Hello everyone! Someone asked how long should a motorcycle battery last?

Main Factors That Kill Your Motorcycle Battery Life

A good motorcycle owner always sees to it that his battery is still in good condition and well-maintained. You have to keep your battery on the proper maintenance charger. But for first timers, it will always keep them wondering why their batteries got drained and dead when you have just bought it.

Here are some of the factors that kill the life of your motorcycle batteries:

1. There Is A Leak Circuit Somewhere

This leak circuit is a merely a low-level circuit that sucks your battery dry. It drains your battery. The leaks may come from your motorcycle accessories, GPS, alarms, and some other sources.

One way to check is by removing the negative cable of the battery and using your volt-ohm meter in the current mode. Place the meter leads in between the negative wire and the negative terminal while the unit is turned off.

Zero should be the current draw, but a few milliamps are quite acceptable. If you can record a drain of an amp or more, you should need further investigation.

2. Ground Connection Is Poor

The reduced ground connections of the battery and the frame can stop charging. You need to check all the links with a high current carefully. You have to remove them by cleaning them using sandpaper or with a scotchbrite very lightly.

3. The Regulator Or Rectifier Is Dying

When your voltage regulator is already dying, your battery may die too. It is most common to high-mileage motorcycles.

First, you have to check all the connections. Start with the connection from the alternator up to the regulator. Most bikes are known for frying the connectors.

Better check and consult your service manual to check on the alternator’s resistance and regulator wires. The commonly used regulators seldom outlast the motorcycles though there are some motorcycles which have regulators that last longer than the others.

4. Overloaded Accessories

If your motorcycle has too many accessories, it could also kill your motorcycle batteries. You have to check the battery voltage while the engine is running and accessories on. If it doesn’t register a 13.8 V or something better, your charging system cannot accommodate your add-ons.

Some motorcycles have some extra juice so you can have something to spare for your accessories or it would be better to find a powerful and better alternator.

5. Heat And Vibration

Batteries are not built to last forever. Heat and vibration can shorten the lifespan of your motorcycle batteries. When heat and vibration strikes, even the well-maintained batteries will give up. The damage incurred from the broken plates or internal connections can be deadly for your cells.