Just as children and pets need proper nutrition and care, so do motorcycle batteries. This includes having both the right motorcycle battery equipment and the right practices to keep a motorcycle battery health and happy whether it’s conventional or maintenance free.
Begin by assembling the right tools to care for a motorcycle batter. These include jumper cables, a battery tester, a digital multimeter, a syringe hydrometer and a battery analyzer. Each of these tools has a special important function.
Jumper cables are electrical connections that start vehicle batteries when they’re low on charge. A battery tester evaluates both charged and discharged batteries. A digital multimeter measures voltage, current, and resistance so that the motorcycle owner doesn’t have to guess whether it’s time to recharge the battery, whether maintenance free or conventional.
A syringe hydrometer shows the precise exact specific gravity reading on the condition of a conventional battery. In other words, it can tell whether the water or battery acid (electrolyte) needs replenishing. Finally, a battery analyzer can tell whether a battery is fully charged with just the push of a button.
Now, about those healthy practices. Check a motorcycle battery, whether conventional or maintenance free, once a month. If it’s a conventional battery, it probably will require topping off the water to restore the proper electrolyte balance, since water evaporates during motorcycle operation. Motorcycle batteries also should get a monthly top-off charge and a good inspection of the battery and its connections. Clean off any grime around the battery, especially any white deposits around the battery cables. This bit of attention will keep the battery healthy and the motorcycle on the road.
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