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Forum Registration has been disabled due to spamming the board. Previously registered users have been saved and information is safe and secure. We left the forums open to browse but have deleted many of the posts that had been compromised. We will post new tech information here in the future but if you have a question or need service please use our
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Battery Types What Is Best
Battery Types What Is Best
Currently, there are three common lead-acid battery types: Flooded, Gel, and AGM.
Flooded or Wet Cells are the most antiquated lead-acid battery-type in use today. They offer the most size and design options, but they often are not sealed so the user must replenish any water the battery has vented while charging.
The plastic container used for flooded cells will have cells molded into it, one cell for every 2 volts. (A 12-volt battery will have 6 cells) Each cell will feature a grid of lead plates along with an electrolyte based on sulphuric acid. Since the grid is not supported except at the edges, flooded lead-acid batteries are mechanically the weakest batteries, and the most prone to "death by vibration." Flooded batteries also have the lowest yield of Cold Cranking Amps.
Since the container of a flooded battery is not sealed, great care has to be taken to ensure that the electrolyte does not come into contact with you (burns!) or your motorcycle.
Gel Cells or Gel batteries use a thickening agent like fumed silica to immobilize the electrolyte. Thus, if the battery container cracks or is breached, the cell will continue to function. Furthermore, the thickening agent prevents stratification by preventing the movement of electrolyte.
As Gel cells are sealed and cannot be re-filled with electrolyte, controlling the rate of charge is very important or the battery will be ruined in short order. Furthermore, gel cells use lower charging voltages than flooded cells and thus the set-points for charging equipment have to be adjusted. Chargers designed for AGM or flooded batteries can ruin a Gel battery.
Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries are the latest step in the evolution of lead-acid batteries. Instead of using a gel, an AGM uses a fiberglass-like separator to hold the electrolyte in place. The physical bond between the separator fibers, the lead plates, and the container make AGMs spill-proof and the most vibration and impact resistant lead-acid batteries available today. Even better, AGMs use almost the same voltage set-points as flooded cells and thus can be used as drop-in replacements for flooded cells.
Basically, an AGM can do anything a Gel-cell can, only better. They have more cold cranking amps than either a wet or gel battery of the same size and hold a charge much longer. However, since they are also sealed, charging has to be controlled carefully or they too can be ruined in short order. A Battery Tender Plus is specifically designed to charge and maintain AGM batteries and daily use can extend their life up to six years or more. A trickle charger, on the other hand, can kill an AGM or Gel battery in no time by overcharging. Letting one of these new batteries become fully discharged is also usually a death sentence. Since batteries are now costing well over $100 for most motorcycles, a Battery Tender is cheap insurance.
In reality, there are very few "Gel" motorcycle batteries on the market, since the superior AGM technology knocked the Gel batteries out of the ballpark before they ever really caught on. Many people mistakenly refer to AGM batteries as "Gel" batteries because they often come sealed from the manufacturer and won't spill, but all of the top manufacturers like Yuasa (made right in Reading, PA) are using AGM construction. We have seen a few alleged Gel batteries for sale but they're all made in China. Experience leads us to shy away from these batteries, and stick to reliable sources like Yuasa.
Flooded or Wet Cells are the most antiquated lead-acid battery-type in use today. They offer the most size and design options, but they often are not sealed so the user must replenish any water the battery has vented while charging.
The plastic container used for flooded cells will have cells molded into it, one cell for every 2 volts. (A 12-volt battery will have 6 cells) Each cell will feature a grid of lead plates along with an electrolyte based on sulphuric acid. Since the grid is not supported except at the edges, flooded lead-acid batteries are mechanically the weakest batteries, and the most prone to "death by vibration." Flooded batteries also have the lowest yield of Cold Cranking Amps.
Since the container of a flooded battery is not sealed, great care has to be taken to ensure that the electrolyte does not come into contact with you (burns!) or your motorcycle.
Gel Cells or Gel batteries use a thickening agent like fumed silica to immobilize the electrolyte. Thus, if the battery container cracks or is breached, the cell will continue to function. Furthermore, the thickening agent prevents stratification by preventing the movement of electrolyte.
As Gel cells are sealed and cannot be re-filled with electrolyte, controlling the rate of charge is very important or the battery will be ruined in short order. Furthermore, gel cells use lower charging voltages than flooded cells and thus the set-points for charging equipment have to be adjusted. Chargers designed for AGM or flooded batteries can ruin a Gel battery.
Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries are the latest step in the evolution of lead-acid batteries. Instead of using a gel, an AGM uses a fiberglass-like separator to hold the electrolyte in place. The physical bond between the separator fibers, the lead plates, and the container make AGMs spill-proof and the most vibration and impact resistant lead-acid batteries available today. Even better, AGMs use almost the same voltage set-points as flooded cells and thus can be used as drop-in replacements for flooded cells.
Basically, an AGM can do anything a Gel-cell can, only better. They have more cold cranking amps than either a wet or gel battery of the same size and hold a charge much longer. However, since they are also sealed, charging has to be controlled carefully or they too can be ruined in short order. A Battery Tender Plus is specifically designed to charge and maintain AGM batteries and daily use can extend their life up to six years or more. A trickle charger, on the other hand, can kill an AGM or Gel battery in no time by overcharging. Letting one of these new batteries become fully discharged is also usually a death sentence. Since batteries are now costing well over $100 for most motorcycles, a Battery Tender is cheap insurance.
In reality, there are very few "Gel" motorcycle batteries on the market, since the superior AGM technology knocked the Gel batteries out of the ballpark before they ever really caught on. Many people mistakenly refer to AGM batteries as "Gel" batteries because they often come sealed from the manufacturer and won't spill, but all of the top manufacturers like Yuasa (made right in Reading, PA) are using AGM construction. We have seen a few alleged Gel batteries for sale but they're all made in China. Experience leads us to shy away from these batteries, and stick to reliable sources like Yuasa.