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.
Burnt stator pulled from the same bike.
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.
