This post on how to parallel charge a dead motorcycle battery is a continuation of our segment on Motorcycle Battery Testing but can be applied to all types of lead acid batteries. It is a temporary yet important aspect to diagnosing a bad battery. It also helps answer the question: Can I test my motorcycle battery with just a charger & voltmeter? The short answer is YES, kind of...

If you have a more permanent parallel setup, such as what is used by boat or RV owners, you should jump over and read our Perfectly Balanced Charging tutorial. You will discover how a simple tweak to your set up could save you untold lost dollars and time.

But back to diagnosing a bad battery... It is absolutely amazing how many consumers and so called professionals misdiagnose a battery as "bad". A large percentage of those so called failures were batteries that were unnaturally discharged and salvageable or were tested by an inexperienced or shady professional.

So What is this Parallel Charge?

I had the privilege this week of speaking with a gentleman from Minnesota, let’s call him Iron Man because A) Avengers is currently playing in theaters and B) the length of time his battery lasted is worthy of the title. He called in inquiring if we sold the YTX14-BS battery made by Yuasa. To which I replied, “Yes, we have some batteries that are made by Yuasa.” He then went on to explain that he needed two batteries and shared a story I just couldn’t pass up sharing with all of you. To say this man is just a supporter of the Yuasa Battery Inc. brand may be putting it a little too mildly. And rightly so after the track record he has had! The fascinating part is what he does to extend battery life.

Pause For Battery Life Statistics

Before I go any further it would be negligent of me if I did not stop and share some facts about power sport battery failure rates. Otherwise, you would have no frame of reference to base your own conclusion. Once you see the average life span you will also see

Generator Battery Dilemma: GTZ14S Non JIS & YTZ14S JIS Standard

We came across an interesting find this week concerning a non JIS labeled GTZ14S generator battery. Never before had we come across a non JIS power sport sized sealed lead acid battery and were skeptical of what the customer was telling us. Sure enough, we found a picture of an off brand battery using the GTZ14S part number with opposite polarity in a BE9000 and BE6500 generator.

Buy MotoBatt Batteries for your Gold Wing!

The Motobatt MBTX20U has been featured in the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) magazine, Wing World. The feature article titled, Wired Up, lists some 'must have' and useful electrical devices and accessories for all Gold Wing motorcycle owners. But when it was all said and done, the editors listed the MotoBatt MBTX20U (actually the MBTX20UHD which is the black version of the standard yellow colored MBTX20U battery) as a "complete...solid battery, [that] is the heart of your Gold Wing's electrical system." They went on to compliment the brand saying, "It has more than enough power to get the job done" when speaking of the batteries 310 cold cranking amps (CCA) and 21 amp hour capacity (AH).

There is More Than Just The MBTX20UHD

We agree, MotoBatt should be at the center of every bikes electrical system, not just the Honda Gold Wing! Their attention to squeezing high CCA and and high AH capacity into every battery is key to their success.

Long Story Made Short

BMW motorcycle enthusiasts that desire the best for their bike understandably purchased the MotoBatt MB51814 sealed AGM Quadflex battery. Over the past couple seasons, however, they were often left frustrated and discouraged. You see MotoBatt made an error in sizing the MB51814 which replaces the Yuasa 51913 and 51814 conventional batteries. BMW owners that had ABS and required the 51913 battery discovered that the MB51814 was a hair to wide and a smidgen to long. Those that originally required the 51814 conventional batteries (generally the bikes without ABS) seemed to have no issues. Under closer inspection it was determined the OEM 51913 had a slight taper to it making the bottom narrower. MotoBatt did not catch this distinction when they first went into production.

The Long Way Round

It took Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy of Star Wars and Charley Boorman who appeared in The Serpent’s Kiss and Hope & Glory, 4 months to travel 19,000

Owning a motorcycle in a large city means having to follow a different set of rules for riding and storing a bike. Whether you go on occasional weekend cruises or you take the bike to work each day, there are certain things you can do to protect yourself and your investment. Proper precautions and preparations will ensure that you are getting the greatest performance possible out of your vehicle.

Suggestions for Storing a Bike in a Large City

It’s best to keep a motorcycle in a private storage unit or garage in order to avoid potential problems brought on by other people. Select a dry, well ventilated area that doesn’t get direct sunlight, and cover any windows with an opaque curtain. Once you find a satisfactory location, drain the oil from your bike and refill with a winter-grade oil.

Adding fuel stabilizer and conditioner to your gas tank will ensure the fuel doesn’t get stale or collect moisture. Make sure your tank has fresh fuel, and run the bike for approximately 10 minutes after

The Mysterious 'T' shaped Honda Shadow Battery

This peculiar battery was first introduced in 1983 in the HONDA VT750C Shadow Bike. It defied the traditional rectangular shape with a front profile that looked like the letter T. The original Honda Shadow Battery part number was the HYB16A-AB. It was a wet battery with a vent tube, 150 Cold Cranking Amps and capacity of 16 Ampre Hour. This Honda Shadow battery is found more readily in various VT1100 series motorcycles from 1985 through 2000. It must be noted that not all of the VT1100 bikes use this T shaped battery so it is important to check the exact model and year. It can be confusing. The advent of the sealed lead acid and advanced AGM battery has created a bit of confusion as to which battery can be used with or is required in these Honda Shadow motorcycles. Many forum posts on HondaShadow.net and other fan favorites have made reference to which battery should be used...sadly some are leading their buddies astray. We will attempt to