Every spring we prepare for the onslaught of calls and emails of winter weary Americans looking for a new motorcycle battery. This year is no different, except perhaps, for the slower start from our snow covered friends in the Northeast. It has stopped snowing up there, right? But all joking aside, it can be a frustrating task that raises more questions than answers for bike enthusiasts. We thought we should dispel a few myths, talk about the best brands and share some inside knowledge in regards to known battery failure rates and best overall perceived values.

This Motorcycle Battery Tip Could Save You Big Bucks!

Just because your battery won't start your bike, doesn't mean the battery should be thrown away or that it can't be trusted! Uneducated riders cannot be chastised based on naivety, inexperience or years of drinking the cool-aid, but that is the biggest load of crap that fear mongers & big box stores exploit. Let me tell it to you straight: We have been loosely tracking this for many years and estimate that north of 50% of all lead acid battery warranties should not have been so. In fact, several salvage companies that have adopted our charge procedures and desulfation program, have reported as high as 80% of the discarded batteries they have processed have been viable and resalable!

If you come across a motorcycle battery or any lead acid battery for that matter that doesn't seem to be working try the following:

First let me start by saying it is highly recommended to have a multi-meter in hand to check the actual standing voltage of your battery. It will provide invaluable insight into where to begin and how things are progressing. Second, most any smart charger, of the proper voltage, can be used to complete this test procedure (yes some are most definitely better than others and yes we have our opinions on which ones are better).

If your charger doesn't seem to be able to charge the battery directly or keeps indicating the battery is bad do not trust it until you try the following charge procedure--This even applies to our favorite miracle charger. Find a set of jumper cables and a battery of the same nominal voltage you know to be working. Connect the suspect motorcycle battery to the assisting battery + to + and - to - just like you were preparing to jump start a vehicle...but DO NOT start any vehicle. Now connect the charger directly to the assisting battery, not the weak or suspect motorcycle battery. Believe me, this small detail makes a difference with some chargers. Even if the charger immediately goes to green, leave them connected like this for a few hours or overnight. If the battery is viable it will accept the voltage and the parallel charge system can be disconnected with the charger then being placed directly on the suspect battery to ensure it is fully charged. trying this charge procedure and delaying your purchase of new battery one day could save you $30-$200 depending on which motorcycle you own.

Not All Bike Batteries Are Created Equal

I'm sure most of you already know this, but not all motorcycle batteries are created equal. Cheap could very well mean it is just that, while inexpensive could mean you received a great deal. Expensive doesn't always mean better, it could simply mean some one is lining their pockets with gold and selling you a great piece of marketing hype. So how do you know what to believe?

Even the better brands can have batch issues from time to time, but in short, great brands will have the following characteristics: Higher AH, Higher CCA and Longer warranties. When you consider these three values you should be in good shape. Actually I will add a fourth one shortly that only an insider would have knowledge of...but let me dissect the CCA and AH aspect first.

Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) vs. Amp Hour (AH)

In general, CCA and AH have an inverse relationship where if you raise one metric, typically CCA, you have to, by default, lower the other as it is a matter of internal resistance. Most riders have been conditioned to believe that CCA is everything. That is a lie. Run away from any dealer that is trying to push only CCA, they obviously do not fully understand batteries. With the advent of advanced AGM technology it is now possible to actually raise both AH and CCA when compared to the original OEM battery specifications. This is accomplished by adding more and purer forms of lead, compressing the active material before installing into the ABS plastic case and utilizing different metals in and around the internal bus board.

What To Look For In A Bike Battery

Look for a battery with the same or higher CCA compared to the OEM (usually Yuasa) that ALSO has higher amp hours.

Let me try and explain it using an analogy. Your battery is like a dam holding back potential energy. The reservoir is like the AH and the intake is like the CCA. The more water held back in the reservoir, the longer it can sustain the stated CCA compared to a reservoir that has a depleted reserve. So a high CCA battery that cannot be sustained does not do you much good. You need to have a good power balance ratio, especially if you add accessories to your bike like heated grips or jackets.

Industry Failure Rates

Motorcycle battery failure rates are not readily published and are hard to get exact figures on, but the average number we hear is between 2% and 2.5% depending on the year. This includes companies that offer 90 day warranties and those that offer 2 year warranties. Honestly, I think this number is actually higher based on how I have seen warranties handed out and may be more the desired failure rate pushed by manufacturers.

Here are two brands that offer extended motorcycle battery warranties of 2 years or more and have below average failure rates based on actual numbers we have measured and ascertained from the manufacturer. Both of these brands rank high on the value score with increased CCA and AH. The first is the yellow MotoBatt battery brand with there full 2 year replacement warranty. With a warranty that is up to 8x longer than many popular brands their failure rate is nearly half the industry average. The second company brand is Moto Classic. They sport a warranty that has total coverage for 30 months. The first 6 months is a full replacement and the remaining 24 months is a 50% prorate. Currently, the failure rate on Moto Classic is an unfathomable 0.6 percent! We have never had a failure rate from any battery company be that low! These guys have so much faith in their product that they even cover the shipping cost of replacement batteries.

When looking at all these factors we highly recommend buying the MotoBatt or Moto Classic brands as your next replacement power sport or battery. Click here to see current coupon codes for our motorcycle batteries and other battery related products. You'll be glad you did!