Motorcycle
Battery Information
This page contains general motorbike battery
information, including links to our motorbike battery specification
& motorcycle battery application guides.
Use the links in blue on the left of this page to jump straight
to a section in this page.
Other information pages:
Motorcycle
Battery Application Guide
(this link redirects to our retail website www.WHITEDOGBIKES.com)
Motorcycle
Battery Specifications & Sizes
Motorcycle
Battery Cross Section Diagram
What
the Numbers & Letters Mean
The numbers & letters
in the top halves of the tables (the blue text) are commonly
used examples of motorcycle batteries. Use the letters in
the bottom halves of the table & the designation key lower
down this page to see what the letters & numbers represent.
Maintenance
free & Gel filled batteries
|
Y |
T |
X |
12 |
- |
B |
S |
|
k |
k |
m |
i |
|
g |
i |
Y |
T |
X |
14 |
L |
- |
B |
S |
k |
k |
m |
i |
e |
|
g |
i |
6 & 12 Volt Lead acid batteries
YB |
16 |
A |
L |
- |
A |
2 |
k |
i |
d |
e |
|
f |
g |
Y |
50 |
- |
N |
18 |
L |
- |
A |
k |
j |
|
b |
i |
e |
|
f |
| 6 |
N |
2 |
|
- |
2 |
A |
- |
8 |
12 |
N |
12 |
A |
- |
4 |
A |
- |
1 |
a |
b |
c |
d |
|
e |
f |
|
g |
Motorbike Battery
Designations Key
a = nominal
voltage
b = vented type
battery (lead acid type/normal)
c = battery
capacity at 10 hour rate
d = indication
of different size of same capicity battery
e = polarity
location
f = location
of opening for venting exhaust (lead acid type batteries)
g = type of
terminal
i = indication
of performance level of battery (lower numbers equal lower
power output)
j = cranking
or starting power
k = manafacturers
mark, different manafacturers use different letters
l = indicates
sealed type battery
m = high performance
battery
Top of Page
How
a Motorbike Battery Produces Electricity
To be honest, this part isn't very interesting!
Motorcycle batteries are made up of individual
compartments or 'cells' which contain lead plates that are
alternatively charged positive & negative. Each cell produces
just over 2 volts so 6 volt batteries have 3 cells & 12
volt batteries have 6 cells. You can usually tell how many
cells a battery has by the number of holes in the top of the
battery.
Electricty is produced when the electrolyte
(battery acid) in the battery reacts with the lead plates
in the cells. The sulphuric acid in the electrolyte reacts
with the lead in the lead plates to produce lead sulphate,
as this reaction occurs, 'free electrons' are deposited on
the positive lead plates. These electrons cling to the plates
until a 'load' is placed on the battery (for example when
the ignition is turned on). When a load is placed on the battery,
the electrons move form the positive plates to the negative
plates which produces an electrical current.
Told ya it wasn't very interesting, but would
you believe us!?
Top of Page
Motorcycle
Battery Glossary
Absorbant Glass Mat-A sheet
of microglass fibres that is used between individual lead
plates to insulate them
Accumulator-An electrochemical
device that can transform electrical energy into stored chemical
energy and by reversing the process, release energy again
(basically a posh word for a battery)
Acid density-The charge state
of an automotive battery can be determined by measuring the
acid density in kg/l. This is done using an acid siphon. The
following characteristic factors apply: Acid density 1.28
kg/l: battery is fully charged. Acid density 1.20 kg/l: battery
is half charged. Acid density 1.10 kg/l: battery is empty
Acid level indicator-A component
for displaying the level of electrolyte in a cell
Aging-Permanent loss of capacity
due to repeated use or the effects of time
AGM-Abbreviation for Absorbant
Glass Mat.
Ampere hours [Ah]-Measurment
of the current strength (measured in amperes) and the duration
(in hours) of the current. The quantity of electricity (capacity)
of a battery or cell is usually expressed in ampere hours.
Ah is the abbreviation.
Ampere [A]-Basic unit of
electrical current strength
Battery-One or more electrochemical
cells electrically coupled into a single unit and equipped
with attachments for external electrical connections
Capacity-The available quantity
of electricity of a battery or cell measured in ampere hours
Cathode-The negative electrode
at which reduction processes take place in a liquid solution,
i.e. where cations (positively charged ions) are precipitated
(gain in electrons). In secondary cells, each of the electrodes
can become cathodes depending on the direction of the current.
The positive electrode is the cathode when discharging
CCA-Cold cranking amps
Cell-The smallest unit of
a battery, consisting of a positive and a negative electrode,
a separator and the electrolyte. It stores electrical energy
and forms the fundamental cornerstone of a battery if it is
placed into a case and equipped with electrical connectors.
