Motorcycle Battery Buyers Guide
Has your motorcycle or ATV battery failed? Are you looking for an upgrade for the 2023 riding season? You have come to the right place, and this guide will help you find the right battery. But before you can make an informed decision, you should be asking yourself the following questions. Doing so will ensure that you not only know what is the best motorcycle battery for your ATV or motorcycle. But also, what are the best brands for motorcycle batteries in today’s market?
How Long should a motorcycle battery last?
Given optimal maintenance and use, a quality motorcycle battery should last about 3-5 years. We have seen motorcycle batteries last as long as ten years, but this is the exception, not the rule. Good manufacturers will offer at least a 1-year warranty for lead-based (AGM or flooded) and two years for lithium (LiFeP04).
What is a good CCA for a motorcycle battery?
This question relies solely on your power sports manufacturer’s specifications. Never choose a battery with less CCA than what came originally in your Bike, ATV, or snowmobile; this will only offer sub-par performance. On the other hand, there is no such thing as too much CCA. CCA is a passive number of Cold Cranking Amps available to the starter, and it is NOT a number that could be forced through the starter. There is simply no way for a higher CCA battery to affect a healthy starting system negatively. Purchase the highest CCA battery that will fit your battery box/area!
How many Amps should a motorcycle battery have?
While this question seems like a repeat of the first one, it is slightly different. The CCA measures how quickly your battery can deliver a high amount of power. Amps or Amp Hours (AH) measure how much reserve power the battery can store. Because motorcycle batteries are starting batteries, the Amps measure is not as crucial as CCA. Even still, whatever the manufacturer of your bike installed originally is a good guide for a starting point. It is also true that you can never have too many Amps (AH), as it is also a passive number that cannot negatively affect starting your motorcycle.
Which type of battery is the best for motorcycles?
The answer to this question is more based on your expectations and environment than anything else. What we mean to say is that you might have an older budget ATV that is merely used around the farm, and you are happy with how the original battery functioned. In this case, we’d probably recommend sticking with conventional old lead acid. If you are tired of checking acid levels when your jet ski or snowmobile might occasionally be flipped on its side, AGM is the ticket.
Lastly, if you want something that lasts longer than both, will shed considerable weight, and are willing to pay a bit of a premium, lithium is a clear winner. What we do know is that there is no cookie-cutter solution to this question, so you can give us a call if you are just not sure.
Once you’ve asked yourself these questions, you will be much more prepared to make a good choice when purchasing a new motorcycle battery. These questions are the baseline regarding which is best for you. While it may be challenging to know what is the best motorcycle battery currently available, we have narrowed it down to a few fine brands so you can know for sure what are the best brands for motorcycle batteries in 2023.
We love Scorpion Battery for its warranty and commitment to being a low-price leader. They offer a great middle ground between performance, durability, and price. They offer AGM and lithium (LiFePO4) for a balanced product line.
AntiGravity Batteries gets a huge thumbs up for their modest selection of battery sizes, outright cranking amps, and the very cool re-start feature, which will protect a battery from over-discharge
Shorai is one of the first all Lithium motorcycle battery manufacturers and took the lead in the burgeoning Lithium motorcycle battery market. Offering compact batteries with immense power and the ability to balance the cells using their unique charge port and proprietary charger.
