A motorcycle battery is the backbone of a motorcycle. If you require your engine getting started every time at any weather condition, a quality battery is a must. Having a low-quality battery that runs out of charge so quickly is a kind of curse for your motorbike. It diminishes the overall bike performance, along with creating many other riding obstacles. So, it is better to have the best motorcycle battery that performs well and lasts for a long time.
Now, you may have a question on how long do motorcycle batteries last, and what will be your case? It is tough to give an immediate answer to this question. Several factors play a significant role in determining the battery’s performance and life. In our subsequent writing, we will try to address the issue a bit more comprehensively.
How Long Do Motorcycle Batteries Last
It is a question that every motorcyclist will ask at some point after they start to use their two-wheeler. We do not care about the battery unless we notice that the motorcycle is not starting correctly, as it did earlier! But it's too late, and the battery probably has lost most of its efficiency.
You may have used it for a few months, which could have been several years or even more if properly maintained! How can you ensure such long-lasting performance by proper maintenance shall be discussed later in this article, but here are the fundamental facts about battery's life expectancy:
- Without proper maintenance, none can even say the approximate time until when a motorcycle battery will last. It can be only a few months to a year. If the motorcycle and battery go through an unsafe condition, the battery may not last even a few months, as said.
- But if properly cared and maintained, and frequently used than to be kept in no-use or less-use state, then you can expect a higher lasting tenure on average. For AGM battery, the average tenure is 3 years to 5 years, which may extend up to 8 years in exceptional cases. And, for conventional acid battery, the average tenure is two years to 3 years, which may extend up to 5 years in rare cases.
What Affects Motorcycle Battery Life? How Can You Make Battery Last Longer?
As you can see above, the lifespan of a motorcycle battery varies. You've also got informed that the main reason for such variation in the lifespan of a battery is the lack of proper care and maintenance. How improper care or maintenance can deteriorate the lifespan, whatever else more affect the battery life, and how you can make them last longer are all that we are going to discuss below.
Weather Conditions
Any temperature ranging from 0-degree Celsius to 35-degree Celsius is acceptable for a motorcycle battery to keep it alright, although room temperature is the best. That means weather plays a vital role in determining the performance of a motorbike battery.
Batteries face more hardships when the temperature goes lower than room temperature. Every battery, including motorcycle and phone, loses its capacity gradually in colder weather conditions. It becomes tough for the batteries to perform efficiently when the temperature is less than zero-degree Celsius. You will see many replacing their motorcycle or car batteries in winter.
On the other hand, any temperature more than 35-degree Celsius is also a reason to decrease the battery lifespan. If you store the battery at any temperature more than 35-degree, you will find it discharging two times faster than regular discharging.
So what we should do is to keep the motorcycle at a balanced temperature when you store it at night or any other time. A warm garage is, therefore, not only keep the motorcycle corrosion-free but also keep the battery well-maintained. If you need to store the motorcycle for a long time (few months or whole winter), you may remove the battery and store it in a warmer place for prolonged battery life.
Battery Usage
The way you use your motorcycle largely determines how long will your motorcycle battery last. A frequently-used battery survives longer than a less-used battery.
That means if you ride at least one hour daily, then the battery of your motorbike will last longer than someone else motorcycle battery who rides one hour a week. Batteries sitting most of the time without running have a lesser lifespan.
Another strange thing is (for the novice, not for the biker as they know it) if you recharge the battery and keep it in use, the lifetime of your battery surely goes extended. It is a great pathway to fight against short battery life. But, be careful about picking the best motorcycle battery charger or tender.
Charging from Riding vs Use of Tender
As a battery gets charged from when you ride your motorcycle, so using the tender is not always essential. If you ride continuously, the battery will stay full-charged automatically. In that case, do not use the tender. But remember that newer motorbikes are more efficient to recharge the battery than the older ones. So, if your bike is quite old to recharge the battery, or it can not recharge for any other reason, use the battery tender.
Other Things
Some other things may also be responsible for the loss of battery life. The use of additional electrical accessories like a phone charger, a radio, navigation systems, extra lights, etc. consume the power of battery so densely. They drain the battery, and it can minimize the lifetime of a motorcycle battery.
Last Words
It's all about how you can ensure the motorcycle battery maintenance for prolonged battery life. You can follow these correctly, your battery will give you the maximum output till the end.
AUTHOR BIO:
ISABELLA is an entrepreneur and passionate blogger who wrote for themotorbiker.com.
Don’t forget to read her latest post here.
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