Maintenance of Motorcycle Batteries

As in all things electrical, maintenance is often the key to success. Motorcycle Batteries are no exception. Most modern day motorcycles have changed from the old fashioned kick starter to the convenience of an electrical starter. This starter is powered by the 12 volt battery, generally located beneath the seat. Maintenance of your motorcycle battery is simple and quick and should be done periodically.

One of the main problems that all lead acid batteries have is corrosion on the terminal posts and the cable connecting ends. All that means is that corrosion (or oxidation) forms a grayish ash looking deposit on one or both terminals that gets in the way of the posts and the ends making a clean connection for the electricity to flow to the starter. This is simple to correct. You need a good stiff wire cleaning brush and a screw driver (generally a flat head or straight edge one). Remove the cable ends, the black side first. Take both ends off before doing any work. Place a piece of newspaper or an open magazine under where you will brush the ‘junk’ off the cable ends. If the battery posts are heavily corroded, remove the battery from the motorcycle before brushing the posts. You will want to keep the resulting loose powder from getting inside the bike where it could do some damage. Remember, this substance is acidic and if you add water, you will have a real problem.

While you have the battery exposed, check the water level if you have an unsealed battery. If you can see below the neck of the opening, add DISTILLED water up to the bottom of the neck. Do not overfill!

After finishing your maintenance, your motorcycle battery is good to go for a while longer. Remember, if you start having trouble cranking and you have been doing your maintenance on a regular basis, it may be time to purchase a new motorcycle battery.

Motorcycle Battery Selection

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