Sep 11
11
Your Motorcycle Battery And What You Should Know When Replacing It
There are many unique problems that are more specific to motorcycle batteries and their owners, although motorcycle batteries share many of the same characteristics as typical car batteries. Due to their smaller frame and the positioning of the motorcycle battery itself, motorcycles are much more prone to damage from vibrations. In order to prevent the shedding effect, motorcycle batteries are made with materials that resist vibration, particularly glass matting inserted between the plates. Like car batteries, there are also three types of motorcycle batteries that are typically available to consumers.
Flooded cell batteries usually have higher cc ratings but require maintenance throughout their lifetime. Factory sealed batteries come pre-charged and are sealed to prevent the water or electrolyte from leaking out. Self-sealed batteries are a nice cross between the two, being less expensive than factory sealed batteries, although they still require the owner to fill and charge it himself before permanently sealing it for maintenance-free operation.
Similarly to motorcycle batteries, marine batteries also have three types from which boat owners can choose from: flooded cell, gel, and AGM batteries. Being constructed from several lead and lead oxide plates, flooded cell batteries are similar to their automobile and motorcycle variants that, when several lead and lead oxide plates are exposed to a solution of water and sulfuric acid, it results in a chemical reaction that produces electrons.
Gel batteries have an added gelling agent combined into the electrolyte mixture of sulfuric acid and water. The structure of the lead plates are in a spiral arrangement that is also more compact, allowing for more surface area to be exposed to the electrolyte. AGM (absorbed gas mats) batteries have an even more compact spatial arrangement with the lead plates, making them even more efficient.
Water loss and constant maintenance are virtually eliminated as hydrogen and oxygen are recombined inside the body of the marine battery itself. Also there are no fume discharges from an AGM battery, making them the most convenient choice for poorly ventilated marine vessels, as well as the most expensive of all three types.
No matter what kind of battery you are getting, whether it is for an automobile, motorcycle or boat, always remember to get the kind of battery that suits your needs. Go online to sites like http://www.impactbattery.com/ to search through all the available batteries for your vehicle and compare between them to make the best choice. In some cases more performance can be squeezed out of traditional flooded cell batteries even if maintenance-free batteries are more expensive, which is usually the case on motorcycles and cars.
More information about the marine battery at http://www.impactbattery.com/.
