7 Best Motorcycle Batteries of 2021
As long as you ride a bike, you are sure that you'll need to change your motorcycle battery somewhere down the line and this is because they usually have a limited lifespan.
Motorcycle batteries are unique and distinct from other types of batteries because they are specifically designed to meet the needs of motorcycle engines and their driver's lifestyle.
This motorcycle batteries review looks at the top offers in the market and provides you with a buying guide, to make the best possible choice.
7 Best Motorcycle Batteries – Review
IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Chrome Battery YTX30L (Best Overall) | ||
 | 2. Odyssey PC680 | ||
 | 3. ZPC YTX14-BS | ||
 | 4. Chrome Battery YTX7L | ||
 | 5. ThrottleX HDX20L | ||
 | 6. Yuasa 320BS | ||
 | 7. ThrottleX ADX12-BS |
PRODUCT |
|---|
1. Chrome Battery YTX30L (Best Overall) |
2. Odyssey PC680 |
3. ZPC YTX14-BS |
4. Chrome Battery YTX7L |
5. ThrottleX HDX20L |
6. Yuasa 320BS |
7. ThrottleX ADX12-BS |
1. Chrome Battery YTX30L – Best Overall
Photo: Chrome Battery
- Power: 360 Watts, 12 V, 30 Ah
- CCA: 360
- Dimensions: 6.5 x 5 x 6.9 inches
For an affordable and reliable 12-Volt battery for your motorcycle, this offer from Chrome Battery could offer you exactly what you need.
It is a sealed lead-acid battery, which means that it's completely maintenance-free and easy to use. Simply install it in your bike and it's ready for use because it comes pre-charged.
Having a high 360 Cold Cranking Amps also makes it very versatile, since you can use it for smaller and larger motorcycle engines. In addition to a range of motorcycles, it fits ATVs, snowmobiles, jet skis, etc.
The battery is still relatively heavy though, because of its lead-acid design, but on the positive side, it's vibration resistant, heavy-duty, and good motorcycle battery that's rated for charging up to 2,000 times.
Pros
Cons
Photo: Odyssey
- Power: 12 V, 16 Ah
- CCA: 170
- Dimensions: 7.2 x 3.1 x 7.5 inches
Here comes another top-rated motorcycle battery. The Odyssey PC680 is for extreme and demanding weather. It's resistant to vibrations, high impact shocks, and extreme temperatures.
The battery also comes in a compact design and weighs less than the Chrome Battery above, making it more flexible for installation and use.
It also features a fast recharge time of just 4-6 hours for a full recharge and Odyssey backs it with a 2-year warranty. The company also rates it for 3-10 years of service life, making it a right choice for anyone who's seeking a dependable motorcycle battery.
One con is its price, which is higher than some other batteries, while others also have higher Cold Cranking Amps than it. Still, if you want a top-quality battery, then it's only right to pay the price.
Pros
Cons
Photo: ZPC
- Power: 12 V, 12 Ah
- CCA: 200
- Dimensions: 5.7 x 5.8 x 3.3 inches
ZPC Batteries makes good products and this offer is one of the best AGM motorcycle batteries in the market. It's a factory-activated AGB battery that's ready for immediate use on a range of motorcycles and similar vehicles.
Although it comes in a relatively small and compact design, this battery offers a 12-Ah capacity and 200 Cold Cranking Amps, making it relatively impressive.
Still, its high-capacity and 200-CCA power delivery are lower than that of larger motorcycle batteries, making this a less ideal battery for large-engined motorcycles, ATVs, or snowmobiles.
Asides from that, it's vibration-resistant and a powerful battery for small to medium-sized engines and ZPC backs it with an 18-month manufacturer's warranty.
Pros
Cons
Photo: Chrome Battery
- Power: 12 V, 72 Watts
- CCA: 85
- Dimensions: 5.12 x 4.45 x 2.76 inches
For lightweight bikes or ATVs, you don't need all the heavy-duty batteries out there, and especially for motocross bikes, you need a very light battery.
This Chrome Battery YTXL7 weighs just 4.7 pounds but it packs enough power for a 6-Ah capacity and 85 Cold Cranking Amps, enough to get any motocross bike up and going in no time.
It's also very compact at just 5.12 x 4.45 x 2.76 inches and guaranteed to replace the batteries on a range of scooters and motocross bikes like the Aprilia Mojito, the Honda Nighthawk, Kawasaki Ninja, Honda NX125 and so on.
The downside obviously, is that its 85 CCA is useless on a Harley or other similar large-engined bike. But if you want the best motorcycle battery for small or lightweight bikes, then you've got it.
Pros
Cons
Photo: ThrottleX
- Power: 12 V, 18 Ah
- CCA: 310
- Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.4 x 6.1 inches
This ThrottleX HDX20L is a unique offer because unlike other batteries in this review, this one is specifically designed to work on Harley Davidson motorcycles.
It's manufactured in the same factory as the OEM batteries that you'll find in a new Harley bike, which makes it the best motorcycle battery for all Harley riders.
