How to Change a Motorcycle Battery

It's going to happen sooner or later: the battery on your motorcycle is going to die on you. Even when everything else in your motorcycle's electrical system is fine, the battery is bound to fail. 

It's easy to replace a motorcycle battery. And while getting to the battery differs from machine to machine, getting the old battery disconnected and the new one in is almost always the same process.

Where is My Motorcycle's Battery?

It's probably under the seat, so you'll need to remove it to get to the battery. Your motorcycle's owner's manual can tell you exactly where the battery is located and how to access it.

Disconnecting the Battery Cables

Get the battery cables off starting with the negative, then the positive. You'll reverse that order when you put the cables back on the new battery. Make sure you use the right sized socket to take the cables off. Otherwise, it might strip the terminals and make the job much harder. You may have other accessories running to the battery as well, which you'll reconnect the same way they're positioned on the old battery. Before you pull the battery out, make note of how it's positioned, so you can place your new one in correctly.

Preparing a New Motorcycle Battery

If you're having a wet cell battery shipped from Partzilla, you'll need to do a couple of things to get it ready to go in the machine. You'll need to add electrolytes to a wet cell battery to get it in shape before sliding it into the motorcycle. You can use a battery tender to charge the battery up, but a larger battery charger will get you going quicker.

Installing a Motorcycle Battery 

Getting a new battery in your motorcycle is basically the reverse of the process you used to get the old one out. Once you slide the battery in, reconnect the cables. This time though, attach the positive first — making sure to include any accessory connections — and then the negative. If you get a little spark when connecting the negative, don't be alarmed: it's perfectly normal. Reattach any straps or brackets that secured the battery, and then reinstall the seat if the battery was located underneath it.

Changing a motorcycle battery is about as simple as it gets. Watch the video below to see how to change the battery in a Kawasaki motorcycle.