Like all lead-acid batteries, motorcycle batteries will lose their charge if they are left unused for a period of time. This can be prevented by charging your motorcycle battery regularly. It is important to remember to never use a car battery charger for your motorcycle battery. Car chargers supply far too much current for an ordinary motorcycle battery and will ruin your battery very quickly [source: Motorcycle Consumer News].
Here's how to charge your battery.
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- It's advisable to use goggles and wear protective gloves when handling the battery, as the fluids in the battery are highly acidic and toxic.
- In a well-ventilated area, remove the battery from your motorcycle with pliers and place it on the floor or a flat bench or table. Check the connections for corrosion or tears.
- Remove the chamber caps and fill the chamber with distilled or deionized water. Don't use tap water -- it contains chemicals that can harm your battery.
- Connect charger cables to the battery. Make sure you connect the positive cable to the positive terminal and the negative cable to the negative terminal.
- Plug the charger into an outlet and turn it on. The length of charging time will depend on how depleted the battery is. It may be necessary to charge the battery overnight if the battery is completely depleted.
- Turn off the charger when the battery is fully charged. Disconnect the battery from the charger. Replace the caps of the fluid chambers and reconnect the battery to the motorcycle
- [source: Motorcycle.co.uk].