We don’t love our motorcycle batteries like we love our engines.

They don’t sulphate, either – so if you are rubbish at keeping your battery topped-up, a li-ion battery is a good option. Lithium batteries have a better cranking power and a longer life than a lead-acid battery. A typical lead-acid motorcycle battery for a litre-superbike weighs around 4kg, a lithium equivalent weighs around 750g. One of the most obvious is their weight and size. They are much more expensive than a lead-acid battery but there are many advantages of a lithium-ion battery. Lithium-based batteries are used in modern technologies from mobile phones to electric cars. Lithium (lithium iron phosphate) is the new kid on the block. Gel batteries are also less prone to sulphation, meaning if you’re the sort of person who forgets to charge your battery, gel is a good option. The advantages of this are that the battery resists vibration damage and also can be positioned at an angle – as the acid won’t escape.

Essentially the battery acid is mixed with a gel. GelĪ gel battery is a VRLA battery with a gelified (good word) electrolyte. Due to the glass fibre, AGM batteries have better control over the acid and so plates can be closer together, meaning you can have a more powerful battery for a given size, compared to a standard battery. AGMĪGM stands for Absorbed Glass Matt – essentially it’s a regular battery but there’s glassfibre between the plates which acts like a sponge. The downside is that if you do boil it over, you can’t add in more acid – it’s a goner. The benefit of a sealed battery is the fact it is ‘maintenance free’ – the battery acid gets heated in use and any liquid that evaporates won’t escape the battery unless during extreme conditions. These are ‘sealed’ and supplied pretty much ready to go – you just need to stick it on a charger to ensure it’s fully charged. These days, VRLA batteries are the most common ones used. Due to the fact these batteries aren’t sealed (yes, you push a lid down over the cells once you add the acid but it’s not totally air-tight), the water element of the aic does evaporate over time and can require topping up. The liquid is sulphuric acid (it stinks, right?). If you’ve ever bought a motorcycle battery and had to add a liquid into it, then you’ve had a ‘flooded’ battery. You’re probably more likely to find a 6v battery in a lawnmower or mobility scooter (although most of these old grinners are secret speed freaks and their powerful electric pavement chariots run 12v too, so mind your ankles, they’re coming through!). Classic bikes obviously still use 6v batteries but can be converted to 12v. Back in the day, when you were just a twinkle in the milkman’s eye, batteries were 6v. You can buy these batteries from your local motorcycle dealer or reliable online retailers, like SportsbikeShop or Amazon.Īlmost all motorcycle batteries these days are 12v. A few years ago, Lithium batteries were around three-times the price of a Lead Acid but these days they’re only around 20% more expensive. Japanese manufacturer Shido are one of the leading suppliers of Lithium-based motorcycle batteries.

They make both Lead Acid and Lithium batteries. Manufactured in China, Dynavolt are a good brand and are usually quite a bit cheaper than Yuasa. Yuasa make Lead Acid and Lithium batteries. They’re not always the cheapest but they’re a safe bet. Japanese manufacturer Yuasa claim that over 90% of bike manufacturers choose Yuasa as their standard battery supplier. Listed below are three well-known brands and links to where you can buy them from:

One bit of advice is: avoid the cheap batteries on eBay – they are a false economy. It’s hard to pick the best motorcycle battery as it depends on your budget and what you want from your battery. There are countless motorcycle battery brands. Where to buy quality motorcycle batteries?

Motorcycle batteries