The battery measures 6.8 x 3.4 x 6.1 inches has an 18-Ah capacity and delivers 310 Cold Cranking Amps, enough to get most Harleys running, but sadly not all of them.
You'll need to check your Harley model to make sure this battery is enough for it, els, you may want the bigger battery with 400 CCA and a 28-Ah capacity.
Pros
Cons
Photo: Yuasa
- Power: 12 V, 18.9 Ah
- CCA: 270
- Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.4 x 6.1 inches
Here we have a battery that's designed for medium to large-engined bikes and it's offered at an attractive rate, making it a good buy for most bikers.
The battery measure 6.8 x 3.4 x 6.1 inches and it's an AGM sealed battery, meaning you'll never have to worry about maintenance, filling it up with water, or even spills.
It does have one downside though. Unlike most other batteries here, this one comes dry and empty, but the package includes a bottle of acid, so you can fill it up and seal it by yourself.
Still, although this method is uncomfortable for some bikers, it's perfect for anyone who wants to by a battery to keep stored for a while before using it. Keep in mind that storing an activated lead-acid battery makes little sense.
Pros
Cons
Photo: ThrottleX
- Power: 12 V, 10 Ah
- CCA: 180
- Dimensions: 6 x 5 x 3.4 inches
If you don't ride a Harley and you find the earlier ThrottleX battery a bit 'too much' but still appreciate the quality, you can try out this smaller version.
Featuring advanced lead-calcium, technology, it offers impressive starting power up to 10 Cold Cranking Amps and a total energy-storage capacity of 10 Ah.
It's also an AGM battery, so there's no worrying about spills or having to top it off now and then. The battery comes fully charged and ready for installation.
Pros
Cons
How to Buy the Best Motorcycle Battery
If you want to buy the best battery for your bike, you'll need to understand the important factors that make up a good motorcycle battery.
Following are these features that you need to look out for when making your choice.
1. Types of Motorcycle Battery
Your first decision has to do with the type of battery that you're going to get. There are three major types of motorcycle batteries based on how they get manufactured or the materials used in making them.
These battery types are lead-acid, AGM batteries, and Gel acid batteries. Following is a closer look at each type.
Lead-Acid Batteries. Lead-acid or flooded batteries are a very common type that features lead cells and a liquid electrolyte, which needs topping off from time to time with distilled water.
AGM Batteries. AGM stands for Absorbed Glass Mat and this is a dry-cell battery, meaning it doesn't use a standard electrolyte, neither does it need topping off.
AGM batteries also produce more power than lead-acid batteries and this combines with their maintenance-free nature to make them a very popular type of battery.
Read More: 7 Best Car AGM Batteries
Gel Batteries. As their name suggests, gel-cell batteries have an electrolyte that's not a pure liquid electrolyte. They have a silica additive that makes the electrolyte stiffen.
They are less common than AGM batteries and are mostly used in situations where deep discharge is common. They are also more sensitive to over-charging.
2. Sealed vs Unsealed Motorcycle Battery
You often hear this term when comparing motorcycle batteries, so it's important to know the difference between the two types. As their names suggest, you can open an unsealed battery to top it off with water, while you can't open a sealed battery.
Both battery types usually have the same internal structure. Their core difference is that a manufacturer provides enough acid in a sealed battery to last its expected lifespan or warranty period.
3. Power
Power gets measured in Amps and Volts, with many motorcycle batteries having a 12-Volt rating and smaller bikes having 6 Volts.
It's therefore important, that you should first check your bike's battery to know if what you need is a 12 or 6-Volt battery.
Different manufacturers also offer batteries in different capacities referred to as Ah or Amp-hours. This figure tells you how much power overall the battery can store and it's given in how many amps of electric current the battery will release in one hour.
4. Performance & Cold Cranking Amps
Aside from the total amount of power that you can store in the battery, another important metric in measuring battery performance is the Cold Cranking Amps, also called CCA.
This figure measures how much power the battery can produce when starting an engine, with a higher value meaning more cranking power. It's important to note because older engines might need more cranking power, so you'll need to choose a battery with a higher CCA if you've got an older motorcycle.
Keep in mind that each battery's CCA refers to the total current that the battery can deliver for 30 seconds at an average temperature of 0°F.
5. Physical Dimensions
Motorcycle batteries come in different weights and sizes, so you need to keep this in mind when choosing a battery. Double-check to make sure that the battery will fit into the available space, that it's not too heavy for you, and that the voltage matches.
6. Life Expectancy
Most motorcycle batteries have an average lifespan of three to five years. However, you can get more years from any battery with proper care, such as avoidance of complete discharges and prevention from extreme temperatures.
Conclusion
We've come to the end of this motorcycle batteries review and you've seen all the different batteries out there, designed for your motorcycles, ATVs, and snowmobiles.
You've also seen the different sizes, capacities, and cranking power that they each offer, as well as their underlying designs, technologies, and market price.
It's therefore, left for you now to choose the battery that you feel will best fit your bike.