Battery Maintenance

How many times have you waken up for a big day of riding and you go to start your motorcycle and nothing? Okay maybe a few clicks. A dead battery! That's the worst. I'm gonna give you some tips on keeping your batteries in tip top shape.

First, if you don't have a "pig tail" on your battery, then what are you waiting for? If you don't know what I mean when I say "pig tail". I am referring to a plug that can be connected to your battery that will stay on your bike all the time. It is made to be plugged into a battery charger. But not just any charger. I'm talking about a smart charger. There are several different brands of chargers. The cool thing about these chargers are that they are small and they charge your battery to the appropriate voltage and then shut down. And if the voltage drops again it comes back on. This can give your battery a much longer life. Bikes these days are so advanced with more electronics and security systems. These systems can draw voltage from your battery even when the bike is turned off. These chargers are inexpensive and are a good investment, unless you like buying new batteries every year. And for you guys or gals that think starting up your motorcycle in the winter time letting it idle for few minutes helps charge your battery this is not the case.

Second, a clean battery is a healthy battery. I know you spend a lot of time cleaning your ride. Now you have to clean your battery too. Well probably not as often. It may sound impossible but dirt and debris on your battery can also draw voltage from it. So give it some attention. Also, your connections should be kept clean from corrosion. To help prevent this, some dielectric grease will work wonders.

Third, make sure those connections are tight! Even if a connection is a little loose you are asking for trouble. You can have a fully charged battery and your connections are loose you still get no power. This could send you on a wild goose chase of checking wires, and fuses. Here you had a loose battery cable all the time. Been there, done that!

If you are not sure of the condition of your battery, then I would take it to your local dealer and have it tested. Most places probably won't even charge you for this.