POWERSPORTS BATTERIES

 POWERSPORTS BATTERIES

If you have done any research on how batteries work or what you should look for when selecting the best high performance battery, you're probably buried in information, some of which is conflicting. At BatteryStuff, we aim to clear that up a bit.

You've most likely heard the term KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). I'm going to attempt to explain how lead acid batteries work and what they need, without burying you with a bunch of needless technical data. I have found that battery data will vary somewhat from manufacturer to manufacturer, so I will do my best to boil that data down. This means I may generalize a bit, while staying true to purpose.

The lead acid battery has been used commercially for over 100 years. The same chemical principle that's being used to store energy is basically the same as our great grandparents used.

A battery is like a piggy bank. If you keep taking out and putting nothing back, you'll have nothing left. Present day vehicle or powersport vehicle battery power requirements are huge considering all the stock electrical devices that must be supplied with power. All these electronics require a reliable source power, and poor battery condition can cause expensive electronic component failure. Did you know that the average auto has 11 pounds of wire in the electrical system? Look at RVs and boats with all the electrical gadgets that require power. It wasn't long ago when trailers or motor homes had only a single 12-volt house battery. Today recreation vehicles use their rv batteries to power inverters up to 4000 watts.

Average battery life has become shorter as energy requirements have increased. Life span depends on usage and depth of discharge—usually 6 to 48 months—yet only 30% of all batteries actually reach the 48-month mark. If your unable to maintain the battery with an battery charger you can extend your battery life by hooking it up to a solar charger during the off months.

If you can grasp the basics, you'll have fewer battery problems and will gain greater battery performance, reliability and longevity. I suggest you read the entire tutorial; however, I've indexed all the information for easy reference.

A Few Basics

The lead acid battery is made up of plates, lead, and lead oxide (various other elements are used to change density, hardness, porosity, etc.), with a 35% sulfuric acid and 65% water solution. This solution is called electrolyte, which causes a chemical reaction that produces electrons. When you test a battery with a hydrometer, you are measuring the amount of sulfuric acid in the electrolyte. If your reading is low, that means the chemistry that makes electrons is lacking. So where did the sulfur go? It's resting on the battery plates so that when you recharge the battery, the sulfur returns to the electrolyte.

Safety

Battery types, Deep Cycle and Starting

Wet Cell, Gel-Cell and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM)

CCA, CA, AH and RC; what's that all about?

Battery Maintenance

Battery Testing

Selecting and Buying a New Battery

Battery Life and Performance

Battery Charging

Battery Do's

Battery Don'ts

1. You must think safety when you're working around, and with, batteries. Remove all jewelry. (After all, you wouldn't want to melt your watchband while you're wearing it!) The hydrogen gas that batteries make when charging is very explosive. We have seen several instances of batteries blowing up and drenching everything in sulfuric acid. That was no fun, and would have been a good time to use those safety goggles hanging on the wall. Heck, you could even break out your disco outfit. Polyester isn't affected by sulfuric acid, but anything with cotton will be eaten up. If you don't feel the need to make a fashion statement, just wear junk clothes—after all, polyester is still out of style.

When doing electrical work on vehicles, it's best to disconnect the ground cable. Just remember that you're messing with corrosive acid, explosive gases and hundreds of amps of electrical current.

2. Basically, there are two types of lead acid batteries (along with three sub categories). The two main types are starting (cranking), and deep cycle (marine/golf cart). The starting battery (SLI starting lights ignition) is designed to deliver quick bursts of energy (such as starting engines) and therefore has a greater plate count. The plates are thinner and have somewhat different material composition.

What is a deep cycle battery? The deep cycle battery has less instant energy, but greater long-term energy delivery. Deep cycle batteries have thicker plates and can survive a lot of discharge cycles. Starting batteries should not be used for deep cycle applications because the thinner plates are more prone to warping and pitting when discharged. The so-called Dual Purpose Battery is a compromise between the two types of batteries, though it is better to be more specific if possible.

3. Wet cell (flooded), gel cell, and absorbed glass mat (AGM) are various versions of the lead acid battery. The wet cell comes in two styles; serviceable and maintenance free. Both are filled with electrolyte and are basically the same. I prefer one that I can add water to and check the specific gravity of the electrolyte with a hydrometer.

The gel cell and the AGM batteries are specialty batteries that typically cost twice as much as a premium wet cell battery. However, they store very well and do not tend to sulfate or degrade as easily as wet cell. Although not impossible there is little chance of a hydrogen gas explosion or corrosion when using these batteries; they are the safest lead acid batteries you can use. Gel cell and some AGM batteries may require a special charging rate. If you want the best and most versatile battery, then consideration should be given to the AGM battery type. AGM batteries are great for applications such as Marine, RV, Solar, Audio, Power Sports and Stand-By Power just to name a few.

If you don't use or operate your equipment daily, AGM batteries will hold their charge better than other types. If you must depend on top-notch battery performance, spend the extra money. Gel Cell batteries still are being sold, but AGM batteries are replacing them in most applications.

