• Always keep the acid level between lower and upper lines on front side of the container (conventional type batteries)

• Do not let the battery stand in a discharged condition

• Charge battery once a month

•  When your motorcycle is stored over 30 days, plug in a Yuasa automatic battery charger to maintain a proper storage charge

•  Keep battery top clean, dry and free of dirt

•  Clean battery terminals to prevent corrosion. Inspect vent tube, ensuring that it is not bent, twisted or clogged

• Protect the battery from strong impacts or shocks

If a new battery becomes unserviceable within a few days or weeks after its installation, it may be due to one or more of the following reasons:

• A faulty charging system

• A short circuit in the electrical system

•  Battery terminals are dirty or not properly connected

• Excessive ignition off drains or high parasitic drains

• Electrical capacity of the battery is insufficient for size of the vehicle

• The battery has been inadequately activated, dissipating its strength from the outset

• The battery, after being filled with acid has been left too long without initial charging, and has been allowed to become sulfated

Contact a qualified technician if the condition remains the same.

Naturally, batteries of different capacities require different charge rates. Generally, a battery should be charged at a slow charge rate of 1/10 its given 10 hr. capacity.

All 4 of these terms basically refer to the same type of battery. An example of this would be the Yuasa YTX series. These batteries are typically all black in color:

• VRLA: Valve Regulated Lead Acid

• MF: Maintenance-Free “

• AGM: Absorbed Glass Mat

• SLA: Sealed Lead Acid.

This battery would be Yuasa’s 12N-series or YB-series (Yumicron) type batteries. These batteries are typically white with a black top, and with yellow or green acid filling caps:

• Standard SLI (Starting, Lighting and Ignition) refers to any standard, non-sealed battery. In this case SLI refers to older style batteries used for powersports type vehicles.

Many factors affect the life of a battery:

• Climate: Colder climates tend to be hard on batteries from a starting standpoint, and for the fact that many people put their bikes away for the season when not using. Sometimes without charging properly. Hotter climates tend to discharge batteries quicker, and dry out batteries quicker. “Average” climates are the best for long battery life.

• Usage: A battery that is used every day has the most chance of living a long life. Batteries that sit a lot, many times are neglected. This shortens overall life. Periodic charging is the best defense.

• Application: How well is the battery charged in the vehicle? Some vehicles have better charging systems than others. Older bikes have worse charging systems than new ones. Are there a lot of extra accessories on your vehicle? Sometimes a battery has a hard time keeping up with additional electrical drains, thus wearing it out quicker.

Negative Factors:

• Sulfation: A build up of crystals on the plates of a battery. This comes from not charging a battery properly. The more sulfation that builds up, the harder the battery is to charge, until finally it does not charge at all.

• Water Loss: Can come from overcharging, or just simple evaporation over time. This only happens with conventional batteries. This does not happen with sealed AGM batteries. Once the plates of a battery are left open to the air, above the fluid level, they can corrode very quickly. Corrosion can cause an internal short, and very quickly destroy the battery. Keeping proper water levels maintained is very important.

• Lack of Charging: As mentioned previously, lack of proper charging is the main reason that a battery will not last as long as it should. At the very minimum, a battery should be charged once a month if left unused.

• Complete Drain: Have you ever left your key on, and totally killed the battery? If recovered in a short time period, the battery should charge back to 100%. But every time this happens, it is similar to the battery having a “heart attack”, and shortening its overall life. Always turn your vehicle off with the keyed ignition switch, not the “kill switch”.

Better Battery Choice:

• AGM: Sealed AGM batteries typically last 3 to 5 years on average. Typically sealed AGM batteries will give warning before completely dying. They will start slower, and require more charging. This is your clue to replace the battery. Typically they do not fail all of a sudden.

• Conventional: Conventional “acid-filled” batteries have a harder life, for many of the reasons listed above. Conventional batteries typically only last 2 to 3 years on average.

AGM and gel batteries are significantly more stable and discharge at a considerably slower rate than flooded batteries. Additionally, they require different care than EFB batteries, and chargers made for flooded cells can damage and eventually destroy VRLA batteries. Sometimes, AGM car deep cycle batteries can also play an important role.

AGM batteries include six cells, each including plates with insulating separators, similar to conventional lead-acid batteries. The key distinction is that AGM batteries’ separators are made of absorbent glass mats, a substance that soaks up the acid solution from the battery. Sometimes, the lithium battery price is also a very important factor.

How do you know which battery is right for your vehicle? Here are some quick tips to help you make the right choice.

Check your vehicle manual for the original equipment manufacturer's recommendations for:

• Battery group size - the battery size that will best fit the physical dimensions of your vehicle. Many vehicles can accommodate more than one group size.

• Cold cranking amps (CCA) - CCA is critical for good cranking ability. It's the number of amps a battery can support for 30 seconds at a temperature of 0 degrees F until the battery voltage drops to unusable levels.

• Reserve capacity (RC) - helps to power your vehicle's electrical system if the alternator fails. It identifies how many minutes the battery can supply ample power without falling below the minimum voltage needed to run your vehicle.

In general, for both CCA and RC, the higher the number the better.

Battery Application and Installation

• The battery is not being used in the application for which it was designed

• The battery is not sized properly for the application

• The vehicle has excessive electrical accessories

• The battery is not properly fitted into the vehicle

• The battery cables are not clean

• The battery cables have not been properly adjusted to fit the battery terminals

Battery Service and Maintenance

• The vehicle’s electrical system has been repaired or altered

• The vehicle has been stationary for a long period of time

• The vehicle has been brought in from or driven in another part of the country for a long period of time

Visual Inspection of Battery

• Terminals show signs of having been hammered, twisted or driven down into the cover

• Side terminals show signs of over-torquing

• Container or cover show signs of stress, damage or high temperature.

• Ends of the battery are pushed out indicating plate growth

Use the serial number from 9digit alpha-numeric digit sticker which is pasted externally on your battery.