Many of us have decided to park our motorcycles until the weather improves, while some of us continue our daily commute and commuting. Whichever of these categories we fall into, we still need to perform simple maintenance on our bikes. Keep reading for our list of the best motorcycle chargers.
Maintenance isn’t fun, but it’s definitely necessary and probably one of the most overlooked components of bike ownership. If we don’t maintain our bike, the next time we open the garage door to take advantage of a dry day or ride to work, we might be hit with the dreaded “click, click, click” sound. That’s right, there’s nothing worse than parking your bike for a while and arriving at it to find that the battery is dead.
Your motorcycle battery is one of the most important components of your bike. It powers your ignition system, starter, lights, and all the other accessories we install including driving lights, heated grips, alarms, immobilizers, etc. If you care for it properly, there is no reason why the battery your motorcycle may malfunction. It will last three to four years – easily. Neglect this, however, and you’ll likely have to buy a new battery at the start of each year when you come out of your bike’s winter hibernation!
Why is my motorcycle battery draining?
It’s easy to understand how a motorcycle battery can drain over time, especially if it’s just been through the winter. It slowly runs out of charge every day (especially if the weather is cold) until one day you walk up to it and try to start it, only to find that it turns the engine painfully slowly or just clicks…
Even if you ride your bike most of the time in the winter, your battery will still hurt a lot at this time of year. Think about it: You’re driving with the headlights on, the auxiliary lights on, and maybe even the heated grips—they all need power. If your commute or weekend commute is relatively short, you may be using more power from the battery each day than the alternator can return.
Most modern bicycles require the battery to be in perfect condition to start the engine. All ignition and fuel injection systems require power, as well as sufficient starting power from the battery to turn the engine fast enough. Big V-twins can also suffer in the cold – or if their batteries are a little low – as they require a lot of amps to crank the engine.
How to maintain sufficient battery charge?
There are many ways to keep your battery charged and ready to go. Not everyone has a garage with electricity, but there are still ways around it. One such option, if your shed or garage doesn’t have power, is to remove the battery from your bike and leave it in your air-conditioned home for the winter. Then, when you’re ready to go back, just put the battery back in and go!
Alternatively, if you don’t need a battery at home or are likely to cycle in the winter, then the Oxford Solariser could be the solution. These are just motorcycle chargers, but they are very convenient to plug into your bike to keep your battery charged.
If you have electricity in your garage, the easiest way is to connect a rigid, weatherproof cable to your bike that is compatible with your battery conditioner (most chargers come with one) and just plug it into the conditioner and leave it on. plugged in and turned on until you need it. Even if you use your bike a couple of days a week in the winter, if you can connect it to a battery conditioner on the days you don’t ride it, you’ll have peace of mind that your battery will be ready to go when you need it.
Types of batteries for motorcycles
Almost all motorcycles on the market today are equipped with 12-volt batteries and electrical equipment, a significant upgrade from the old 6-volt battery that was used until the 1980s on small and classic motorcycles.
There are several different types of motorcycle batteries available today, including:
- Lead-acid batteries. The oldest and one of the most common batteries on older bicycles is the lead-acid battery (or flooded cell battery). These batteries have access to the cells and are initially filled with electrolyte and charged, but must be topped up regularly to function properly.
- Maintenance free batteries. Maintenance-free motorcycle batteries, also known as “sealed” batteries, perform exactly as they say on the tin. No monitoring or topping up of acid levels is required during filling and charging, and the cell plugs are recessed into the top of the battery to prevent tampering.
- Gel batteries. They are often used in motorcycles where the battery must lie on its side or at an angle. This is possible because batteries are filled with acid in a gel state (the electrolyte is encased in a gelling agent – usually silica), which does not move around like regular acid. Compared to conventional lead-acid batteries, gel batteries are more resistant to vibration, shock and extreme temperatures.
- AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries. These batteries are very similar to a gel battery in that they are sealed, maintenance-free, and spill-proof. The electrolyte is absorbed into a very thin layer of fiberglass like a gel, allowing them to be used on their side or at an angle, and they are very resistant to vibration.
- Lithium batteries. Relatively new to the world of motorcycles, their popularity has begun to grow over the past few years. The main benefits of lithium battery technology are easy to see when you put a lead-acid battery and its equivalent lithium battery side by side. A lithium battery can be up to 1/3 the size, provide five times the lifespan, and have a fast recharge rate with a very low discharge rate. A lithium battery also produces approximately 1.5 times the starting current of its lead-acid equivalent. The only downside is that you will need a dedicated lithium charger as a regular 12V charger will not charge a lithium battery and should NEVER be used.
Our Best Battery Chargers
So which charger is best for you? Below are the five best 12-volt battery chargers and our best lithium battery charger to keep you going this winter:
- Warrior Battery Charger/Conditioner
The Warrior Battery Charger is a fully ‘set it and forget it’ charger, ideal for long term service and offering a wide charging range for all lead acid batteries up to 120Ah and up to 36Ah lithium batteries, including low temperature charging mode for lead-acid batteries if the temperature is below -10°C.
- Oxford oximizer 900
- STEC XS 0.8
- Optimum 4D
- NOKO Genius 2
There you have it, our top picks for the best motorcycle battery chargers. Either one will keep your bike’s battery healthy, meaning a dead bike won’t sting you the next time you use it!
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