How Does a Motorcycle Battery Warranty Work?
Tips & Support
- Sponsor
- OPTIMA Batteries
- Location
- Glendale, WI
Not all motorcycle battery warranties work the same way. That's why we always recommend reading the warranty terms and conditions before you buy a motorcycle battery. Don't just look at the general terms and think all three-year warranties are the same. Be sure to read the fine print. You can find the OPTIMA motorcycle battery warranty in any of our user manuals. Generally speaking, battery warranties are intended to cover issues that might arise because of the way a battery was manufactured or defects in the materials that were used. While every battery manufacturer strives for a zero-defect rate, no one is there yet and a motorcycle battery warranty ensures any issues relating to manufacturing defects are covered.
If any motorcycle battery is going to have issues because of a manufacturing defect, they will likely manifest themselves well within the first year of use, if not the first few weeks. Beyond that, battery lifespan is largely tied to the quality of a battery's components, how it is used and how it is maintained. Brands that use cheaper components may not see the same lifespan as brands that use more robust components, whether that is pure lead in lead-acid batteries or higher quality cells in lithium batteries. That's why some (but not all) longer warranties can provide peace of mind to motorcycle owners, who may not be familiar with the reputation of the motorcycle battery brand they are choosing.
Warranty Exclusions
Motorcycle battery warranties will generally list a variety of exclusions, including use in unapproved applications (using a motorcycle battery to start a car engine), unapproved maintenance (physically entering the case of the battery, charging a lithium battery with a lead-acid battery charger, etc...) or unapproved storage (allowing a battery to become deeply discharged from lack of maintenance). All of those exclusions are fairly standard. Where battery warranties start to differentiate themselves is in the specific details, starting with the length of a warranty.
Warranty Length
Some popular motorcycle battery brands only offer a one-year warranty. They do this, because they know most motorcycles don't get ridden on a regular basis. They also know most of those motorcycle batteries won't be properly maintained with a quality battery maintenance device as they sit unused. They'll take the warranty hit if a battery malfunctions in the first 12 months and they know there's a good chance it will survive the first year of off-season storage with no maintenance, but they're out after that. OPTIMA motorcycle batteries come with a five-year, free replacement warranty.
Warranty Pro Ration
One of the most common ways some battery brands over-inflate the value of their warranty is with pro-ration. OPTIMA finds pro-rated warranties to be confusing for retailers to manage correctly and frustrating for customers to deal with, so we just offer a straight five-year, free-replacement warranty on ORANGETOP motorcycle batteries with no pro-ration.
When you have to deal with a pro-rated warranty, the pro-ration fee is typically a percentage of the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) on a new battery, but is that the MSRP from 30 months ago when you bought the battery or the MSRP of the battery today, which may be $25 more expensive? The retailer will probably opt for the higher amount of the two, so if you bought a $325 lithium motorcycle battery 19 months ago that now costs $350 and the warranty has a 50% pro-ration fee, it will cost you $175 to get a warranty replacement. If the battery fails in the last year of the three-year pro-rated warranty, a replacement battery may come with a $245 proration fee.
Even battery brands who don't manufacture their own batteries and just buy batteries from a third-party manufacturer are probably marking their batteries up enough, that if you pay them 70% of retail for a pro-rated warranty replacement, you're not costing that battery brand a dime and you may be putting more money into their pockets.
If you think $245 is too much to pay for a warranty replacement of a $350 battery, then that three-year warranty is really a two-year warranty. If you think $150 is too much to pay for a warranty replacement on a $350 battery, that three-year warranty is really an 18-month warranty. If you think any amount is too much to pay on a $350 battery, that three-year warranty is really only a 12-month warranty.
Who Handles Warranty?
Most motorcycle battery warranties are handled by the original retailer. That's not too big of a deal if you buy a motorcycle battery at a local retailer. It can complicate the situation if you make a purchase online. Shipping any kind of battery is not a cheap endeavor, because lead-acid batteries are heavy and lithium batteries have very stringent and restrictive shipping requirements. If you need to ship a battery for warranty service, find out who pays for shipping and in the case of lithium batteries, you may even need to find out how that happens.
For OPTIMA motorcycle battery warranties sold through our website, we ask that you contact us via our toll-free number (888-8-OPTIMA) or via email at info@optimabatteries.com, where someone from our US-based call center, who speaks English as a first language will assist you. When warranties are approved, what we typically do is send out a warranty replacement with a return shipping label, to minimize the inconvenience for you.
Most motorcycle battery warranties are not transferrable. That means if you bought a used motorcycle battery off Craigslist or marketplace and the seller claimed the battery has a warranty, that seller is the person you will be directed to for warranty service if something happens to the battery. If they don't seem like the type of person who will offer you a warranty replacement on a motorcycle battery they won't even remember selling to you 18 months later, consider limiting your purchase options to authorized motorcycle battery retailers.