There is common confusion regarding AGM batteries because different manufactures call them by different names. Some of the more common names are "sealed regulated valve," "dry cell," "non-spillable," and "valve-regulated lead acid" batteries. In most cases, AGM batteries will give greater life span and greater cycle life than a wet cell battery.

SPECIAL NOTE: It's common for individuals to use the term "gel cell" as a generic term when referring to sealed, maintenance-free batteries, much like one would use Kleenex when referring to facial tissue. As a result, we get lots of requests for a gel replacement battery or gel battery charger when in fact the battery is an AGM. For this reason, we always recommend verifying the battery type when purchasing a replacement or looking for a charger to maintain the battery.

AGM BatteryAGM: The Absorbed Glass Mat construction allows the liquid electrolyte to be suspended in a fiberglass matting. This matting surrounds the plate’s active material and in theory this enhances both the discharge and recharge efficiency. AGMs are commonly manufactured for applications that include high-performance engine starting, power sports equipment, deep cycle, solar and storage battery. The larger Deep Cycle AGM Batteries we sell typically offer great cycle life if recharged before they drop below the 50% discharge rate. When deep cycle AGM batteries are discharged to a rate of no less than 60%, the cycle life will generally increase by 300 plus cycles.

The Scorpion motorcycle batteries we carry are a meet or exceed the specification for the OEM battery. We also carry the Motocross branded batteries for those that have brand loyalty to the OEM battery as they are Yuasa’s aftermarket battery.

GEL: The gel cell battery is like the AGM battery in the fact that it is considered non-spillable, but the electrolyte is not a wet liquid. The electrolyte in a gel cell has a silica additive that causes it to set up or stiffen. In most cases the recharge voltage on gel battery is typically lower than a standard flooded wet cell battery or AGM battery, apart from those made by MK Battery where their 12-volt batteries can accept up to 14.6 volts. Most gel batteries can only be charged as high as 14.2 volts per 12-volt battery and are probably the most sensitive battery in terms of adverse reactions to over-voltage charging. Gel Batteries are best used in VERY DEEP cycle application and may last a bit longer in hot weather applications or application where the battery gets excessively discharged. If the incorrect battery charger is used on a gel cell battery, poor performance and premature failure is certain.

4. CCA, CA, AH and RC. These are the standards that most battery companies use to rate the output and capacity of a battery.

CCA: Cold cranking amps   is a measurement of the number of amps a battery can deliver at 0°F for 30 seconds and not drop below 7.2 volts. So a high CCA battery rating is especially important in starting battery applications, and in cold weather. This measurement is not particularly important in deep cycle batteries, though it is the most commonly "known" battery measurement.

CA: Cranking Amps are measured at 32°F. This rating is also called marine cranking amps (MCA). Hot cranking amps (HCA) is seldom used any longer but is measured at 80°F.

RC: Reserve Capacity is a very important battery rating. This is the number of minutes a fully charged battery at 80°F will discharge under a 25 amp load until the battery drops below 10.5 volts.

AH: An Amp/Hour is a rating usually found on deep cycle batteries and is a capacity rating. The standard rating is a based on how many amps you can pull out of the battery over a 20-hour period. For a 100 AH rated battery this means you can draw from the battery for 20 hours, and it will provide a total of 100-amp hours. That translates to about 5 amps an hour (5 x 20 = 100). However, it's very important to know that the total time of discharge and load applied is not a linear relationship. As your load increases, your realized capacity decreases. This means if you discharged that same 100 AH battery by a 100-amp load, it would not give you one hour of runtime. On the contrary, the perceived capacity of the battery will be that of 64-amp hours.

5. Battery Maintenance: A properly maintained battery is important for the ultimate in service life. Consider these points on a regular basis:

The battery should be cleaned using a baking soda and water solution; a couple of tablespoons to a pint of water.

Cable connections need to be cleaned and tightened as battery problems are often caused by dirty and loose connections.

A serviceable battery needs to have the fluid level checked. Use only mineral-free water; distilled is best as all impurities have been removed and there is nothing left that could contaminate your cells.

Don't overfill battery cells, especially in warmer weather because the natural fluid expansion in hot weather can push excess electrolytes from the battery.

To prevent corrosion of cables on top-post batteries, use a small bead of silicone sealer at the base of the post and place a felt battery washer over it. Coat the washer with high temperature grease or petroleum jelly (Vaseline), then place cable on the post and tighten. Coat the exposed cable end with the grease. The gases from the battery condensing on metal parts causes most corrosion.

6. Battery Testing: This can be done in more than one way. The most accurate method is measurement of specific gravity and battery voltage. To measure specific gravity, buy a temperature-compensating hydrometer. To measure voltage, use a digital D.C. Voltmeter. A quality load tester may be a good purchase if you need to test sealed batteries.

For any of these methods, you must first fully charge the battery and then remove the surface charge. We recommend letting the battery sit for several hours to remove the surface charge (I prefer at least 12 hours). Letting the battery sit gives you the most accurate result on how the battery will normally act. However, if you need to remove the surface charge faster it is possible to discharge the battery for several minutes. For deep cycle batteries you could simply power the device that uses the battery for several minutes. For starting batteries simply powering the headlight using the high beam can work as well. Once the surface charge has been removed you can begin testing.

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