Like every mass-produced internal combustion engine, your motorcycle engine depends on an electric charge from a battery to start. Batteries typically last between two and four years. If your bike is struggling to start, it might be time to replace your Honda motorcycle battery. Here’s some info about your options.
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Common Types of Motorcycle Batteries
What’s a battery? According to NASA, it’s “a device that translates chemical energy into electricity.”
Virtually all motorcycle (and car, ATV, UTV, etc.) batteries are lead-acid batteries. These batteries fall in the SLI category, which stands for “starting, lighting, and ignition.” This means the battery delivers a short burst of energy to power these things. Once the engine is running, it supplies electricity for things like lights and accessories, via the alternator.
Lead-acid batteries rely on a reaction between two plates, one of lead and the other of lead dioxide, that are submerged in sulphuric acid. The difference between the following three main types of battery is all about how the sulphuric acid is stored. Sulphuric acid is corrosive to metals and to tissue, so it’s critical to prevent spillage.
Wet Cell Batteries
Wet cell batteries are the traditional, old-fashioned type of battery that has cells that can be refilled with distilled water. Other names for these are conventional batteries, lead-acid batteries, or flooded cell batteries. They are easy to recognize due to the rows of stoppers on the top. In these batteries, the sulphuric acid is in liquid form and is able to move freely. As a result, these batteries are very vulnerable to spillage. The downsides to these types of batteries are the dangerous potential of spilled sulphuric acid, and the need to maintain them by topping them off with distilled water.
Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Batteries
AGM batteries depend on the same chemical reaction, but the sulphuric acid is trapped inside the battery between sheets of fiberglass. Two big benefits: These won’t spill if knocked over, and don’t need to be topped off with distilled water.
Gel Cell Batteries
Once more, gel cell batteries use the same components, but the acid in gel cell batteries has had silica added to it, which gelatinizes it and effectively turns it spill-proof. These batteries offer the same benefits as AGM batteries, and they also last longer and are more resilient in extreme temperatures.
We hope this helps you understand your options when it’s time to get a new motorcycle battery for your beloved Honda. If you have any questions, reach out to the team at Honda Parts Direct in Palestine, Texas, your source for OEM Honda parts.