Maintenance
195
Battery Maintenance
Warning
Battery acid is corrosive and poisonous
and will cause damage to unprotected
skin. Never swallow battery acid or
allow it to come into contact with the
skin. To prevent injury, always wear
eye and skin protection when handling
the battery.
Clean the battery using a clean, dry
cloth. Make sure that the cable
connections are clean.
The battery is a sealed type and does
not require any maintenance other than
checking the voltage and routine
recharging when required, such as
during storage (see the following
paragraphs).
It is not possible to adjust the battery
acid level in the battery; the sealing
strip must not be removed.
Battery Discharge
Caution
The charge level in the battery must be
maintained to maximize battery life.
Failure to maintain the battery charge
level could cause serious internal
damage to the battery.
Under normal conditions, the motorcycle
charging system will keep the battery
fully charged. However, if the
motorcycle is unused, the battery will
gradually discharge due to a normal
process called self discharge; the clock,
Engine Control Module (ECM) memory,
high ambient temperatures, or the
addition of electrical security systems or
other electrical accessories will all
increase this rate of battery discharge.
Disconnecting the battery from the
motorcycle during storage will reduce
the rate of discharge.
Battery Discharge During Storage
and Infrequent Use of the
Motorcycle
During storage or infrequent use of the
motorcycle, inspect the battery voltage
weekly using a digital multimeter. Follow
the manufacturer’s instructions
supplied with the meter.
Should the battery voltage fall below
12.7
Volts, the battery should be
charged.
Allowing a battery to discharge or
leaving it discharged for even a short
period of time causes sulphation of the
lead plates. Sulphation is a normal part
of the chemical reaction inside the
battery, however over time the sulphate
can crystallize on the plates making
recovery difficult or impossible. This
permanent damage is not covered by
the motorcycle warranty, as it is not
due to a manufacturing defect.
Keeping the battery fully charged
reduces the likelihood of it freezing in
cold conditions. Allowing a battery to
freeze will cause serious internal
damage to the battery.