The capacity of a cell is determined by its size. The cell
voltage, however, depends on the electrochemical system of
the element
Charging-Feeding electrical
energy into a battery.
Charging current-The current
flowing at the time a battery is being charged. It depends
on the charge state, the charging method and the temperature
Cold Cranking-Cold Cranking
Amps is a rating used in the battery industry to define a
battery's ability to start an engine in cold temperatures.
The rating is the number of amps a new, fully charged battery
can deliver at 0° Farenheit for 30 seconds, while maintaining
a voltage of at least 7.2 volts, for a 12 volt battery. The
higher the CCA rating, the greater the starting power of the
battery
Current-The movement of electrical
charges in an electrical field. Battery technology only uses
direct current
Cycle-Charging followed by
discharging, usually repeated at regular intervals
Deep discharge-State in which
a cell is fully discharged using low current, so that the
voltage falls below the final discharging voltage
Direct current-Current, whose
polarity does not change over time (e.g. current from an electrochemical
power source like a motorcycle battery)
Discharging-Drawing electrical
energy from a battery in which chemical energy is converted
into electrical energy
Distilled/Purified water-Distilled
or demineralized water for compensating the water losses in
batteries requiring maintenance.
Electrode-A conducting structure
within the cell in which electrochemical reactions take place
(for example lead plates in a motorcycle battery)
Electrolyte-Also known as
battery acid. Usually a fluid within the cell that allows
ion movement between the electrodes
Electrons-Elementary particles
with a negative charge
Failure-A state in which
a battery no longer functions satisfactorily. There are several
forms of failure
Free electron-An electron
that has broken free of it's atomic bond and is therefore
not bound to an atom
Galvanic element-Current
source whose electrical energy is released through electrochemical
processes (another posh word for a battery!)
Gel-Electrolyte jellified
through the addition of silicic acid to sulfuric acid
HEAVY DUTY-Battery type with
an above-standard cycle stability and shock resistance. Commonly
used in construction & farm machinery & in some motorcycle
batteries
Initial charge-The initial
charge is the first charging process after the electrolyte
has been poured into a dry precharged battery. It has the
purpose of bringing the cell or battery to full initial capacity
Lead battery-An accumulator
in which the electrodes consist primarily of lead, whereas
the electrolyte consists of diluted sulfuric acid
Lead sulfate-Chemical compound
produced on the positive and negative plates of a lead battery
during discharge. It is the result of a chemical reaction
between the sulfuric acid and lead dioxide of the positive
electrode or the metallic lead of the negative electrode
Load-Describes the current
in amperes with which a fully charged battery can be loaded
over a defined period and at a defined temperature without
the voltage falling below a pre-specified cutoff voltage
Maintenance-free battery with fixed
electrolyte-Lead-acid battery in which the electrolyte
is held in place in a gel or microglass mat (AGM). The battery
is sealed and is equipped with valves. It is highly stable
and exhibits good cycling characteristics
Negative terminal-Negative
pole of a battery.
Nominal voltage-The battery's
average voltage during discharging with a low current strength
Overcharging-Charging beyond
the fully loaded stage. This can result in battery damage
Oxidation-Release of electrons
through the cell's active mass to the external electric circuit.
During the discharging process, cadmium is oxidized at the
negative electrode of the nickel-cadmium cell or sponge lead
is oxidized at the negative electrode of the lead cell
Plug-Component with venting
ducts for sealing a cell opening
Rated capacity-The capacity
in Ah (as defined by the manufacturer) under defined discharging
conditions (current, temperature)
Service life-The length of
satisfactory performance measured in years or charging / discharging
cycles (usually a maximum of 3 years for a motorcycle battery)
Short circuit, inner-The
cells can also experience an inner short circuit in the case
of fine short circuits. This will generally result in high
self-discharging and will be reflected in a sharp reduction
in capacity.
Short circuit, outer-Low-impedance
electrical contact between the battery poles. High temperatures
can result in the battery being destroyed.
Terminal-Polarity-specific
component on the battery for making a (detachable) connection
with the consumer (point on a battery where you connect your
motorcycle to it)
Valve-A device allowing gas
to escape when inner pressure is too high, while preventing
air from entering.
Volt-Unit of measurement
for electrical voltage. Abbreviation V. Named after the Italian
physicist and doctor Count Alessandro Volta
Top of Page
Links to Reference Guides
Motorcycle
Battery Application Guide
(this link redirects to our retail website-www.whitedogbikes.com)
Motorcycle
Battery Specifications & Sizes
Motorcycle
Battery Cross Section Diagram
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