Should You Disconnect Motorcycle Battery When Not in Use?

Indeed the motorbike battery is the crucial motorbike part responsible for igniting the engine and starting the electric devices on your motorbike. Now, should you disconnect motorcycle batteries when not in use? 

You don’t need to remove the motorbike battery when not in use to prevent your motorbike from being down; instead, connect the motorbike battery with the motorbike maintainer. The motorbike maintainer will keep the motorbike battery current and voltage constant. 

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 disconnecting motorbike batteries.

Should You Disconnect Motorcycle Battery When Not in Use?

A motorbike battery is a crucial component of your motorbike. Thus it demands a lot of care and maintenance, so the question arises, should you disconnect motorcycle batteries when not in use? 

You don’t need to remove the motorbike battery when not in use to prevent your motorbike from being down; instead, connect the motorbike battery with the motorbike maintainer. The motorbike maintainer will keep the motorbike battery current and voltage constant. 

In simpler words, you can protect your motorbike battery from being down by connecting it to the motorbike battery maintainer. 

When to Disconnect the Motorbike Battery? 

Indeed you don’t need to disconnect the motorbike battery when not in use; now the question arises when to disconnect the motorbike battery. 

It would be best if you disconnected the motorbike battery when you don’t have plans to ride the motorbike anytime soon in the upcoming six months or if you don’t have any motorbike maintainer or tender to connect the motorbike battery. 

However, disconnecting the motorbike battery will prevent your motorbike from entering into the parasitic discharge state in which your motorbike starts to lose all the current automatically. 

But doing this would require extra space and care. You’ll even have to store the motorbike in a waterproof and fire-resistant condition so your motorbike can remain healthy. 

What Happens if You Don’t Disconnect the Motorbike Battery? 

So far, you understand that you should disconnect the motorbike battery; now, what happens if you don’t disconnect the motorbike battery? 

Suppose you don’t plan to ride the motorbike anytime soon. In that case, it’s better to disconnect the motorbike battery, as doing this would prevent your motorbike from entering the parasitic drain. 

The parasitic drain is the condition in which your motorbike battery will automatically start to discharge even without starting any electrical equipment. And the several parasitic discharges will begin to decrease overall battery health. 

And that’s why experts recommend either connecting the motorbike battery with the maintainer or disconnecting the motorbike battery. 

How Connecting the Battery With the Maintainer is Good?

Indeed your motorbike battery can enter into the parasitic drain stage if you don’t disconnect the motorbike battery while not in use. Now the equation arises, how is connecting the battery with the maintainer good?

One of the ways to save your motorbike battery from entering the parasitic drain stage is to connect the motorbike battery to the battery maintainer. In the battery maintainer, you must click the motorbike battery through the maintainer and keep connecting it until you don’t ride it. 

With the motorbike maintainer, you don’t have to disconnect the battery store, so with the maintainer, there won’t be any hustle of storing the battery. 

If you don’t have any dedicated space away from direct sunlight or a source of fire, then connecting the motorbike battery to the maintainer would be a good idea. 

When to Not Connect the Battery with the Maintainer? 

So far, you understand that connecting the motorbike battery to the maintainer prevents the parasitic drain. Now the question arises when you should not connect the battery to the maintainer. 

You shouldn’t connect the motorbike battery to the battery maintainer when you’re unsure about the battery maintainer output ratio or if you don’t have a good quality motorbike maintainer. It’s because connecting the battery with a faulty motorbike maintainer would destroy the motorbike battery. 

The faulty motorbike maintainer would supply irregular current to your motorbike battery which could cause a short circuit and, worse, it could cause a fire. 

And that’s why experts never recommend connecting the motorbike battery with such a motorbike maintainer; instead, they store the battery in safe storage. 

How Long Your Motorbike Battery Can Sit Idle? 

Indeed you shouldn’t connect the motorbike maintainer when you’re unsure about the maintainer output and if the maintainer is faulty. Now the question arises, how long can your motorbike battery sit idle? 

Your motorbike battery can sit idle for not more than seven weeks. After seven weeks, you’ll have to ride the motorbike so your motorbike battery can charge. However, with a good quality motorbike battery, it can last for more than seven weeks. 

And thus, it’s better to connect the motorbike battery to the maintainer or better disconnect your motorbike battery from a motorbike. 

How Often Should You Need to Charge the Motorbike Battery?

So far, you understand how long you need to charge the motorbike battery. Still, the question arises, how long should you charge the motorbike battery? 

Suppose you’re planning to store your motorbike for more than 3 months. In that case, you need to charge the motorbike battery once every 30 days. Doing this would prevent your motorbike battery from entering the parasitic drain stage. 

However, it would be best if you charged the motorbike battery only when it’s not connected to the motorbike battery maintainer. 

Will Parasitic Discharge Destroy the Motorbike Battery?

So far, you understand that our motorbike battery will go under the parasitic discharge in which your motorbike battery will automatically get discharged while storing the motorbike. Now the question arises, will parasitic discharge destroy your motorbike battery? 

Parasitic discharge can’t destroy your motorbike battery permanently unless your motorbike battery is in good condition. However, several parasitic discharges will cause the motorbike battery to a condition in which the motorbike battery will stop responding to the charging. 

To protect your motorbike battery from parasitic discharge, you need a motorbike battery maintainer, which will significantly increase the motorbike battery life. 

Will Parasitic Discharge Destroy the Motorbike Battery?

So far, you understand that our motorbike battery will go under the parasitic discharge in which your motorbike battery will automatically get discharged while storing the motorbike. Now the question arises, will parasitic discharge destroy your motorbike battery? 

Parasitic discharge can’t destroy your motorbike battery permanently unless your motorbike battery is in good condition. However, several parasitic discharges will cause the motorbike battery to a condition in which the motorbike battery will stop responding to the charging. 

To protect your motorbike battery from parasitic discharge, you need a motorbike battery maintainer, which will significantly increase the motorbike battery life. 

If you’re confused about whether you should store your motorbike battery in winter or not then you should read my previous post where I discussed why you shouldn’t remove the motorbike battery during the winter 👉🏾👉🏾CLICK HERE 👈🏾👈🏾 to read.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Verdict:

Should You Disconnect Motorcycle Battery When Not in Use? You don’t need to remove the motorbike battery when not in use to prevent your motorbike from being down; instead, connect the motorbike battery with the motorbike maintainer. The motorbike maintainer will keep the motorbike battery current and voltage constant. 

When you’re unsure about motorbike maintenance, then you should store your motorbike instead of connecting it to the motorbike maintainer.