How Long Does a Motorcycle Battery Last?
Powersports
- Sponsor
- OPTIMA Batteries
- Location
- Glendale, WI
If you search the Internet for an answer to the question of how long a motorcycle lasts, you're likely to get a variety of answers, because there are a variety of factors involved in the lifespan of a motorcycle battery. Is the battery a flooded lead-acid battery, an AGM lead-acid battery or a lithium battery? Is the motorcycle used every day, seldom used or never used at all? Does the motorcycle live in a hot climate, mild climate or cold climate? Is the battery voltage properly maintained when the bike is not in use? As you can see, there are a lot of variables that can impact motorcycle battery lifespan, so a simplistic answer of 2-4 years is probably not going to help you much.
What we can tell you based on the questions we asked, is that flooded lead-acid batteries don't tend to last as long as AGM lead-acid batteries and quality lithium batteries offer exponentially more cycle life than either AGM or flooded lead-acid batteries. We can also tell you batteries in motorcycles that get used regularly tend to last longer than those that are seldom ridden or never used at all, because the voltage tends to be better maintained when a bike is ridden often.
We can also tell you extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, are harder on batteries than more moderate temperatures and batteries that have their voltage properly maintained tend to last longer than batteries that get deeply discharged and are left sitting in that state. So what does that all add up to for you?
The Case for Flooded Lead-Acid Batteries
If you need a battery for your motorcycle, but you don't have a lot of money, a flooded lead-acid battery is typically the least expensive option up front but be prepared to replace it more often than an AGM or lithium battery. You can maximize the lifespan of that battery by keeping it properly charged with a good battery charger whenever possible. Buying a flooded lead-acid battery also makes sense if you are getting ready to sell your motorcycle, as you probably won't get the additional investment back that you'd make to upgrade to an AGM or lithium battery.
The Case for AGM Lead-Acid Batteries
AGM lead-acid motorcycle batteries should last longer than flooded lead-acid batteries, but still nowhere near as long as a quality lithium motorcycle battery. They will cost more than a flooded lead-acid battery, but may be less expensive than a quality lithium battery. If you are holding onto your motorcycle for a while, then they would be a good investment to make. However, you can be sure to maximize their lifespan with regular use of a quality battery charger.
The Case for Lithium Batteries
OPTIMA Batteries doesn't make flooded lead-acid or AGM lead-acid motorcycle batteries, so if it surprises you that we would make a case for buying something we don't offer, it shouldn't. We want your business, but not before you're ready to give it to us. We've also watched other brands try to sell every customer on their specific battery technology, because that's all they offer. We think it makes more sense to be honest with people about their situation.
You may have noticed we called out "quality" in describing lithium motorcycle batteries and there's a reason for that. Not every lithium motorcycle battery is a quality battery. If you buy a quality lithium battery for your motorcycle, it could be the last battery you ever buy, as they can offer up to ten times the cycle life of an AGM battery. However, if the battery isn't IP67-rated against dust and water intrusion, you may not see any longevity benefit and could experience premature failure, depending on what you ride (dirtbike) or how you ride (street bike in the rain).
Your lithium battery should also have a robust BMS (Battery Management System) that controls the current flow into and out of the battery. In their rush to be first to market, some other lithium motorcycle battery brands sold bare cell packs that offered little or no current flow protection or cell balancing capability. OPTIMA goes beyond just our robust BMS with our CPR system, that automatically disconnects your battery from parasitic draws and holds enough energy in reserve to start your bike one more time.
We'd prefer to see you keep your battery voltage properly maintained and to that end, each OPTIMA ORANGETOP lithium motorcycle battery comes with our patented POWERLINK system. We know sometimes motorcycle batteries aren't properly maintained, because they are buried in hard-to-reach areas under seats and beneath cladding. OPTIMA's POWERLINK system allows you to remotely access a buried battery to check voltage, turn the battery on or off or even connect an OPTIMA battery charger to your battery.
All of that is backed by a five-year, free replacement warranty, so even if you see other people suggesting a two to four-year typical lifespan for a battery, we'll guarantee you'll get at least five years out of an OPTIMA ORANGETOP lithium motorcycle battery and if you buy it factory-direct on our website, we'll ship it free to any state in the lower-48!
What we can tell you based on the questions we asked, is that flooded lead-acid batteries don't tend to last as long as AGM lead-acid batteries and quality lithium batteries offer exponentially more cycle life than either AGM or flooded lead-acid batteries. We can also tell you batteries in motorcycles that get used regularly tend to last longer than those that are seldom ridden or never used at all, because the voltage tends to be better maintained when a bike is ridden often.
We can also tell you extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, are harder on batteries than more moderate temperatures and batteries that have their voltage properly maintained tend to last longer than batteries that get deeply discharged and are left sitting in that state. So what does that all add up to for you?
The Case for Flooded Lead-Acid Batteries
If you need a battery for your motorcycle, but you don't have a lot of money, a flooded lead-acid battery is typically the least expensive option up front but be prepared to replace it more often than an AGM or lithium battery. You can maximize the lifespan of that battery by keeping it properly charged with a good battery charger whenever possible. Buying a flooded lead-acid battery also makes sense if you are getting ready to sell your motorcycle, as you probably won't get the additional investment back that you'd make to upgrade to an AGM or lithium battery.
The Case for AGM Lead-Acid Batteries
AGM lead-acid motorcycle batteries should last longer than flooded lead-acid batteries, but still nowhere near as long as a quality lithium motorcycle battery. They will cost more than a flooded lead-acid battery, but may be less expensive than a quality lithium battery. If you are holding onto your motorcycle for a while, then they would be a good investment to make. However, you can be sure to maximize their lifespan with regular use of a quality battery charger.
The Case for Lithium Batteries
OPTIMA Batteries doesn't make flooded lead-acid or AGM lead-acid motorcycle batteries, so if it surprises you that we would make a case for buying something we don't offer, it shouldn't. We want your business, but not before you're ready to give it to us. We've also watched other brands try to sell every customer on their specific battery technology, because that's all they offer. We think it makes more sense to be honest with people about their situation.
You may have noticed we called out "quality" in describing lithium motorcycle batteries and there's a reason for that. Not every lithium motorcycle battery is a quality battery. If you buy a quality lithium battery for your motorcycle, it could be the last battery you ever buy, as they can offer up to ten times the cycle life of an AGM battery. However, if the battery isn't IP67-rated against dust and water intrusion, you may not see any longevity benefit and could experience premature failure, depending on what you ride (dirtbike) or how you ride (street bike in the rain).
Your lithium battery should also have a robust BMS (Battery Management System) that controls the current flow into and out of the battery. In their rush to be first to market, some other lithium motorcycle battery brands sold bare cell packs that offered little or no current flow protection or cell balancing capability. OPTIMA goes beyond just our robust BMS with our CPR system, that automatically disconnects your battery from parasitic draws and holds enough energy in reserve to start your bike one more time.
We'd prefer to see you keep your battery voltage properly maintained and to that end, each OPTIMA ORANGETOP lithium motorcycle battery comes with our patented POWERLINK system. We know sometimes motorcycle batteries aren't properly maintained, because they are buried in hard-to-reach areas under seats and beneath cladding. OPTIMA's POWERLINK system allows you to remotely access a buried battery to check voltage, turn the battery on or off or even connect an OPTIMA battery charger to your battery.
All of that is backed by a five-year, free replacement warranty, so even if you see other people suggesting a two to four-year typical lifespan for a battery, we'll guarantee you'll get at least five years out of an OPTIMA ORANGETOP lithium motorcycle battery and if you buy it factory-direct on our website, we'll ship it free to any state in the lower-48!