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The battery is the heart of a dirt bike. It has the electricity stored in it give power to the electric bike and make it accelerate.
Batteries that are attached to the electric bikes are actually rechargeable batteries; it means that whenever these types of batteries run out of stored energy, they are still able to put energy into it to be stored. It can be used later. If you in a thought that how to charge dirt bike battery?
Well, the batteries can be recharged using any source of electricity. You need to follow the right way to charge up your dirt bike battery. You need to recharge the batteries of your dirt bike if you want to keep it fresh during the winter season if you left the key of your bike in “on” position once you finish your ride.
Table of Contents
Get a Good Quality Smart Charger
When you need to charge up your dirt bike, you need to buy a smart charger. There are many brands that offer the same with excellent quality assurance. There are many companies that offer reasonably cost charger with great features. There are many chargers that come up a trickle charger but not as the high-end smart chargers. Maybe they are less expensive but not the smart ones.
You need to buy the effective smart charger that is very easy to use and has all the needed connections that work best on the dirt batteries from any brand. In most of the regular chargers, you need to set up the timer and need to unplug it on time to avoid the risk of damage. But with a smart charger, you are free from such worries. It can do all by itself and goes turn off as the charge is full.
Having a smart charge the dirt bike’s battery is a good idea indeed. It can save a lot of money from you in the long run. But when you are buying a smart charger, you need to check the quality and capability of the charger. You can read the reviews of the charger to ensure its quality.
When to Charge a Dirt bike Battery?
If you are a dirt bike rider, you need to charge it on the proper time. If a few scenarios, you need to charge up your dirt bike:
- If you want to keep it in the garage for long winter days and you don’t want to use it during winter, you can charge it up full before keeping in the garage for a couple of months.
- When you are starting riding the bike after long winter months, you need to charge it again, preferably by a smart charger. If you do so, you can enjoy a smooth and problem free riding.
- When you just forgot to turn off the switch of ignition of your bike, you need to charge it with a smart charger.
- Also, check often whether the battery requires charging up or not.
How to Charge the Battery
If you have a high-end smart charger, the charging process is much easier for you. If you are looking for the way that to Charge a Dirt Bike Battery, follow these steps:
#Step 1
To charge the battery, you need to take it out from the bike. Remove your bike’s side panel with the help of a wrench. You need to remove three or four bolts to remove the panel. Now, you can see the battery clearly. Actually, the place of the battery differs according to the brand and model of the bike. Unplug the wires from dirt bike to the battery terminal and keep it in a place where you want to keep it.
If you are using a smart charger, you will find a clamp style end of charging that you can clip onto the terminals of the battery. Now plug it in the charger.
#Step 2
Take your battery out from the garage and charge it in a well0vetilated area. Battery charging can cause the production of hydrogen gas and this is super flammable. Even overcharging of the battery can produce harmful hydrogen sulfide. This gas is very much bad for your health and the environment.
#Step 3
It is always recommended to go for the slow charging method. The slow charging process is the best way to retain charge for more time.
You can charge your battery at 0.8 amps. It will take more time to charge up completely but it will prevent damaging. You will get complete guidance in the user manual or with your smart charger you will get the manual. You can charge it at higher amperage in faster mode but it can damage the battery and it affects the longevity of your battery. You can use the float charger if you want to check the voltage.
#Step 4
You need to attach the charger in the bike’s terminals properly. Check properly that the charger is perfectly hooked up. Even the smart chargers can tell you if you have connected it incorrectly. You need to ensure first that the leads of the charger are attached firmly to the bike’s battery. As the electricity “arc” between flopping lead and terminal, it can damage the leads and terminal both.
It is properly attached; plug it in your battery charger. As you are using the dump charger, you need to hang it out. But if you are using the smart charger, your charger will check everything on behalf of you.
#Step 5
As the charge is done, reinstall the battery and then secure properly the hold-downs. Attach the positive and negative cable consecutively. Follow the right process to reinstall it.
How to Prevent Your Battery from Dying over the winter
If living in colder climates, the best way to winterize your battery for cold weather precaution is to remove the battery from your bike and store it in a non-conductive box like wood or plastic in a location that does not get below 32 deg.
To prevent your battery from dying in cold weather, you need to keep it away from the cold weather. You need to store it in the garage. Especially at night, don’t take it away from the garage. For extra protection, you should use an electric bike battery blanket.
If you have a smart charger for your dirt bike’s battery, put the battery on your smart age during the winter season. It will give you a smooth riding experience in spring. Low temperature can enhance the electrical resistance and it also thickens up the oil of your engine. This is the reason of grime, dirt, and corrosion.
Keep the battery clean by using a damp cloth, toothbrush, and baking soda. By cleaning it up, you can prevent the battery from dying during winter.
How Fast Is Recommendable to Charge the Bike Battery?
As we told before, slow charging is always recommended when it comes to charging your bike’s battery. If your charge is faster mode, it will lose its charge retaining capacity and it will finally damage the battery. If you charge it in slow mode or slowly, you will be able to increase the life of your bike.
It is better to charge it at 8amps. If you are using a smart charger, it can take 4 to 5 hours only to get full. Slow charging is always best to increase the battery life of your bike. If you are using the dump charger, slow charging is the best way too.
What are the symptoms of a bad Battery?
There are different types of devices that one can use to know the condition of the battery. You can use the voltmeter or multimeter to do the test. With the devices, you will get complete instruction that how to identify a bad battery. There is a control knob in the multimeter that measures the DC voltage.
Now select the range of the voltage including 12 volts. Most of these devices come with a range of 20 volts. You need to touch the back part or lead of the multimeter to attach your black or negative terminal of the bike and similarly the red lead to the red or positive terminal.
If the multimeter shows the voltage range is lea than 11 volts that means you need to change or charge your battery.
Other symptoms:
- Broken terminal
- Bump or bulge in your battery case
- Discoloration
- Plastic Crack or a rupture
- Excessive leaking
- Low lights
If you find any of the symptoms, you need to change it.
Final verdict
The battery of a dirt bike is one of the most important and maintenance items that should be checked on a regular basis so that your ride is ready. If the battery is in good condition, it performs the way you expect and desires it to.
If you are leaving your bike for any period greater than just a couple of weeks without riding it, it is a good idea to get a battery tender to keep the battery in optimal condition so that it is always kept fully charged.
A smart charger can help you best to charge the battery properly. If you know the right way of Charging a Dirt Bike Battery, the charging process will be much easier for you to follow.
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