In most motorcycles, batteries are present under the seats to provide ignition. However, sometimes you cannot start your motorbike because of its faulty and worn-out components.
Common problems with motorcycle batteries include bulging or cracking, faulty stators, sulfation, corroded terminals, leaking or color fading, issues in holding a charge, and bad rectifiers.
It is unsafe to drive with dead batteries because these can die at any time and cause a problem for you when there is no repair center in your nearby location. Visually inspect the color, shape, and leakage in batteries before going on long trips on your motorcycle.
| Motorcycle battery problems | Solutions |
| Bulging and cracking | Check its charging components |
| Faulty stator | Remove heavy aftermarket additions |
| Sulfation | Proper charging |
| Leaking and corrosion | Anticorrosive spray or degreasers |
| Battery not holding charge | Jump start |
| Bad rectifier | Check with voltmeter |
| Aging | Replace batteries |
| Issues with wiring | Inspect ground wire |
Bulging and cracking
You can notice the bulging in motorcycle batteries visually when you feel an issue in idling. Bulging is the deformation of its shape and change in its structure.
These swells from their standard shape and are about to crack. Swelling occurs due to a problem with charging components.
Overcharging due to bad alternators causes the build-up of charge and deformation in its integrity. People face this issue in winter mainly because electrolytes expand on freezing and cause swelling.
It also occurs due to high temperatures because of the boiling of hydrogen and oxygen gasses not coming outside.
These cannot come outside because of the clogged exhaust system. However, it is necessary to fix this issue because it can produce random cracks that cause physical damage.
Remove the batteries from your motorcycles when they are not in use. Check the alternators that they are not bad and build up more charge.
Moreover, start the ignition for 3 to 5 minutes to warm up in winter.
Faulty stator
Stators work like alternators, which help charge the batteries of your motorcycle. You cannot get enough charging when these become bad.
These are present on the engine side and perform the recharging function. The stator becomes bad after completing its life span.
In addition, these also become bad due to overloading and the addition of other components. The overload stresses these components, and frequent charging makes them bad.
Many people add fog lights and horns as aftermarket addition which cause malfunctioning in stators.
You can only resolve the problem by replacing the bad alternators with new ones that can power the batteries.
Do not add heavy accessories as an aftermarket addition to give a luxurious appearance. In addition, check the amperage of the batteries and these aftermarket accessories while adding them.
Sulfation
Sulfation means the accumulation of lead sulfate crystals on motorcycle batteries that cause hindrance in the flow of current.
The issue comes from undercharging and moving your vehicle without charging them completely.
The sulfate from the electrolytes reacts with lead plates and forms a clog there. The issue also comes due to overheating and high temperatures.
Sulfation decreases longevity and also causes complete failure. Overcharging conditions also cause sulfation because of leakage of this electrolyte.
You can face the issue due to poor storing practices. For example, sulfur clogs with lead plates when you store them without full charging.
Fix this issue with proper charging; it can cause the electrolyte sulfur to go back and fix the clog formation.
Leaking and corrosion
The corrosion also comes on the terminals of the battery that restrict the flow of electric current because these build up.
The corrosion occurs due to overcharging and leakage of electrolytes. In addition, the leakage of hydrogen gas leads to the formation of rusty material on the terminals.
The poor cleaning and maintenance make the terminals rusty. Sometimes cracks and holes are present in these components, which cause leakage of fluid.
The leaked fluid reacts with lead material and forms a hard build-up on its surface. The leaking of this acidic and abrasive fluid causes the degradation of its color.
You can find the leakage from the faded color of the batteries. You can fix this issue by avoiding overcharging and undercharging.
Inspect the charging components, like alternators, that are not causing any charging issues. Use the anti-corrosive spray and degreasers on terminals to protect them from ruts.
Battery not holding charge
Sometimes the batteries cannot hold the charge for longer and drain quickly. The issue comes when you install them as an aftermarket addition.
Poor alternators also cause this issue and drain the charge from them. Moreover, you face this when you add the heavy electrical component in your motorbike that drains more power.
The issue also comes when you do not use them for longer. You can fix the problem by jumpstarting your motorcycle with another one.
Turn off both vehicles and then connect the terminals of their batteries. Connect the negative terminals with the negative ones and the same with the positive.
Turn on the ignition, and you can see the lights are on.
Bad rectifier
Rectifiers are also known as the regulars and part of alternators that are used for the conversion of currents to provide a power supply.
Motorcycle batteries can only store the DC, so the rectifiers help to convert the non-storable AC to its storable form DC.
Batteries cannot retain current when these regulators become bad. Overheating causes the failure of the alternator component, including the rectifier.
Loose wiring and poor ground connections also make them faulty. You can fix it by checking the reading on the voltmeter.
More than 14 volts reading on the voltmeter shows the bad rectifier. It shows that the battery is overcharged, and the current is not converted into DC.
Aging
Most of the defects come in a motorcycle because of their aging. The estimated lifespan of this equipment is about 3 to 6 years, and these become bad after this interval.
You can see the flickering of headlights when these become weak. Moreover, the sound of the horn also becomes slow.
Aging also affects the performance of vehicles and reduces their efficient working. These cannot hold the charge for longer when they become old.
You have to charge them again and again, which shows the malfunctioning. It is irreversible, and you cannot stop or fix it.
You can take preventive measures to extend their life and increase durability. Proper maintenance and good handling can increase their longevity.
Issues with wiring
The issue with batteries comes because of faulty electrical components. These are connected with cables that supply power to the electric accessories.
The power cannot transfer from worn-out or faulty wires. Broken or short-circuited wires cannot transfer power for ignition purposes.
Moreover, these become faulty due to poor grounding of cables. Moreover, these cannot charge because of poor grounding wires.
You can fix this issue by removing the seats and inspecting the wires. Check the ground wires that are connected correctly at their pace and allow proper charging.
Moreover, these also become weak due to poor grounding of wires.
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