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Best Motorcycle Batteries

Updated June 2022
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Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Yuasa Motorcycle Battery
Yuasa
Motorcycle Battery
Customer Favorite

A maintenance-free motorcycle battery that is sure to serve you well for years to come.

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Customer Favorite
Bottom Line

A maintenance-free motorcycle battery that is sure to serve you well for years to come.

Pros

12V maintenance-free battery. Holds a charge three times longer than traditional motorcycle batteries. Sealed and spill-proof. No need to ever add water to the battery.

Cons

Battery fit sometimes is very tight.

Best Bang for the Buck
ExpertPower Motorcycle Battery
ExpertPower
Motorcycle Battery
Easy Setup

A high-performance motorcycle battery that is ready out of the box.

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Easy Setup
Bottom Line

A high-performance motorcycle battery that is ready out of the box.

Pros

Arrives fully charged. Maintenance-free. Spill-proof with no water checks required. Economical pricing makes the battery a great option for street-cruisers, ATVs, street-touring motorcycles, and street motor scooters.

Cons

Inferior cranking amps in contrast to comparable motorcycle batteries.

Zipp Battery Motorcycle Battery
Zipp Battery
Motorcycle Battery
Long-Lasting

A motorcycle battery that lasts 1,000 charges or more.

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Long-Lasting
Bottom Line

A motorcycle battery that lasts 1,000 charges or more.

Pros

12V fully charged battery. Chrome case ensures the motorcycle battery is resistant to shocks, vibrations, and heat. Design prevents leaks and corrosion. Includes heavy-duty terminals designed to withstand wear, pressure, and torquing.

Cons

Terminals may be too large for some motorcycle connectors.

Chrome Battery Power Sports Battery
Chrome Battery
Power Sports Battery
Durable & Rugged

A top-notch motorcycle battery constructed with lead calcium alloy and absorbed glass mat technology.

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Durable & Rugged
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A top-notch motorcycle battery constructed with lead calcium alloy and absorbed glass mat technology.

Pros

Can be mounted in any arrangement for added convenience. Design prevents leaks and corrosion. Fiberglass mat separators and high cell compression help extend the motorcycle battery's lifespan.

Cons

Terminals won't line up properly with many popular motorcycles.

Odyssey Motorcycle Battery
Odyssey
Motorcycle Battery
Simple Yet Solid

A first-rate battery for motorcycles and ATVs.

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Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

A first-rate battery for motorcycles and ATVs.

Pros

Boasts a 70% longer cycle life compared to conventional deep cycle motorcycle batteries. Full recharge requires 4 to 6 hours. Vibration resistant. Proven to perform in extreme temperatures.

Cons

More expensive than similar motorcycle batteries.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

First Reviewed
November 30, 2021
30
Models
considered
18
Hours
researched
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Buying guide for best motorcycle batteries

Bob Beacham
Written by Bob Beacham

Updated June 2022

Modern motorcycles, with often complex engine management systems, put considerable demand on their batteries. Gone are the days when you could just kick-start the beast or when any old 6-volt box would do.

Battery manufacturers have responded by not just by increasing output but also offering different types of batteries. But if you don’t know your wet-cell from your lithium-ion, it can all get a bit confusing. One 12-volt motorcycle battery might look a lot like another, but there are big differences inside.

After exhaustive technical and practical research, we’re able to recommend the models we think stand out. They offer performance and value solutions for just about every motorcycle. The following motorcycle battery shopping guide provides additional technical information and answers to a number of common questions.

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Accessories like extra lights, satnav, intercom, and heated motorcycle clothing all put additional demands on your battery. If it’s running flat regularly, you could be overloading the system.

Motorcycle battery types

The outer boxes might look the same because they all have to fit within a given space on your motorcycle, but the chemistry inside can differ. The four options are flooded wet-cell lead-acid, absorbed glass mat (AGM), gel, and lithium-ion (Li-ion).

Wet-cell battery

The standard wet-cell vehicle battery has been around for over 150 years. It is a combination of lead plates, sulfuric acid, and distilled water that remains a reasonably efficient way of storing a charge, although it needs regular checks to maintain fluid levels. These batteries are cheap, but the big disadvantage for the motorcyclist is that if you tip one over, you get acid everywhere.

AGM battery

The AGM motorcycle battery is a natural development from the standard lead-acid battery, which uses dry-cell technology. It is sealed and so maintenance-free. The other big benefit for motorcyclists is that with nothing to spill out, the battery doesn’t have to stay upright. Without the liquid between the plates, it can be made thinner, so it requires less space. With no real negatives, this has become the most common type of motorcycle battery by far.

Gel battery

Gel motorcycle batteries are filled with a jelly-like combination of sulfuric acid and silica. These share all the benefits of AGM batteries, are largely unaffected by temperature fluctuations, and are highly resistant to vibration, all of which makes one ideal as a motorcycle battery.