Limited Replacements
Battery warranties typically start on the date of purchase and do not re-set with each subsequent replacement. However, some battery brands will only provide one warranty replacement during the term of the warranty, even if you're paying 70% of the full retail price on a pro-rated warranty! What that potentially ends up leaving you is a very expensive warranty replacement with no warranty coverage, so be sure to read all of those terms and conditions before making a purchase!
If any motorcycle battery is going to have issues because of a manufacturing defect, they will likely manifest themselves well within the first year of use, if not the first few weeks. Beyond that, battery lifespan is largely tied to the quality of a battery's components, how it is used and how it is maintained. Brands that use cheaper components may not see the same lifespan as brands that use more robust components, whether that is pure lead in lead-acid batteries or higher quality cells in lithium batteries. That's why some (but not all) longer warranties can provide peace of mind to motorcycle owners, who may not be familiar with the reputation of the motorcycle battery brand they are choosing.
Warranty Exclusions
Motorcycle battery warranties will generally list a variety of exclusions, including use in unapproved applications (using a motorcycle battery to start a car engine), unapproved maintenance (physically entering the case of the battery, charging a lithium battery with a lead-acid battery charger, etc...) or unapproved storage (allowing a battery to become deeply discharged from lack of maintenance). All of those exclusions are fairly standard. Where battery warranties start to differentiate themselves is in the specific details, starting with the length of a warranty.
Warranty Length
Some popular motorcycle battery brands only offer a one-year warranty. They do this, because they know most motorcycles don't get ridden on a regular basis. They also know most of those motorcycle batteries won't be properly maintained with a quality battery maintenance device as they sit unused. They'll take the warranty hit if a battery malfunctions in the first 12 months and they know there's a good chance it will survive the first year of off-season storage with no maintenance, but they're out after that. OPTIMA motorcycle batteries come with a five-year, free replacement warranty.
Warranty Pro Ration
One of the most common ways some battery brands over-inflate the value of their warranty is with pro-ration. OPTIMA finds pro-rated warranties to be confusing for retailers to manage correctly and frustrating for customers to deal with, so we just offer a straight five-year, free-replacement warranty on ORANGETOP motorcycle batteries with no pro-ration.
When you have to deal with a pro-rated warranty, the pro-ration fee is typically a percentage of the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) on a new battery, but is that the MSRP from 30 months ago when you bought the battery or the MSRP of the battery today, which may be $25 more expensive? The retailer will probably opt for the higher amount of the two, so if you bought a $325 lithium motorcycle battery 19 months ago that now costs $350 and the warranty has a 50% pro-ration fee, it will cost you $175 to get a warranty replacement. If the battery fails in the last year of the three-year pro-rated warranty, a replacement battery may come with a $245 proration fee.
Even battery brands who don't manufacture their own batteries and just buy batteries from a third-party manufacturer are probably marking their batteries up enough, that if you pay them 70% of retail for a pro-rated warranty replacement, you're not costing that battery brand a dime and you may be putting more money into their pockets.
If you think $245 is too much to pay for a warranty replacement of a $350 battery, then that three-year warranty is really a two-year warranty. If you think $150 is too much to pay for a warranty replacement on a $350 battery, that three-year warranty is really an 18-month warranty. If you think any amount is too much to pay on a $350 battery, that three-year warranty is really only a 12-month warranty.
Who Handles Warranty?
Most motorcycle battery warranties are handled by the original retailer. That's not too big of a deal if you buy a motorcycle battery at a local retailer. It can complicate the situation if you make a purchase online. Shipping any kind of battery is not a cheap endeavor, because lead-acid batteries are heavy and lithium batteries have very stringent and restrictive shipping requirements. If you need to ship a battery for warranty service, find out who pays for shipping and in the case of lithium batteries, you may even need to find out how that happens.
For OPTIMA motorcycle battery warranties sold through our website, we ask that you contact us via our toll-free number (888-8-OPTIMA) or via email at info@optimabatteries.com, where someone from our US-based call center, who speaks English as a first language will assist you. When warranties are approved, what we typically do is send out a warranty replacement with a return shipping label, to minimize the inconvenience for you.
Most motorcycle battery warranties are not transferrable. That means if you bought a used motorcycle battery off Craigslist or marketplace and the seller claimed the battery has a warranty, that seller is the person you will be directed to for warranty service if something happens to the battery. If they don't seem like the type of person who will offer you a warranty replacement on a motorcycle battery they won't even remember selling to you 18 months later, consider limiting your purchase options to authorized motorcycle battery retailers.
Limited Replacements
Battery warranties typically start on the date of purchase and do not re-set with each subsequent replacement. However, some battery brands will only provide one warranty replacement during the term of the warranty, even if you're paying 70% of the full retail price on a pro-rated warranty! What that potentially ends up leaving you is a very expensive warranty replacement with no warranty coverage, so be sure to read all of those terms and conditions before making a purchase!