DON'T Buy A Motorcycle Battery Before You Watch This

Today we'll cover the seven things that determine the lifespan of your motorcycle battery, and how to maximize it. Four of these battery lifespan influences are completely in your control, and it's important to be aware of the other three factors before buying a new battery.

We'll look at why the initial setup and charge of a new battery is crucial for its performance and longevity. We'll also cover how your motorcycle riding habits can impact your battery's lifespan, and the importance of good maintenance and storage.

We'll look at the impact of battery capacity, type, and manufacturer choice. I'll explain why I recommend high-quality brands like Yuasa and Antigravity can produce the best motorcycle battery, and caution people against buying from shady Amazon and eBay sellers that prioritize profits over quality.

Overall, this video is a comprehensive guide to maximizing your motorcycle battery's lifespan.

#motorcyclemaintenance #motorcyclebattery #motorcycleservice

[agave]

and like Ex Girlfriends, lithium batteries might burn your house down. Stick with the standard issue.

[johnanderson]

So many people, myself included leave batteries connected to battery tenders when the vehicle is not in use, with no issues whatsoever. Many years ago we had electric forklifts at work. The maintenance crew would check the acid in the cells and test the charge levels meticulously. A lot of those vehicles never had failed batteries because of great battery maintenance!

[stumpy]

My yuasa battery lasted 12 years in my st1100 Honda in California.
Commuted 100 miles round trip then always hooked to a battery tender when parked at home.

Always purchase a yuasa.

[chrisdadigger]

I only live 5 miles from my work and as long as it doesn’t snow or ice I ride year round. I always leave 1/2 hour early so I can go for a bit of a ride before work. Keeps my battery strong.

[JHA]

I am a PWC, ATV and small engine mechanic and Yausa is the only brand of small battery I will buy. Yuasa last longer than any other brand I have seen. I did notice that Sulfate Stop use to be printed on the batteries and now its not. My original battery in my 1999 Kawasaki jet ski lasted over 10 years with some TLC every winter.

[eduardocabrera]

The OEM (Yuasa) battery on my good-old Ducati Multistrada 1000 lasted for an incredible 13 years.
In all that period I spent one year away from home and the bike connected to a trickle charger.

[r]

My 04 r1 battery lasted 14 years. Battery Tender. When not riding, plug it in. 😊

[CP]

My first Yuasa battery lasted over 5 yrs w/o additional charge in hot/cold environment which is a good life for that. Now being more informed on them my new one is on a trickle/conditioner charger when not being ridden and 3 yrs already wlo issue. Really good vid my friend.

[Papparratzi]

I’m a dirt biker lithium nerd. I expected to come here and find the typical nonsense on many motorcycle battery posts.
Not only was your presentation accurate, I learned a bit about charging a lead acid.
I certainly didn’t expect that.
Great advice!

[bapasrcadventures]

I bought a brand new 1980 Mazda glc wagon and it had a yousa battery. It was the old type that you had to add water to. It lasted for 13 years. I gave the car to my sister and her husband and they did short runs so that was probably what finally killed it. The last three batteries I have bought for my car have been junk. The longest lasting one was 3 years. I owned 27 different motorcycles in my life and almost all had yousa batteries and they held up very good.

[mikew]

I bought a brand new battery before one winter. I let the bike sit for 6+ months without taking care of the battery, by the end of the winter the battery was dead! Save your money, pull your battery and treat it right! Thanks for the video! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[county]

I ran the same battery in my 2012 Goldwing for 13yrs, kept it on. Tender over winters

[KrakensGarageandAdventures]

Honestly, there's really some solid advice in this video that folks really need to see. Great job!

[David-xlcp]

I worked in motorcycle shop in the 70’s and the best battery, which is still the same to day is Yuasa batteries and if you plug them in to a battery conditioner ALL THE TIME, it will last years (up to 10 years is not uncommon) as these recycle the battery charge and keeping it warm, especially in the winter.
OptiMate 3 (or 4) Motorcycle Battery Charger & Tester is worth every penny for doing this job. I’ve got the small cigarette style socket on my Triumph so this is a very fast way to plug in when you get home, it takes seconds.

