We think of motorcycle batteries as being 12V, but they actually hold more and more is required to start the bike. Technically, a motorcycle battery does charge while the motorcycle is idling though it does not provide as much amperage as when the motorcycle is at higher speeds. When the lights are on the battery seems to lose charge even when the engine is running. During an idle, the stator is outputting a small amount of excess amperage that will provide that little charge to the battery, but not enough to do a full complete charge. When turning the key to start, all lights turn off and engine won't start. One common misconception people believe is that a 12-volt battery is actually a 12-volt battery. The battery really has no essential function while the bike is on. Motorcycle Battery maintenance tips. 2. When I first started riding motorcycles, I would always look at the battery first if any of my bikes had trouble starting. How can I tell if a flat car battery is charging when hooked up to a trickle charger? You may ask yourself that if a regular run and normal RPM’s is what charges the battery, what will constant idling do and will it help the battery at all? This site is owned and operated by Cannon Entities LLC. With that being said, many may wonder if it’s good for a motorcycle to rev it like this. Knowing how the battery is charged is important. The primary battery voltage is dictated by the chemistry of the lead acid cell. Gases from car batteries. 2. It is a one-stop shop for all your DIY motorcycle repair information needs. The battery is a 12.6 volt battery. During a normal ride, a motorcycle provides about 13, 14, or 15 amps while idling only provides less than 1 amp. With ignition on and engine not started it measures 12.85 dropping rapidly to 12.70 within 15 seconds. Shift your motorcycle into neutral. A healthy motorcycle charging system puts out about 14 volts at 2,000 rpm, and a lithium battery needs between 13 and 14 volts to charge. As long as you get those several minutes in of a good run on the motorcycle, you shouldn’t have to worry about how much idling you’re doing. Does The Battery Affect Motorcycle Performance? Next, start the bike and run the engine at about 2000 rpm and measure the battery voltage again. Good preventative maintenance is simply to change a battery when it gets close to the end of its serviceable life. Itâs either a goner or it has been deep cycled, and a battery can only be deep-cycled a limited number of times before it is indeed dead. There are a few things you can do if you wish to provide a little bit more amperage to your battery if you find yourself doing a lot of city driving and have to idle your bike frequently. A good battery should not drop below 9.6 volts over 10 seconds or so. (positive to positive and negative to negative). Video-Is your Harley-Davidson or other brand motorcycle seem to be cranking over slowly when starting? If you enjoyed this blog post, please like or share on Facebook, tweet on Twitter, or like on Instagram. A healthy 12 volt motorcycle battery should maintain a range from 9.5 - 10.5 volts under the load for a good 30 seconds straight. We’ve discussed that the most important function of a battery on a motorcycle is to get it started. when the bike is being ridden), the voltage level being put back into the motorcycle battery increases to around 13.5 to 14.5 volts and it's the extra power being produced when the bike is being ridden that charges the battery. 0. So if you didn’t have much of a problem getting your motorcycle started, you’ll know the battery is okay. The main function of a motorcycle battery is to get the motorcycle started. While it is necessary to have one car running when trying to jump-start another car, motorbike batteries donât require the same amount of energy, so the car should be left off for the duration of this process. This is designed to have an output of about 15 volts. Understanding this concept may seem a bit complicated, but if you keep reading I can explain exactly what happens with the battery during an idle and what you can do to optimize the power your motorcycle provides. What Every Rider Should Know. If your battery is charging perfectly but your motorcycle still seems to keep killing the battery. Avoid jump-starting a motorcycle with a car. What you are looking for is ⦠The battery is there to power the electrical components of the bike when the engine is not running. Christopher was born in a small-town NY and, over the years, owned a couple dozen different motorcycles, ranging from cruiser to enduro, Japanese to American. no load). The alternator is fitted with a regulator that charges the battery while you ride. But it is such a small amount of charge that it will not be able to top off a battery, especially a battery that is about dead. If your battery is getting old and starting to have issues, you'll probably wonder if it has any affect on your motorcycle's performance. Posted in automobile Tagged 12 volts , voltage To say that motorcycle batteries are finicky is an understatement. 12.6 volts is considered a 100% charged battery, 12.4 volts is considered 75% charged, and 12.2 volts is considered 50% charged. The relationship between your motorcycle battery and engine functions much in the same way as a car battery. Place the voltmeter leads to the battery terminals. There are some basic principles about the battery that are easy to follow, but other parts can be a bit more complicated. Why Do Motorcycle Tires Cup? Didn’t find what you needed in this particular post? The stator is always outputting the 13-15 amps, but the more revolutions inside the engine provides more voltage. On a good battery, the voltage will drop to around 10 to 11 volts as you start the engine. Okay that’s it for sleuthing on your motorcycle battery. (The procedure for measuring the battery voltage was previously described in the multimeter section.) If your bike produces less than that because of a tired charging system, the lithium battery will not charge, and it ⦠That is such a small amount that if you let your motorcycle idle for 10-15 minutes, you’re really not charging your battery all that much. Fully charged and in peak condition, each cell has a voltage across itâs terminals of 2.1v. If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself in occasional stop and go traffic while riding your motorcycle; this means your motorcycle will be idling a lot. amzn_assoc_placement="adunit0";amzn_assoc_search_bar="true";amzn_assoc_tracking_id="happywrench-20";amzn_assoc_search_bar_position="bottom";amzn_assoc_ad_mode="search";amzn_assoc_ad_type="smart";amzn_assoc_marketplace="amazon";amzn_assoc_region="US";amzn_assoc_title="Shop Related Products";amzn_assoc_default_search_phrase="motorcycle battery";amzn_assoc_default_category="All";amzn_assoc_linkid="eb9b23c213b2a78013f0801eb326cc09";amzn_assoc_rows="1"; Most motorcycles have something called a stator. While that is true when the bike is running, it’ll go back down to 12.6 -ish when you turn it off. A sad fact in a motorcycle’s life is that motorcycle battery issues are generally only addressed when it is too late (i.e. Revving it is just making the engine do what it’s already doing, just a little faster. I’m currently working as a mechanical engineer and I’ve been able to restore over a dozen rides. Batteries can really only handle this a couple times before being unable to take a full charge again. the battery is already dead and/or you are stuck on the side of the road). You can test the bike while it is off to see if the battery sits around 12.6 volts at rest, or you can run the bike and test voltages through a range of RPMs. 3) You have discharged your motorcycle battery completely several times. You must ride it to produce a load on the electrical system, or at least run the engine at a cruising RPM, for quite some time to produce the 13.5-14.5 volts required to charge the battery back up. If you have any comments, questions or have other ideas, please reach out via the Contact Page. The lights, spark plugs, and I usually keep it on a good battery should a. 13-15 amps, but other parts can be a bit technical, the battery voltage not... 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