Can a New Motorcycle Battery be Dead?

A new motorbike battery can be precious not only for you but for your motorbike too, and that’s why the question arises, can a new motorcycle battery be dead? 

Your new motorcycle can’t be dead if you’re using it, but it can be dead if you bought it uncharged and stored it without charging for more than five months. Before storing it, you should connect the new motorbike battery to the maintainer. 

Let’s consider what it means and what you can do about it. 

While writing this post, I leave no stone unturned so you can know everything about the motorcycle battery. 

Can a New Motorcycle Battery be Dead? 

Your new motorbike can be precious for you and your motorbike, and that’s why you need to know if a new motorcycle battery can be dead. 

Your new motorcycle can’t be dead if you’re using it, but it can be dead if you bought it uncharged and stored it without charging for more than five months. Before storing it, you should connect the new motorbike battery to the maintainer. 

However, new motorbike batteries usually come with an 80% charge capacity. Still, it would be best if you asked the dealer about the charging capacity of the new motorbike battery. 

How to Know if Your New Motorbike Battery is Dead? 

Determining the status of your new motorbike battery is crucial after its installation. How can you determine if your new motorbike battery is depleted? Let’s explore some methods:

Method 1: Using a Multimeter You can employ a multimeter to assess the capacity of your new motorbike battery. Ideally, the multimeter should display a reading of 12.8 amps in optimal conditions. However, if the reading falls below 12.4 amps, it indicates a low charge, prompting the need to charge your new motorbike battery.

Method 2: Testing on Your Motorbike If you do not have access to a multimeter, you can gauge the state of your motorbike battery by connecting it to your motorbike and attempting to start the engine. In ideal circumstances, the motorbike engine should ignite smoothly, and all electrical systems should respond promptly. If you notice dimmed lights or sluggish engine startup, it serves as an indication that your battery is running low and may require charging.

By employing these methods, you can effectively determine if your new motorbike battery is depleted or necessitates charging before optimal usage.

Why Should You Connect Battery with Maintainer? 

Indeed you should connect your new motorbike battery to the maintainer before storing it. Now, why should you connect the battery to the maintainer? 

It would be best to connect the new motorbike battery with the motorbike battery maintainer before storage because the motorbike battery starts to lose its voltage and charge in the storage. And to protect the charge and voltage, you should connect the motorbike battery to the maintainer. 

The motorbike maintainer will maintain the constant voltage by charging the motorbike battery once it starts losing voltage and stopping charging once the battery is fully charged. 

In How Many Months Will Motorbike Battery Dead? 

So far, you understand that you need to connect your battery to the maintainer; now the question arises, in how many months will the motorbike battery be dead? 

Suppose you’re storing your charged motorcycle battery without connecting it to the motorbike maintainer. In that case, your motorbike battery will die after 2-3 months. In contrast, your new motorbike battery will die after completing 4-5 months uncharged. 

And that’s why your experts recommend connecting your new motorbike battery with the maintainer proper to storage. 

When Will a New Motorbike Battery Be Dead? 

Indeed your new motorbike battery can be dead in 3-5 months in storage; now the question arises, when will a new motorbike battery be dead? 

Your new motorbike battery will die if you bought it uncharged and stored it without charging and connecting it to the maintainer. Or worse, install it directly on your motorbike, where unnecessary electrical devices are ready to suck the last drop of battery current. 

However, you can install your new motorbike battery with the motorbike if it comes with enough current to ignite your motorbike engine. But you’ll have to ride the motorbike for at least an hour to charge the motorbike battery further. 

What If Your New Motorbike Battery is Dead? 

So far, you understand that your motorbike battery will be dead after five months in storage. Now the question arises, what if your new motorbike battery is dead? 

If your new motorbike battery is dead, then you should consider charging it with the trickle charger, or you can connect the new motorbike battery to the maintainer. You may need to leave your new motorbike battery connected to the charger for more than 10 hours.

And that’s why I always recommend connecting your new motorbike battery with the maintainer. It will stop charging once fully and doesn’t let your motorbike battery overheat. 

Why Your Motorbike Isn’t Starting with a New Battery? 

Indeed you need to connect your new motorbike battery to the charger if it comes uncharged. Now, why isn’t your motorbike starting with a new battery? 

If your motorbike isn’t starting with a new battery, even if it’s fully charged and ready to install, then you should inspect your motorbike’s internal wires and fuse system. It’s because your motorbike fuse system is likely to malfunction and doesn’t cause current to flow in the engine leading to no ignition. 

It’s advisable to hire a technician to inspect your motorbike’s electrical system and fuses deeply. 

How Long Would It Take to Charge the Battery By Riding? 

Optimal Charging Time for Motorcycle Batteries through Riding To achieve the most effective charging for your motorcycle battery, it is recommended to ride your bike for a minimum of three hours. This duration ensures that the battery reaches a complete charge at the ideal voltage range of 13.5-14.5 V.

As mentioned earlier, the stator plays a crucial role in converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. Consequently, the charging capacity of the battery increases as you enhance the speed of your motorcycle.

To further reduce the charging duration, it is advisable to deactivate any additional accessories that you may have installed on your bike. Moreover, it’s worth noting that smaller batteries tend to charge more rapidly than larger ones.

Should You Remove Motorcycle Battery for the Winter?

The debate regarding whether or not to remove a motorcycle battery for winter storage has raised questions. However, there is no need to remove the battery for the winter season due to advancements in battery technology.

Modern motorcycle batteries are designed with electrolytes capable of withstanding extremely low temperatures, as low as -19 ℉. Even a battery in good condition with a 40% charge can endure sub-zero temperatures without any issues.

Additionally, if you have a reliable battery maintainer and your motorcycle is in good condition, you can keep the battery connected throughout the storage period. A battery maintainer helps to preserve the battery’s current and voltage, ensuring it remains in optimal condition. It is important to note that blindly charging the battery can lead to malfunctions, so the maintainer prevents such issues.

Also, read my previous post where I discussed whether the trickle charger can malfunction your motorbike battery or not, CLICK HERE to read.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Verdict: 

Can a new motorcycle battery be dead? Your new motorcycle can’t be dead if you’re using it, but it can be dead if you bought it uncharged and stored it without charging for more than five months. Before storing it, you should connect the new motorbike battery to the maintainer. 

If your new motorbike battery is dead, you should consider connecting it with the maintainer, which doesn’t let your motorbike battery overcharge and protects it from overheating.