Power up: Best motorcycle battery chargers

Battery chargers
Battery chargers
1

There’s a strong case for dedicated motorcycle battery chargers. Most batteries will become discharged if the bike is left alone for a period of time (sometimes as little as a couple of weeks), and this is particularly true for bikes that have motorcycle trackers fitted, as these inevitably draw power from the battery to offer their protection. So although only a small amount of current is drawn, it’s inevitable that an unattended bike will have a flat battery before long.

This can be annoying at best and scrap the battery at worst. It is annoying because you come to the garage for your first ride in some time, and the battery is dead. If you’re lucky, you can jump-start it and go for a run – hopefully, the charge you get back into the battery will see you through your ride.

The best at a glance

However, in the worst-case scenario, the cells in the battery can become damaged to the point where they simply cannot hold a charge, and the only solution here is to replace it. And while motorcycle batteries generally are less expensive than car batteries, for example, it’s still an expense you could do without. Here are a selection of the best motorcycle battery chargers.

The best motorcycle battery chargers

Best small motorcycle battery charger

Rrp: £54.95

Price: £49.99
Amazon Amazon Prime

Description

This diminutive smart charger is designed for motorcycles, quads, snowmobiles and more and looks after both 6V and 12V batteries. It will help de-sulphate batteries and recover them, as well as charge AGM, gel, lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries. It can also be used as a long-term maintainer without overcharging the battery and features clever touches, including a thermal sensor, which doesn't allow overcharging in hot weather or undercharging in cold.

Pros

  • Small
  • Thermal sensor
  • Can recover batteries

Cons

  • No 12V repair mode

Best money-no-object motorcycle battery charger

Rrp: £219.00

Price: £178.95
Amazon Amazon Prime

Description

There are several chargers from CTEK in this list, and this CS ONE option is the top dog of the range. It's a smart charger that can repair, maintain, charge and detect bad cells, as well as a host of other features.

Tested by Richard Newland for five months across six vehicles. Quality 5/5, Value 3/5. Dead batteries are like flat tyres – utterly infuriating and one of the least glamourous replacement parts in biking. But critical to your riding pleasure. While you can't prevent punctures, you can prevent dead cells with a motorcycle battery charger and conditioner.

And this one from CTEK is superbly clever. Not only does it do everything you'd expect: charging, recovering, conditioning and maintaining whatever vehicle battery you connect it to (and yes, it does them all, from Lead Acid to Lithium-ion in all wet, AGM, Gel and other forms) – it does it without any programming from you.

Simply connect the leads – which are disconcertingly both black because the CS ONE is so clever that it detects polarity, so you can't connect it wrong however hard you try – plug it in, and it'll do the rest for you. The Adaptive Charging Technology will detect every facet of your battery and even alter its charge voltage based on the ambient temperature to ensure your battery charges at the optimum rate – and doesn't fry.

The unit then analyses and diagnoses what's needed before merrily getting on with it. The display atop the charger keeps you up to date with progress, and once you've got a full white ring of illumination, your battery is tip-top. And if you do want or need deeper intervention, simply download the CTEK app to your phone and connect to the CS via Bluetooth, giving you an on-phone control panel and additional functions. If you prefer a wired battery connection so you can just plug-n-charge without needing battery access, the required lead is £4.99 extra and extension leads are £14.99.

I've used it on four bikes with three different battery types, one old VeeDub camper and a modern family car – and it tackled all with ease.

Pros

  • Packed with features
  • Can save you money in the long run

Cons

  • Reports of issues with Android compatibility

Description

There is also a host of great deals on Noco lithium batteries in popular sizes, offering vast improvements to performance and charging over traditional lead acid batteries.

Best value for money motorcycle battery charger

Rrp: £39.99

Price: £29.99
Amazon Amazon Prime

Description

This smart charger from Ring does basically all batteries except lithium and features a seven-stage charging process that's supposed to be kinder on your battery.