Gel batteries have two disadvantages. First, they can only take charge slowly. You can jump-start them OK, but you can’t rapid-charge them. Second, they’re more expensive than AGM batteries. It isn’t a vast difference, but it’s enough to restrict their popularity.

Li-ion battery

Lithium-ion motorcycle batteries are the most recent development. They are solid-state, like a camera or phone battery, and so maintenance-free, plus they typically last three to five times longer than an AGM equivalent. Li-ion batteries can be made much smaller and as much as 70% lighter, and they’re completely safe. If you smash one to pieces, all you have is a smashed battery.

On the downside, Li-ion batteries are costly and sluggish in cold weather, and they don’t handle lots of accessories well.

In a nutshell, if you’ve got a lightweight sports bike and you’re trying to save every pound, lithium-ion motorcycle batteries are great. If you’ve got a fully loaded touring bike, stick with AGM.

Motorcycle battery features

Just about all motorcycle batteries are 12 volts, but there are notable performance differences that set them apart, and these differences have a big impact on cost.

CCA and Ah

Your owner’s manual and your existing motorcycle battery should give you two pieces of vital information: the cold cranking amps (CCA) and ampere hours (Ah).

  • CCA: Technically, the CCA is the number of amps your battery supplies at 7.2 volts for 30 seconds when the ambient temperature is 32°F. In real terms, it’s that initial burst of power required to start your motorcycle. The number provided by the bike’s manufacturer is a minimum. There’s no harm in buying something with a higher rating, and doing so is usually advised if you start adding electrical or electronic accessories.

  • Ah: An ampere-hour rating is the equivalent of one amp of charge being supplied for one hour. So an eight ampere hour battery provides eight amps for one hour or one amp for eight hours. In practical terms, if you compare two batteries with the same CCA, the one with the higher ampere hours will
    deliver the same output for longer. It’s not a big deal when you’re starting your bike, but it is if you’re running extra lights, gadgets, or heated clothing.

When changing your motorcycle battery, you always need to at least match the recommended minimum of both CCA and Ah. More isn’t necessary, but it can be beneficial depending on the setup of your bike.

Size

Finally, it’s really important to check size, something that’s often overlooked. The battery box on a big V-twin cruiser is likely a very different size than that on an Italian hypersports bike!

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Did you know?
If you hit the starter and nothing happens it’s likely a flat battery. If your motorcycle engine turns over but doesn’t fire, the problem is somewhere else. Loose spark plug caps are a common fault.
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Motorcycle battery prices

There are always deals on cheap motorcycle batteries that seem to offer remarkable value, but check the specification carefully. Often the performance is inadequate and life expectancy short. The key here, as we explain above, is not the voltage but cold cranking amps and ampere hours. It’s absolutely vital you get what your motorcycle demands. Trying to short-cut it to save a few bucks is a waste of money.

Inexpensive: Good-quality budget batteries for motorcycles with modest power demand start at around $30. Prices rise more or less in line with the output provided, though big-name brands might attract a small premium.

Mid-range: High-performance sealed lead-acid motorcycle batteries cost around $75 to $120, depending on the specification.

Expensive: At the top end of the scale, powerful long-lasting versions can be as much as $150.

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If you’re unfortunate enough to drop your motorcycle or be involved in an accident, old-style batteries can leak acid that might cause serious damage. Modern batteries are much safer, and you should find a suitable alternative even if you ride a classic bike.

FAQ

Q. Why is my battery going flat even when I ride my motorcycle regularly?

A. You probably know that an unused battery loses a small amount of charge every day, but even if you ride regularly, it might not be enough to keep it in optimum condition. Short rides – a few miles or under ten minutes – probably don’t generate enough charge to replace the energy used. If your battery is already old, the effect is exaggerated.

You can usually fix the problem by leaving your battery on charge overnight. Alternatively, go for a half-hour ride at least once a week – a much more fun way of doing it!

Q. Should I take the battery off the bike if I can’t ride through winter?

A. You can normally leave it on the bike and charge it in situ once every month or six weeks to keep it in peak condition. That way, it’s always ready to go if you do get the chance for a ride. If you live in a place where that’s just not going to happen, you can remove the battery, but check whether the bike’s manufacturer recommends it. The complex computers on some modern motorcycles shouldn’t be turned completely off. Either way, if you have a modern smart battery charger, you can leave it on a trickle charge (with no fear of it damaging the battery) until the weather improves.

Q. Can I throw my old motorcycle battery in the trash?

A. Please don’t. It could contain harmful chemicals and materials, and in most cases the entire thing can be successfully recycled. Your local motorcycle or auto supply store will probably take it off you, or your local recycling center.

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