high capacity, the YIX30L is ideal for vehicles that might still see some winter use, providing both reliability and endurance in cold conditions.
PWCs/Jet Skis:
- YTX20L: One of the most reliable batteries for PWCs, the YTX20L can easily handle long-term storage during the winter months.
- YTX20HL: Offering higher performance, the YTX20HL is the go-to battery for riders who want extra assurance that their PWC will be ready to go when summer rolls around.
- YIX30L: This high-capacity battery ensures your PWC stays charged and ready for action even after months of winter storage.
With these popular battery options, your vehicle’s battery will stay in top shape throughout the winter and be ready to perform when the weather improves—as long as you follow proper storage steps.
Additional Resources
Yuasa offers a variety of resources to help you care for your powersports battery during the off-season. Whether you need guidance on battery maintenance, replacement, or disposal, you can find more information at the following links:
- Selecting the Proper Vehicle Battery
- Battery Safety
- How to Extend the Life of Your Battery
- Proper Battery Disposal
Get Ready for Winter with Proper Battery Care
Winter battery storage is essential to keeping your powersports vehicle ready for action when the season changes. By using the right battery for your vehicle, keeping it charged, and avoiding common storage mistakes, you can ensure your battery stays in top condition.
Whether you ride a motorcycle, ATV, UTV, or PWC, following these steps will help protect your battery from the harsh effects of winter and extend its lifespan.
If you’re looking for more detailed instructions or have a Ski-Doo, be sure to check out our Ski-Doo Battery Fit Guide, linked above, for additional troubleshooting and installation tips.
For the best performance, rely on Yuasa batteries—the most trusted battery for reliable, long-lasting power in all conditions. Visit our website to search for the right battery for your ride, or find a dealer near you.
For over 45 years, Yuasa Battery has been manufacturing powersports batteries in the United States to uncompromisingly high standards. We are the largest American manufacturer and distributor of batteries for motorcycles, snowmobiles, scooters, all-terrain vehicles, side-by-sides, and personal watercraft.