Prior to installing a new battery, it is highly advisable that you test your motorcycle charging system to eliminate any other potential causes. Otherwise, you may damage the new battery.
Continuing to ride with a faulty charging system can cause further damage to your wiring and connectors, as in the photo above.
Possible causes for failure of the charging system are:
- Riding short trips (under 15 minutes)
- Old wiring or brittle parts
- Short circuits in wiring harness
- Using a lot of other gadgets such as phone chargers, extra lights, and GPS, which require a longer period of riding to allow the stator to fully charge the depleted battery
- Faulty ECU
It is advisable to connect your battery to a smart trickle charger with a desulphator mode, such as an Optimate 4, when the bike is parked and not in use. This can prolong the battery life for up to 5 years and avoid costly breakdowns due to regulator rectifier or stator malfunctions.