[Prestonesfpv]

In 2007 i bought a ZRX1200R brand new (2006 model) the stock Yuasa battery first died on me in the spring of 2021, now thats actually pretty wild since i never did any thing to take care of it, just put the bike away in fall and put a charger on it in spring when it was time to ride again 👍

[vladimirlojka]

Hi, thanks for the video. I've been on motorcycles for two years and had no idea that there are AGM batteries that can't be charged with a standard charger. That's why I also destroyed the YUASA motorcycle battery, the voltage after charging was fine, but the battery didn't work, later I found out that it had a low starting current. I bought a good quality Ctek charger and a new battery. When I winterized the motorcycles, I took the batteries out and recharged them, and once a month I measure them with a multimeter to make sure they don't have a little voltage.

[TERRYMCCLUSKEY]

I like this guy! No blah- blah, just brief info. Also, it is true what he says, "You get what you pay for". Good channel to follow.

[ronaldohagenow]

I don’t have a motorcycle anymore but I still have atvs, I bought a gel mat battery for my Artic Cat in 2013 from Battery Sharks, it’s still in it, performs flawlessly no issues. It even survived the Vermont flood in July 2023. I just bought another battery for my other ATV, just thought I’d pass it along.

[YouMotorcycle]

From streetrodracer on the 1130cc forum:

"Adri - the other items to add on for battery life extension are -

1) Don't use a vented Lead Acid battery in a M/C unless you're just flat outta money. Certainly not in a V Rod, EVER.
2) Disconnect the battery when the M/C is in longer term storage or top charge before battery voltage gets low.
3) Remove the battery from the M/C in extreme cold or hot garage storage conditions, take it in the better environment of the house in A/C or Heat & charge once every couple weeks inside. No need for a constant battery tender.
4) Pull the system fuse ( if easily removed ) when the M/C is in short term storage to prevent parasitic drain.
5) If you have a Lithium battery and the M/C is in regular daily service there's no real problem, unless you have a large constant parasitic drain, or the M/C sits for a week or more. In that case have your pigtail to the battery in a convenient place to plug in for 5 minutes while you get ready to ride and check tire pressures, etc. and top charge the battery. This will greatly extend the battery life, and give you a topped off battery at the beginning of every ride."

[oldgeezerproductions]

I bought the exact lithium battery from Amazon that you dismiss in your video. I wanted a very lightweight, deep cycle, long storage life, low maintenance, high capacity battery for running a low power emergency/portable amateur radio transceiver I can set up in a field or camp. For this kind of application, the Amazon lithium battery has been working marvelously for some time now.

Historically, my motorcycle batteries have lasted me about 2 years even though take care of them. My (Enfield 650) motorcycle's original battery is over 2.5 years old, so a few months ago wanted to be able to use the portable radio station's lithium battery as a "hot swap" backup, so I bought that battery with the same physical dimensions as the bike's original battery.

So far, my bike's lead-acid battery is doing great. It cranks the engine lively and I've not had to replace it, but I do ride the bike about 25 miles a day (when its not raining) and the engine starts right up without a lot of (battery killing) cranking, my headlight bulb was swapped out for an LED as was my taillight and turn signals. After watching your video and with the way my bike's battery is treated, I may never have to use my lithium battery given that I may not have that many more years of riding.

Finally there is this: if a rider does all the right things you suggest, yes they may get a decade of life out of a lead-acid battery, BUT, BUT, BUT, a lot, maybe most people that come into my brother's motorcycle shop (where I help out in my retirement), DO NOT care for their batteries and will leave their bikes uncared for and uncharged for weeks or months at a time and, since the engines wouldn't start, they crank and crank until the battery is absolutely flat. It is no surprise (except to them) that their batteries are constantly needing to be replaced. Under these circumstances, a lithium battery would be their best choice.

By the way, the iron-phosphate motorcycle batteries are not ultra high-energy dense and so they don't have the same risk of fire such as burned to death all those people on the Conception dive boat we've all read about.