How to Choose the Right Battery for Your Electric Motorcycle
Whether or not you are a motorcycle enthusiast, the battery that powers your electric motorcycle deserves careful consideration. The range of options can feel overwhelming, so this guide walks through what to look for when choosing the right battery.
Benefits of lithium batteries
- Incredibly light: a typical 16Ah lead-acid battery weighs 5kg, while a Tritek lithium battery replacement weighs a remarkable 1.3kg including the integrated Battery Management System (BMS).
- Remarkably high cranking power for its size and weight.
- Extremely low self-discharge rate — approximately 3% per month.
- Compact in size.
- No risk of internal liquids or acids spilling, so it can be installed in any position.
- Unlike lead-acid batteries, Tritek lithium-ion batteries do not emit explosive gases such as hydrogen during charging or discharging.
- Exceptionally quick charging: a discharged battery can be fully recharged in 1–2 hours, whereas a depleted lead-acid battery needs over 12 hours to reach full capacity.
- Significantly superior reliability and an impressively long lifespan — the expected lifespan of a lithium motorcycle battery with an integrated BMS is ten years.
- Lower annual ownership costs compared with traditional lead-acid batteries.
Lightweight and high cranking power?
The 22Ah Orange battery from Chilwee weighs over 5kg and is rated at 200 Cold Cranking Amps. The Tritek lithium-ion battery replacement for the same bike is rated at 270 Cold Cranking Amps and 360 PCA — yet weighs just 1.4kg. For race use, an even smaller battery for this bike weighs just 860 grams.
Charging speed
Lithium-ion batteries, especially those equipped with a Battery Management System, charge remarkably quickly. About 5 minutes after igniting your motorcycle, the battery regains the full capacity used during starting. If a battery has been discharged to the point where it cannot activate the starter motor, an external charger can usually fully charge it within 1–2 hours. By contrast, a discharged lead-acid battery requires more than 12 hours to reach its maximum charge level.
Reliability and service life
Customers can expect a lithium battery with an integrated BMS to last 5 to 10 years. In contrast, recent user surveys revealed that more than 21% of lead-acid batteries malfunction within the first two years, and a staggering 37% fail within just 3 years. Warranty records indicate that the failure rate for Tritek motorcycle batteries was below 2% during the first two years — Tritek backs this with one of the industry’s only comprehensive 2-year replacement warranties, covering the full value of the battery.
Self-discharge: how fast do batteries lose charge?
Because lead-acid batteries self-discharge quickly and motorcycles are not used consistently, experienced owners often buy a smart charger designed for lead-acid batteries to keep them conditioned. High-quality smart chargers such as those made by CTEK typically cost about as much as a lead-acid battery itself.
Lithium batteries, on the other hand, have a very low self-discharge rate: they can be left uncharged on a shelf for up to six months and still hold enough power to start your motorcycle. For this reason, most customers find they do not need a smart battery charger or tender for lithium batteries at all.
Cost comparison: traditional lead-acid vs. Tritek lithium-ion
Motorcycle enthusiasts embrace new technology and cost-effective solutions quickly. In the past, lithium batteries were bought mainly by racers seeking to reduce weight; today, everyday riders opt for lithium to save money — in fact, significantly more lithium batteries are sold to commuters than to racers.
Most riders keep their bikes for a few years, and many have realized that the annual cost of short-lived lead-acid batteries is quite high compared with the yearly expense of owning a Tritek lithium battery, which lasts 5 to 10 years. Add the cost of a smart charger — roughly the price of a lead-acid battery — and the total expense of staying with lead-acid grows further.
A significant number of owners have found the Tritek battery to be the most economical choice. Many customers, when upgrading their bikes, even transferred their lithium battery to the new one — possible, of course, only when both bikes require the same battery size.
If you are building or upgrading a complete electric motorcycle, the battery works hand in hand with the drivetrain — see our electric motorcycle motors, EV parts and ebike motor power ratings guides to specify a matched system.