Understanding your motorcycle battery

The answer may seem obvious: start the bike, of course! However, this is not its only function. With each generation of motorcycle, we rely a little more on electric energy. First for powering the lighting devices, then linked to the mechanics (injection, ABS control unit, etc.), and finally the various peripherals (electronic meters, lighting) and other accessories (GPS, heating equipment, alarm, etc.). The battery then provides a buffer role when the alternator provides no or too little current.

Beyond this consumption which we will qualify as active, the battery also suffers from self-discharge. It is a continuous and natural loss, day after day, of a small part of one's energy. Sometimes it only takes a few weeks without starting to drain the battery. Because it is the operation of the engine which recharges the battery. Driven by the crankshaft, the alternator sends it brand new electrons. When it is full, the regulator prevents overloading.

The battery is a fragile little creature. Its main points of weakness are as follows:

• Cold, first of all, is the most famous criminal. A drop in temperature makes the chemical reaction responsible for generating current in the battery less strong. The ideal therefore remains to park your motorcycle protected from the drop in the thermometer. And incidentally dry, since humidity promotes oxidation of the connections, which harms good electrical contacts.

• Repeated short trips are the other main factor in degrading your battery's performance. The starter pumps its dose of juice each time it starts, and the alternator does not have time to sufficiently recharge the battery. Little by little, the stock of amps dwindles, until the day the battery is empty and leaves you stranded. If you do not have the opportunity to drive several tens of kilometers each time, you will periodically need to use the services of a battery charger. Just to ensure a safe and certain departure the next morning.
• Electrical accessories always active when the ignition is off (like the alarms) lead inexorably to sluggishness if you leave the motorcycle in the garage for too long.
• The full discharge: it can give the final blow to your motorcycle battery. If you leave your battery drained for too long, self-discharge could take it to the point of no return. Drive, or plug in a charger when parking for long periods!

We invite you to read the comparison of Mister Motorcycle to succeed in making your choice among the countless models of motorcycle batteries on sale. Battery size, capacity, polarity, technology: also discover the most relevant purchasing criteria.

Generally, changing is necessary when your battery is flat. But before reaching this end, with a little discernment, we can sometimes anticipate the breakdown. If you notice that starting is becoming more and more difficult despite sufficiently long outings, ask yourself questions. The terminals covered in white crystals also announce the approach of the end of service. That said, battery failure can also occur overnight, without any warning signs. An intelligent battery charger will allow you to decide: it is generally designed to warn you if your battery does not last long. To avoid being stranded when you don't need to be!

• V (for Volt): Battery voltage, usually 12 volts for modern motorcycles, 6 V for older ones.
• Ah (for Ampere Hour): Measures the electrical charge of the battery, in other words its total capacity. A 10 Ah battery can deliver an average power of 10 A for 1 hour, or 5 A for 2 hours.
• CCA (for Cold Crank Amper, or Cold Cranking Power): This is the amperage delivered by the battery when you start your motorcycle. This information allows the true efficiency of batteries to be compared, but is rarely provided by manufacturers. Simply put, the higher the CCA, the easier it will be to start the vehicle.

• Electrolyte: This is the liquid in which the metal plates of the battery are bathed, sulfuric acid. Please note, on old unsealed batteries, the liquid is topped up with demineralized water.
• Terminals: These are the poles of the motorcycle battery, on which the lugs (connectors) of the motorcycle's electrical circuit are attached.