Tested by Adam Binnie for two months on one motorcycle. Quality 4/5, Value 5/5. Reading up on battery charger specs is like revising for an exam in electrical engineering. All I want is something that plugs into a three-pin socket to charge and maintain my battery.

Ok, that's a bit flippant because, in addition to those scant requirements, I also want it to be wall mounted, with a hard connection to my battery, so I don't have to faff about with crocodile clips.

I suspect my use-case is quite typical - my bike gets ridden lots over the summer, but sometimes only ten miles and back to the cafe, and then left a week or two at a time in the garage. Afterwards, it gets laid up until the slippery leaves and road salt have been swept away. So I need a charger that's simple enough to use regularly and capable of being connected all winter long.

The o-ring lead on the Ring RSC806 screws into my battery and can be stored under the seat, ready to link up to the quick connector at the end of a long lead from the unit. One button scrolls between the different modes - ignoring the car options, there are two for motorbikes, a standard charge and then cold weather mode.

It has a 6a output, which gives it a decent amount of punch when it comes to topping up low batteries in a pinch. My bike wouldn't start after a month of autumn inactivity, but a 30-minute top-up from the Ring charger had it firing on the button again. Lesson learned - just leave it plugged in.

Once full, the charger adjusts automatically to 'long-term maintenance mode' and keeps the battery conditioned and topped up, ready to go next time the sun's out. It has reverse polarity and short-circuit protection to assist non-experts like me, and is even IP65 rated for all-weather use, which is reassuring if your garage or shed gets damp.

Complaints? Very few - the holes in the o-rings are a little large but fit securely beneath the existing connections on my battery. The screen is lit for easy reading, but you have to be at just the right angle to see it, which requires bending down a bit in my garage. That's about it though - otherwise, it's a brilliant and easy-to-use charger, whether you know what you're doing or not.

Pros

  • Repair function to maintain and charge flat batteries
  • Cope with variety of battery types
  • Long-term, 'winter' charging function

Cons

  • No charging stage indicator

CTEK CS ONE seat

Best portable motorcycle battery charger

Price: £577.58
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Description

If you can't plug your trickle charger into a mains outlet, then a solar version with a power bank could be the answer. The CS FREE is essentially a standalone version of the CS ONE and is a multi-function charger that's compatible with all types of 12V lead-acid and lithium (12V LiFePO4) batteries. It's also a power bank with USB-A and USB-C ports, so you can run myriad other electronics from it, too.

Tested by Richard Newland for 4 months. Quality 5/5, Value 3/5. Bike batteries are getting smaller and lighter – but the stress our bikes put on them with ever-more powerful electronics systems and auxiliary add-ons is getting greater than ever. It doesn't take much to find you're out of juice when you hit the magic starter button. But if you don't have bike storage with mains electricity, what do you do? You get one of these.

Charge the unit, and then take it on tour. Once charged, it'll hold its power for a year and will recover a dead bike battery enough to start your engine in around 15 minutes. The charge is delivered to your battery progressively, too – reducing the risk of jump-start damage. It's absolutely superb and really works. Yes, it's a pricey solution, but it works brilliantly and is invaluable if you're off the grid where your bike lives.

And if you want to go fully off-grid, you can get the very clever foldaway 60W Solar Charge Kit to keep the unit and your bike primed and ready for action. It's hernia-inducingly expensive and too big to take on tour (on a bike) – but if your remote garage has a window (or you have multiple other power needs, like a camper van), it's a seriously cute solution. Both items have two-year warranties.

Pros

  • Solar charger doesn't need the mains
  • Power bank stores energy for you to take with you

Cons

  • Too big to take with you on a bike tour
CTEK CS FREE Solar Set in use

Best for CAN-Bus

Price: 66.59 (was £73.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

Description

With any motorcycle using CAN-Bus technology (Controller Area Network Bus, which allows systems to communicate effectively), this improvement in efficiency also means a different approach on occasion. This charger from Optimate can either connect directly to the battery or via a 12V power socket and will test the battery before applying the appropriate charging current. It is good for lead-acid batteries and can be left for long periods to maintain its condition. Comes with BMW DIN plug cable.

