How to Extend the Life of Your Motorcycle Battery
The longer you can keep your motorcycle battery functioning properly, the less frequently you’ll need to replace it. Not to mention the frustration that can come along with diagnosing the issue of a dead battery, the time it takes to research the type of battery you need, and the expense of frequent replacements. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can use to extend the life of your motorcycle battery, so you can spend less time worrying about your battery life and more time on the road.
Keep it Charged
The absolute best thing you can do to keep your motorcycle battery working stronger for longer is to make sure it stays charged. If you ride your motorcycle daily, the alternator should take care of charging the battery while you ride, but if you keep your bike in storage for weeks or months at a time, you’ll need to invest in a motorcycle battery charger.
Stick to a Maintenance Schedule
As with most components of your motorcycle, the battery needs maintenance too. Some routine maintenance you can easily implement includes:
- Check terminals for signs of corrosion and clean off any deterioration with a wire brush.
- For conventional batteries, check the electrolyte levels and add distilled water if the plates are not submerged.
- Test your battery’s power with a battery tester to make sure it’s functioning properly.
All of these simple checks and adjustments should be done on a monthly basis and can go a long way toward extending the life of your battery.
Regulate the Temperature
Vapor loss is a normal occurrence for conventional motorcycle batteries that happens gradually over time. However, extreme shifts in temperature can expedite vapor loss, which will eventually cause the battery to stop holding its charge. Even though there’s no way to protect your motorcycle from all temperature fluctuations, storing it in a climate-controlled garage will keep your battery at a stable temperature while not in use.
For YTX, YIX, and GYZ series batteries, vapor loss is not an issue because they are sealed and the gases recombine inside the battery so that no fluid is lost from the battery. However, storing them in a climate-controlled garage will reduce self-discharge and keep the batteries at a stable temperature for reliable starting all year long.
Use the Proper Battery for Your Motorcycle
Not all bikes are created equal. The same goes for batteries. By making sure you’re using a battery that is designed to be used with your specific model of motorcycle, the better it’ll perform. We know it can be tough to know which battery is best suited for your bike, which is exactly why we created our battery finder to ensure that you know which to choose.
It’s also important to note that when it comes to motorcycle batteries, brand matters. Yuasa is the most trusted brand of motorcycle battery on the market—and has been for decades. That’s because we’ve taken all the maintenance factors into account and designed our high-performance products to combat all the usual causes of wear.
The engineering behind our products has led to improved low-temperature performance and many of our products do not require the typical maintenance you’d need with other battery brands. For instance, most of our products are designed to be airtight and spill-proof—which means they don’t require water to be added. Additionally, the corrosion-resistant nature of our products combats against rust and deterioration. All of these considerations make it one of the most maintenance-free batteries available.
If you’re searching for a motorcycle battery that offers the longest life with the least amount of maintenance, Yuasa is the best choice. All of our products are designed with real-life use in mind. When we say, “We respect the ride,” we mean that our batteries won’t stand between you and the experience of the open road. You can count on your Yuasa battery to start the first time, every time.
