Introduction to motorcycle battery charging methods

After a period of use, the motorcycle battery becomes insufficient and needs to be recharged. This article introduces several affordable, convenient and feasible charging methods.

1. Charger production, selection and debugging

If you have the conditions, you can make a simple 6V charger by yourself. The circuit is shown in Figure 1. Connect the motorcycle's battery to the output end of the circuit, insert the plug XP into the power socket, and the LED VD6 will light up, indicating that it is charging. The light-emitting diode not only serves as a charging indicator, but also serves as a reverse interceptor tube. When the battery is charged to ≥6V, the light-emitting diode VD6 will be reverse-biased, the display will go out, and the charging will stop, indicating that the charging is completed. Diode VD5 is a boost diode, which can make the output of the integrated voltage stabilizing circuit W7806 be about 7V, thereby ensuring that the output is about 6V.

2. Battery inspection

Motorcycles generally use batteries with a voltage of 6V and a current of 400mA. First, remove the battery from the motorcycle and inspect it. If there is obvious sulfurization or there is a pile of sediment under the electrode or the outer surface of the battery has cracks and leaks, the battery should be replaced. Then check whether the electrolyte in the battery is sufficient. If the electrolyte is insufficient, go to the battery repair department to add distilled water.

3. Charging method

Connect the positive and negative poles of the regulated power supply to the positive and negative poles of the battery respectively, remove the cover plug on the battery, turn on the power, and start charging. If you use the charger in Figure 1, you can see if the indicator light goes out. If it goes out, it means charging is complete. If you choose other 6V regulated power supply, use a multimeter to test the battery voltage after 6 hours. If it has reached 6V, it means it has been charged; if it has not reached 6V, you should continue charging until it reaches 6V.

4. Precautions

① The battery contains sulfuric acid. Avoid getting sulfuric acid on your skin, eyes or clothes. Once it is stained, rinse it with water and seek medical attention promptly.

② Since hydrogen gas is produced in the battery during charging, and hydrogen gas will explode when exposed to an open flame when mixed with air, so smoking or ignition is strictly prohibited during charging and discharging.