How Long To Charge Your Motorcycle Battery By Riding?
I can fully understand the void left in you when you climb on your motorcycle, and your bike won’t start due to a flat battery. Usually, this happens when you may be in a hurry to get somewhere or looking forward to a good cruise. You may be thinking, if you can jumpstart your bike, would it charge while riding? Between twenty to a thirty-minute drive on the road is usually enough to recharge from a usual start. However, if you have jumpstarted the battery from being too low flat or dead, it may not restart from the electric starter after being turned off. That is when a battery charger is required. Motorcycle batteries work similarly to car batteries. So, if you use it often, the likelihood of you coming across a flat battery is slim depending on your battery’s health (or if you don’t forget the headlights on). With that said, what else is there to know about your bike’s battery?
Letting your bike idle to charge the battery is not very effective, and it won’t restore the battery’s full charge. Most alternators only put approximately 1 amp into the battery during idle, which is hardly enough to make a difference. Still, while you’re riding regularly, that amount will be over ten amps if you’re not crawling too slowly. To give it a boost while idling, you could hold the throttle at 4000rpm for 10 minutes, but your neighbors and their dogs (and maybe your wife) may not like you very much for doing that. If your motorcycle alternator can recharge your dead battery, you’ll probably need to ride the bike on the road to get the alternator to operate correctly. In most situations, a road trip is sufficient to recharge for typical use. If the battery is very low or dead, it may not restart after being turned off. If this occurs, I recommend using a battery charger to restore the battery to full charge. Regardless of the sort of motorbike you possess, it will include an alternator to keep your battery charged while you ride. Riders rely on this as a critical safety element. However, if your bike is having trouble starting or your tester shows your battery is dead, it’s time to replace it.
How Long Should Your Motorcycle Battery Last?
That is all dependent on you, my friend! While most batteries can be expected to live approximately three years if properly cared for, there is a lot you can do to change that. Depending on how you treat your battery, you can pamper your battery and get 5 to 6 years out of it, or you can destroy it before it even reaches its first birthday. The most frequent way for riders to destroy a battery is to frequently let it die entirely, which is an excellent reason why trying to charge your flat (or dead) battery while riding wouldn’t be the best way to deal with it. A lead-acid battery’s nature is permanently damaged every time it runs down and loses a portion of its charging capacity. It can only happen a few times before the battery is completely dead.
What Causes This To Happen?
The following are a few of the most prevalent reasons:
- Allowing a bike to sit over an extended length of time.
- Only riding short distances (doing so prevents the bike’s charging system from fully charging the battery).
- Using a lot of electrical equipment on a motorcycle is not a good idea (these drain the battery much quicker than a stock bike would).
- Accessories or wires that are defective or poorly placed.
- Using the wrong sort of charger and charging too much or too little.
How Long Do Battery Chargers Take?
Most motorcycle batteries in excellent condition and used regularly require around 2-3 hours of charging with a Smart charger. However, this is dependent on several factors, including the kind of battery, when it was last used, and how quick the charger is.
A Smart charger can usually recharge your battery securely. If your battery is capable, it won’t overload it and can charge at a Rapid pace. Older motorbike chargers may cause irreversible harm to your battery by overcharging it.
Another excellent characteristic of these Smart motorbike chargers is that they can charge safely by trickling.
On the other hand, if your battery takes an eternity to charge, it’s time to inspect your motorcycle’s battery. It’s time to check if your motorbike isn’t starting normally, the battery doesn’t appear to retain a charge, or it doesn’t charge effectively.
You may accomplish this by physically inspecting the terminals for cracks, leaks, or corrosion. A Smart charger for motorcycles can also help you figure out if it can retain a charge, and a multimeter can show you how many volts are available.
If you don’t have access to a Smart motorbike charger, you can use an older motorcycle charger. A motorbike battery will typically take anything from 4 to 24 hours to charge. When using this charger, you must periodically check the voltage to ensure that the procedure is complete.
You should also be aware that if the charger does not include a “float mode,” which ensures that it won’t overload, charging it at the lowest possible rate, ideally at 1-2 amps, is highly recommended. However, if your battery has been damaged, has gone flat, or is no longer accepting a charge, it may be necessary to replace it.
It would be best if you also considered charging your battery regularly to keep it in excellent condition. It is less expensive, and you will get the most life out of your battery.
Conclusion
From a healthy start, day-to-day driving will recharge your battery. However, trying to charge up your dead battery by riding is not advisable as it may damage your battery in the long run, and your electronics (such as your dashboard electronics) may not function correctly.
