Do motorcycle batteries recharge while you ride them?

Question

The bikes been sitting for a few months in the cold and now the batteries is dead. Can I just recharge it and it'll be good or do I have to go buy a new one?

Thanks to all the answers!!! I'm going to try the trickle charge and see what happens there. I appreciate it. Good Ride'n!

Answer 1

trickle chargers will only put out an extremely small amount of juice. it isnt designed for nor intended to be, a regular battery charger. its to keep a battery at full charger, and wont activate until the battery discharges to a certain voltage. they're fairly cheap...50 bucks.

as long as u monitor them, a standard battery charger is safe to use, and it wont take them extremely long to get the battery up to a level where the starter will engage in a very strong start-up.
after a warm up, go ride. bike's do have a charging system, but they're extremely small. my bike will require at least a 20 to 25 mile ride to completely charge the battery.

cold weather is hard on batteries that doesnt have a battery tender on them. it's highly adviseable not to allow a battery to discharge and freeze. if they get frozen, they're no good. and btw....mc batteries are a sealed unit. there is no water to check.

Answer 2

I'm trying to get an understanding, I have a 97 1400 intruder, battery is at the bottom n I hate that, my wife being disabled I can't go very far, my bike could set for 3 or 4 days, n at times it acts like it's not going to start n then it does, some of the responses in here r a big help, like the charging system is a bit small for a motorcycle, if u don't ride very far it can't charge itself properly, then it sets and continues to lose what little it has, my old charger I think gave up the ghost n had to buy another, after a couple hrs. it did start but didn't ride because it was trying to rain, but I left the new charger continue charging, but now I know short trips seem to do more harm than good, make a stronger effort to enjoy a 30 mile ride,

Answer 3

if the battery charged and you were able to start it easily because there was 6 volts it might not be the battery, if the bike isn't charging the battery then every time you use your indicators or brakes you will be draining the battery and some petrol engines wont run well without an alternator or a charged battery. electronic ignition units need some voltage to work. you may need a bike mechanic to work out whats up with it. i have had road bikes and field bikes since 1979 and some faults are hard to diagnose if you are learning. when the bike is running your alternator should be putting out more than 6 volts to charge the battery, a car has a 12 volt battery but the alternator gives 13.5 volts. with the engine running and a voltmeter across the battery you should get a reading between 6 and 7 volts on your bike, if you use the indicator the voltage should not go down.

Answer 4

batteries only last a specific amount of time. have the battery recharged and see if it holds the charge. If it does, you're fine, if not, time for a new one. DON'T let the alternator on the bike recharge it from dead. Use a battery charger. The alternator is just there to keep it topped off not to totally recharge it.

Answer 5

it depends on the bike and the year.....but older ones have a generator that keeps the battery charged just enough to keep it's rating up to snuff without heavey drain, because let's face it motocyles aren't running interior lights or stereo's, newer bikes have alternators or a newer style of gererator they are efficient and last longer. but to leave a battery(any battery) in the cold they will dis-charge, just from sitting. there is a trick though: if you want to leave a battery in a car, bike, whatever just disconnect the positive+ terminal of the battery this will prevent the battery from dis-charging through the bike's electrical system and will in turn save the battery, but if it is bitter cold i suggest removing it from the bike and bringing it into the house.

try charging it with a trickle charger for a better charge, see if the battery will hold it, if it does try the above and see for yourself.

good luck!

Answer 6

If you let a battery discharge until it's practically dead, then it's unlikely that the bike's charging system will bring it back to life where it will hold a charge. It won't hurt to try. Give it a low amperage charge (2 amps) for 6 - 8 hours checking the water level periodically. Then let the battery sit without using it for 24hrs. If the battery is strong enough to start your bike then it will be OK. If it won't start your bike, the battery won't hold a charge and will have to be replaced.

Answer 7

normally bike batteries are like car batteries, they recharge as you ride, but it would be best to re-charge the battery first then try and ride it at least 2-3 times a week to keep it charged. good luck and keep it between the lines.

Answer 8

i'm guessing it will recharge. put a trickle charger on it for the prescribed time period and see what happens. if you do need a new battery, take the old one with you- it's easy to get the wrong one and also there is probably a cash credit for the old one

Answer 9

you can try putting the battery on trickle charge for 24 hrs. if this dont work then you will have to get a new one

Answer 10

Get a new battery, once a battery has gone dead it's just dead.
Always get a new battery on a mc, every 2 years.
The charging system is only designed to maintain the battery, not charge it up.