Every motorcycle owner knows that changing the motorcycle battery is part of regular maintenance. You can extend your battery life by following a few basic rules. First, make sure you don’t leave your bike in storage for an excessively long period. Take your bike out for a spin every once in a while! Also, avoid driving only for short distances. Your battery needs you to drive for longer distances occasionally to fully charge itself. Also, avoid hooking up too many electrical accessories to your bike that will drain its power such as additional lights, alarms and more.
However, if you’re new to the whole motorcycle battery replacement process, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Our article covers all of the steps for replacing your motorcycle battery.
Clicking sound when you turn the key
When you turn your key in the ignition, your motorcycle battery sends a current to an electrical component to get things going. A failing battery will have difficulty performing this function, and the electrical current sent to the starter will be weaker. When the starter draws little or inadequate power from the battery, you may hear a clicking sound.
Slow crank
Drivers become attuned to the normal sounds of their motorcycle. If you notice your engine cranks more slowly or sluggishly than normal when you turn the key, your best motorcycle battery may be nearing its death. This is a potential problem you cannot afford to miss!
Needing to press on the gas pedal to start
You’re not required to pump fuel into your motorcycle engine get it started. If you find that your vehicle is only starting when you kick your foot on the gas pedal, you may be dealing with a failing battery.
Starting Problems
On modern bikes, some conditions disallow the motorcycle to start if, for example, you haven’t pulled the clutch in or the side stand isn’t up. Check to see if the key is in the ignition position. This minor piece of information can easily be confused with serious issues motorcycle problems, including a dead battery.
If your engine is turning over at the appropriate speed when you twist the key, then you probably don’t have a battery problem. If, however, it’s a cranking issue, then your diagnosis is most likely a best motorcycle battery issue.
Inconsistent Multimeter Readings
A millimetre measures a different electrical parameter, such as current, voltage or resistance, and motorcycle owners should own one. You can use the millimetre to check the reading of the battery regularly. If you get readings below 12volts, there’s something wrong with the battery. So, a reading of 12volts means it’s a fully functional small motorcycle battery.
Failing horn and lights
The horn and light are two essential features in any vehicle. They allow you to easily see what’s in front of you and warn other people, both drivers and passers-by, near you. Having failing horn and light is dangerous and is an indication of a failing battery. If you notice your bike light is not as bright as before and the horn produces faint sounds, you should inspect your motorcycle battery at once.
Age
The older your small motorcycle battery gets, the higher the chances of it failing. To this effect, the average lifespan of standard motorcycles battery is four years. After this, your battery can start exhibiting signs of failure, such as fast discharge or incomplete recharge, among others. Sometimes, these can begin to occur even before the four-year deadline. While a good battery can last longer, this can still reach it’s the end of the operation. Hence, you should consider the battery age, then determine if it is still functional or if it needs to be replaced.
A sad fact in a motorcycle’s life is that motorcycle battery issues are generally only addressed when it is too late (i.e. the battery is already dead and/or you are stuck on the side of the road). Gasoline and the battery are the two ingredients that give the motorcycle life. Batteries are often overlooked as the motorcycle usually “just works” over a long period. When they fail though, they fail hard. Batteries discharge over time. Certainly, starting the motorcycle takes energy. Also, though, batteries discharge when the motorcycle is not running. By knowing the mentioned signs above, you can prevent a dying battery and put some attention to it.