Charging a completely dead battery with a Smart charger or a standard motorcycle battery charger is recommended. Getting the battery to 80% or fully charged is recommended if you wish to increase your battery’s longevity; your bike will do the rest with your daily riding.
Tim owns a Honda ‘Hornet’ CB600F and loves to ride his bike whenever the weather allows him to. Tim has been interested in motorcycle clothing before he even owned a motorcycle driving license. Motorcycle gear is his hobby and that’s why he started this blog. Tim lives in the Netherlands, which you might notice due to his accent.
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Motorcycle batteries will slowly go bad with time. This is completely normal and to be expected. Even if you properly care and service them and keep them on a battery tender, they will still not last forever.
Before we go into more detail about Harley Davidson batteries and how long they last, let’s first take a look at what the industry standard is in general. That way, we can compare and see how good Harley batteries stack compared to other motorcycle batteries.
According to most manufacturers, motorcycle batteries should last at least four years of service. And most riders report replacing their motorcycle battery every two to ten years.
Now let’s take a look at what we can expect from Harley motorcycle batteries.
How long do Harley Davidson motorcycle batteries last?
So how long should you expect your Harley battery to last before needing replacement?
On average, you should expect your Harley battery to last between two to six years before it needs replacement.
Usually, Harley batteries last a very long time. Most riders replace their batteries every 2 to 7 years in general. However, some factory Harley batteries can last between 9 to 15 years if properly looked after. There are also other cases where the batteries can die in less than a year.
Defective Harley batteries will also not last very long and can die in just a few months, if not less.
How long will a Harley Davidson battery last without starting?
Motorcycle batteries, including Harley batteries, will not last very long if not used. Without starting, most batteries will not last more than three to five months before fully discharging.
Allowing the battery to fully discharge will negatively affect its life expectancy and thus should not be allowed to happen. If you are not going to use your motorcycle for extended periods of time, it is recommended to use a battery tender.
How long should a Lead Acid Harley Davidson battery last?
Motorcycle lead-acid batteries can last between two to ten years in general. How long a Harley lead-acid battery will last will depend on the maintenance and care and how often it is being used. Batteries that are used more often tend to last longer.
How long should a lithium Harley Davidson battery last?
Motorcycle lithium batteries can last a really long time, between four to ten years—especially if they have built-in BMS. However, poor maintenance and care and leaving the battery to fully discharge can damage it, and it can fail in less than a few months.
Even the studies performed on this subject are not conclusive, although it is believed that motorcycle lithium batteries should be capable of lasting longer than lead-acid batteries.
That being said, lithium motorcycle batteries tend to be very expensive. The higher costs are usually enough to discourage most people from using them.
Do OEM Harley Davidson batteries last longer than aftermarket batteries?
This is a tough question to answer, but there is no guarantee that an aftermarket battery will last less than an OEM battery. There are many aftermarket batteries that will be just as good, if not better, than an OEM battery, depending on how they have been manufactured.
The thing with OEM batteries is that they can be held to higher standards and thus usually will last a lot longer than aftermarket batteries. On the other hand, OEM batteries will usually be more expensive than comparable aftermarket batteries.
Usually, the factory batteries that come with the Harley tend to last the longest, especially if properly services and cared for. These are the batteries that can often last between 5 to 15 years.
Aftermarket batteries can still be a viable option. However, it can be very hard to determine their quality. And because of that, it is always recommended to do additional research before going with an aftermarket item.
What affects how long a Harley Davidson battery will last?
There are a lot of factors that will determine how long a Harley battery will last. Some of these factors can be more predictable, but many of them are unpredictable and will simply vary from person to person and motorcycle to motorcycle.
Usually, motorcycle batteries do have a certain limited amount of charge and discharge cycles. However, depending on these factors, a battery can reach the end of its life sooner or later than what is expected from the manufacturer.
Not charging the battery
This is easily one of the biggest culprits behind why motorcycle batteries will not last long. Each time the battery is allowed to go dead, this reduces its capacity, and this applies to both Lead-acid batteries, LiPo batteries, and LiFe batteries.
Allowing the battery to stay discharged for long periods
How often you ride your Harley
One of the things that could sound counterintuitive is that motorcycle batteries that are used more often—read the motorcycle is used more often—tend to last longer than batteries on a motorcycle that are left to sit for extended periods.
When you are not riding, make sure to keep your Harley battery on a battery tender. Battery tenders are designed to prevent the battery from discharging.
