The motorcycle season has already begun, and this means that many riders after the winter may have problems with the battery. How to choose a new one?
One of the biggest problems that motorcycle owners may have when maintaining their machines before riding is certainly the battery, which can often be discharged and, in some cases, even completely faulty. Certainly, such a failure is not the best news – we can’t get straight to riding and our wallet will suffer, as a new battery is another expense.
If our current battery is not suitable for further use, the only option is to buy a new one. But how to choose it well for our motorcycle and what we should be careful about?
The first detail that we must consider when choosing a new battery is the amount of space in our motorcycle for this device. Buying a battery that is too big means further problems with returns and waiting for refunds. No one is likely to want to deal with sending a failed purchase back to the store.
So you should make sure that the battery you buy will definitely fit your motorcycle. If we are not sure if the chosen model will have sufficient dimensions anyway, we can go to a specialized store, where experts will certainly be able to help us with proper selection.
Another thing that is important when choosing a battery is the material from which our new device will be created. On the market we are able to distinguish four most important types of batteries.
Let’s start with intriguing gel batteries, which are based on acid and silica gel. The gel thickens the solution, thanks to which such a battery can work even when placed at a right angle and also performs well under high load. This is why you will often find it in motorcycles with rich equipment.
Another variety is a typical lead-acid battery. This is not a complicated device, you will most often find it in older motorcycles. Much more advanced are AGM, or Absorptive Glass Matt, batteries. These have fiberglass plates in them – which reacts with the acid to extend the life of the battery – and are better able to handle more electronics on the motorcycle.
Last but not least, lithium-ion batteries. Their huge advantage is low weight but really high power, making them ideal for performance-oriented machines. The downside, however, is the considerable price to pay for such a battery.
main photo: unsplash.com/Alexey Malakhov
