Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders

I noticed that the battery on my Yamaha TT-R230 is a lot smaller than a regular motorcycle battery. How should I care for it?

Assuming I ride once a week, do I need to put it on a trickle charger? How long can I expect it to hold a charge between rides? A month? The season? A couple of days?

If I take the bike out for a weekend, do I need to charge it overnight to top it up for the following day?

Any other special pointers that apply to these tiny motorbike batteries?

It should hold a charge indefinitely just like a car. Obviously if you aren't riding it will dwindle over time. I'd take it out over the winter, put it in the basement on a trickle charger and install it for next season.

If you ride you bike once a week it should be fine unless you use the starter alot, like a couple of times every 10min of riding. Learn to stop where you can easily bump start your bike to save wear and tear on your battery and starter.

Lead Acid batteries when not maintained or left in a low charge for long periods (weeks) will expeience what is known as sulfation. With this condition the battery will usually charge fully but will have much less electrical engery capacity (less amp\hrs). Some times a trickle charger can reverse the effects of early stages of sulfation but usually the batteries charge cycles are numbered before it beomes useless. Always remove your battery for winter storage, charge fully and store in a warm place .

Good tips, all

Tusk replacement lead-acid batteries are ~$35. I wouldn't worry about pulling the battery or trickle charging unless it was going to sit more than a couple months.