How the battery is charged
A battery tender should not be confused with a trickle charger. Although both are designed to do the same job, a trickle charger can potentially ruin a battery by eventually overcharging it.
In other words, keeping a Harley battery on a trickle charger for too long can potentially damage the battery and reduce its life.
However, the tender’s quality is also important as cheap battery tenders can also damage your motorcycle’s battery.
The battery’s quality
Of course, one of the main aspects that will determine how long your Harley battery will last is simply its quality. Not all batteries are created equal, and you get what you pay for. A significantly cheaper battery of lower quality will simply not last as long as a higher-quality battery.
Usually, going with OEM batteries or high-quality aftermarket batteries is the best way to go. Of course, the battery should be fully compatible with your Harley and its circuitry.
Of course, batteries are not guaranteed that they will all last a really long time; some are good and some not so good. Sometimes you can immediately tell if the battery is bad, if it takes too long to recharge after longer rides or if it feels sluggish for no apparent reason.
Motorcycle design
The motorcycle design can also impact the life of your motorcycle battery. The battery location on some Harleys may be one that predisposes the battery to higher temperatures, which can lead to a decreased life expectancy of the battery.
For example, on some of the softtails, the batteries may not last very long.
Battery maintenance
The good thing is that caring for your Harley battery is not very time-consuming. Of course, as already discussed, your Harley battery should not be allowed to discharge completely.
However, part of the routine care is also cleaning the cables and leads once or twice a year or more often, depending on how often you use your Harley. And ensuring the leads and cables are all tightly connected as the bolts can loosen with time due to the motorcycle’s vibrations.
The environment
Motorcycle batteries don’t like cold. In fact, that applies to any battery. The colder the weather, the less charge they can hold and the quicker they will discharge. A motorcycle battery can even freeze in some instances. This is why during the winter, it is not recommended to leave the battery outside as the low temperatures can end up ruining your Harley’s battery.
In some instances, Harley batteries that have been often exposed to cold temperatures can last as little as 12 months.
On the other hand, heat can do a lot of damage to your Harley’s battery, too. Frequently exposing your Harley’s battery to high temperatures can reduce its life expectancy down to two years.
Vibrations
Excessive exposure to strong vibrations can also lower the life of a motorcycle battery.
Poor wiring
One of the best ways to ruin a battery is if your motorcycle’s wiring is bad. Thins like parasitic draws and ground faults can lead to the battery discharging faster and eventually reducing its life expectancy.
How a new battery is being charged
One of the mistakes many people can make is to use their battery immediately after purchasing and oftentimes not following the manufacturer’s instructions.
A new lead-acid battery (or even a lithium battery, for that matter) should be charged fully after purchasing and before using. A lead-acid battery should be charged at no more than 10% of its capacity. (Manufacturer’s recommendations should be followed at all times, and they have precedence over these general recommendations.)
Maintaining Your Battery
While the lifespan of a regular Lead Acid motorcycle battery is around 3 years, you should also be aware that proper maintenance is required if you want it to last longer. Both gel and AMG batteries can last 6 years or longer with proper care, and lithium-ion batteries will also last 6 years or more as well. This applies to high-quality batteries.
When your motorcycle is not in use, you can take good care of the battery by using a Smart charger to maintain the correct voltage for your battery type.
A Smart battery charger needs, say, lithium on it to charge lithium-type motorcycle batteries, and all Smart battery chargers should work for the other battery types, although Gel batteries need to be charged slowly, so read the instructions to be sure to meet its charging requirement.
Sometimes it might be OK(?) to use a pigtail adapter, connect it to the battery and then trickle charge your bike by connecting the adapter to the charger. But most of the time, you should take out the battery when charging. It depends on the battery type, components that might be sensitive to heat near your battery, and the electronics on your bike.
If you ride your motorcycle on the weekends only, you’ll want to consider charging your battery each week. Although each bike is different, electronics and normal discharge can drain the battery while the bike is not in use.
Wet batteries might be able to go 1 week without a need for a charge, AGM and Gel batteries about 2 weeks, and lithium-ion batteries might be able to go even longer. However, your motorcycle type and battery quality will determine these numbers. Generally, if you’re not using the motorcycle daily, charging weekly is best.
Checking the voltage output using a multimeter can give you a better idea of how the voltage of the battery is draining. It is recommended that all batteries should be maintained/charged with infrequent motorcycle use, such as riding on the weekend only.
When using a multimeter, you would want a reading of 12.5 to 13.5 volts on a 12-volt battery. A 6-volt battery should read between 6.5 to 7.5.
