Understanding Your Yamaha Motorcycle Battery

If you have a Yamaha motorcycle then you may be interested in learning about Yamaha motorcycle battery systems.

All motorbike batteries are rated in amp/hours (AH) this can be a little confusing to some people. A 12AH battery can provide one amp continuously for 12 hours, which means it could manage 2 amps for 6 hours.

To work out how long it will take to use a battery up completely when powering the lights you will need to find out the power in watts, and then divide it by voltage.

This will give you the amount of amps required to power the lights. For example if beam and taillights total 72 Watts, then when divided by 12 Volts this will yield a 6-amp draw. This means that the 12AH battery will last 2 hours.

How to check your Yamaha motorcycle battery

It’s a good idea to check the state of your motorcycle battery on a regular basis, at least once a year.

If the battery is not maintenance free, and doesn’t have a vent tube, then you should first unwrap the battery. Find the vent tube and cut around 1cm off the end of it. Top it up with electrolyte and leave it for a couple of hours. If required add more electrolyte.

If your battery is refilled using lead-antimony then you should charge it for four to five hours in order to get it fully charged. Use a constant current charger to charge your battery, make sure you are careful not to go higher than the maximum charge.

Now you need to check the electrolyte levels again and add some water if required. The battery needs to cool so that you can put it back in place. You will find it easier to put back when it is cooled because it will be slightly smaller.

Tips to remember

Remember that red means positive and black means negative; these should be connected red-to-red, and black-to-black to avoid short circuits. You should never connect red to black, or black to red as this can cause damage to you and your battery.

The charger you choose to use must be a type, which works with your battery, and not give too high an output. If possible choose the type that is designed for your battery.

Clean the connections and make sure the electrolyte levels are topped off.

You should be charging your battery every couple of weeks to keep it in the very best condition.

Only use distilled water to top off cells, never use water from a tap.

A new battery should be charged for a minimum of 8 hours before first use.

If you are using a dry battery then fill the cells up slowly and leave it about half an hour.

It doesn’t have to be difficult to keep your Yamaha battery in tiptop condition. Replacing and maintaining a Yamaha motorcycle battery can be very easy if you follow the tips above.

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