Storing Your Battery/Not Riding For a Month
If you are not using your motorcycle for a while, charge and store the battery in a dry, cool place.
Always take the battery out of the motorcycle first, and use your Smart charger to charge it until it is full. Most motorcycle batteries will be fine for several months before needing a charge again.
Another option is to use a trickle charger and leave it attached to the battery. This will maintain your battery at full capacity the entire time it is not in use and may help remove deposits on your battery cells that may have been deposited during over-draining.
Safety is also an issue with any electronic device left on. Regularly check that your battery and charger are working properly and that there are no issues. Make sure it is a safe environment for the battery and charger to operate. No extreme conditions should be introduced, and a fire extinguisher should be on hand, just in case.
Reading the battery and charger instructions will give you more information about whether this is OK for your battery. When you take good care of your motorcycle battery, it will offer years of service and reliability.
How Long Does It Take to Charge a Motorcycle Battery?
Most batteries that are in good condition and regularly used in a motorcycle will need about 2-3 hours of charging with a Smart charger, but this also depends on lots of factors, like the type of battery, when it was last used, and how fast the charger is.
A Smart charger can usually intelligently recharge your battery. It won’t overcharge it and can charge quickly if your battery is capable. Older motorcycle chargers may overcharge your battery, causing irreparable damage to your battery.
Another great feature of these Smart motorcycle chargers is that they can trickle charge for safe charging.
But if your battery is taking forever to charge, It’s time to check your motorcycle’s battery. When you notice your motorcycle is not starting like normal, the battery doesn’t seem to hold a charge, or it doesn’t charge well, then it’s time to investigate.
You can do this with a physical check: look for cracks, leaks, or corrosion in the terminals. Using a Smart motorcycle charger can also help you determine if it is able to hold a charge, and a multimeter can show you how many volts are available.
If you don’t own a Smart motorcycle charger, you may opt to use an older motorcycle charger instead. Normally, it will take anywhere between 4 to 24 hours to charge a motorcycle battery. Using this type of charger, it’s necessary that you check the voltage every once in a while to see if the process has been completed.
You should also be aware that if the charger does not have a “float mode,” which makes sure that it will not overcharge, it is highly recommended that you charge it at the slowest possible rate, ideally at 1-2 amps. However, if your battery has been damaged, has gone flat, or is no longer taking any charge, it might be best to replace it with a new one.
You also should consider taking good care of your battery by charging it regularly. It costs less, and you will get the most out of your battery’s lifespan.
So your SSB Battery won’t Charge? Here is the Fix!
If the battery voltage is around the 1-2V mark then it is simply in LVC and the charger cant detect a battery is connected which is why it’s not charging and also why it isn’t starting the bike.
Solution: You need to get some charge into the battery to close the LVC so the battery can charge normally. It only needs 30 seconds to 1 minute to charge and then you can proceed with regular charging.
Method 1: Simply jump-starting the bike and letting it charge in there for 30 seconds to a minute will get it able to be charged normally. As long as it doesn’t have an Auto clutch and can be roll started I’d roll start.
Method 2: If roll start is not possible you can use jumper leads and simply jump-start the bike.
There is a third method but I won’t cover it in this article as this will work in 99% of cases.
First Lets Establish What Is Wrong
Normally one of 2 things has happened which is why the battery is flat and won’t charge.
- The battery has been run dead flat and the LVC (low voltage cut off) has kicked in to protect the battery from over-discharging.
- Their other is a dead cell.
If the LVC has kicked in, don’t worry, we can get you sorted quickly! If there is a dead cell, then it requires replacing.
How to test the Voltage
Some of the SSB Lithium batteries have a built-in battery voltage indicator. Simply pushing this should tell you the voltage of the battery.
If there is no voltage indicator you need to find out what it is using a multimeter.
If you don’t have one see if you have a friend that has one. If that fails most auto electricians would be more than happy to tell you what it is. Also, automotive retail stores such as Autobarn or Supercheap Auto should be able to test it for you for free too.
My Voltage is around 9-10V
If it’s around the 9-10V mark then it’s dropped a cell and the battery needs to be replaced. If it’s under warranty and has been used in the correct bike with the correct charger then it will be covered under warranty
If we identify that it is LVC then we can assist in troubleshooting why the battery discharged. 99.9% of the time it is a voltage leak with the bike but it is also possible that the battery is draining itself. Whilst I say it’s possible out of the 5000 Lithium batteries I have sold only 1 has had this issue but we still don’t want to rule it out completely.