Pros

  • Can be plugged into 12V socket (on compatible models)
  • Tests battery before charge is applied

Cons

  • CAN-Bus feature only works with selected bikes

Best for being the most versatile battery charger

Rrp: £94.99

Price: £79.99
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Description

CTEK has an enviable reputation for chargers and conditioners, and this is its bread-and-butter charger. The MXS 5.0 is hardy (IP65 rated), reliable, and clever. It's reasonably good value too. Like its CT5 counterpart above and the NOCO, it reconditions as well as charges batteries (lead-acid batteries) - good for cars and motorbikes - via an eight-step program that helps prevent the plates in the battery sulphating, which can reduce its life and capacity.

Pros

  • Eight-step charging cycle
  • IP65 rated
  • Reliable

Cons

  • Doesn't work on lithium batteries

Best portable solar charger

Price: 27.45 (was £44.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

Description

Perfect for bikes kept in a shed or a portable garage-style shelter with no access to mains power, this solar charger will trickle charge a battery to keep it healthy using just solar energy. Of course, the charging rate will depend on the time of year as well as the weather, but Oxford quotes from 10mA to 100mA, and the solar panel can be fixed inside a window, though it is also described as 'weather resistant'.

Pros

  • No need for mains power
  • Keep your battery topped up in a shed or garage

Cons

  • Power relies on the weather

Best budget battery charger

Rrp: £46.99

Price: £39.40
Amazon

Description

The entry-level charger/optimiser from OptiMate will maintain any kind of 12V battery, including lead-acid, AGM or gel and lithium and keep a bike's battery healthy throughout storage. It provides a relatively low 0.8A charge rate for motorcycles that are largely used infrequently, and operation is automatic, delivering only what the battery needs.

Pros

  • Entry level
  • Automatic operation

Cons

  • No recovery function

Best solar battery charger

Description

Using a 10W solar panel (bigger sizes up to 80W are available), this charging system will also work perfectly for storage facilities with no access to mains power. The solar panel supplies energy to a charge controller to make sure the correct voltage and charge are supplied to the battery, and it has three modes; save, charge and maintain for long-term storage. The 10W panel will supply a maximum of 0.83Amps in ideal conditions, perfect for motorcycles.

Pros

  • Works without mains power
  • Charge controller supplies correct voltage

Cons

  • relatively low charge rate even in ideal conditions

Best versatile battery charger

Price: 54.44 (was £99.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

Description

This unit looks after all types of batteries, including lead-acid, lithium and gel and has three charging modes; low-current for motorbikes, higher current for cars and a winter mode for looking after batteries in storage. It will recover deeply discharged batteries and cycle-charge them to prevent the plates from sulphating and is fully automatic.

Pros

  • Compatible with all battery types
  • Winter mode for maintenance

Cons

  • Leads are short

Best battery charger for recovering deeply discharged batteries

Price: £39.99
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Description

At the other end of the charging scale from Oxford is the 601, a charger/optimiser that is designed for lead-acid and gel-type batteries and can manage up to 30Ah-sized items. The charger selects the appropriate charging rate, and if there is a load on the battery, such as a tracker, for example, adjusts the rate accordingly. It will also help recover batteries that are deeply discharged and can be left connected for long periods, such as over winter.

Pros

  • Great for recovering deeply discharged batteries
  • Wall bracket included

Cons

  • Some customers report flimsy build quality

Great for fitting and forgetting

Price: 39.99 (was £59.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

Description

Suitable for all 12V battery types up to 30Ah, including Gel, MF and conventional lead and refillable batteries, the Oxford Oximiser 900 can be left permanently connected to provide long-term battery care. This sophisticated battery management system provides real-time information about the battery's condition. Heavily discharged batteries as low as 4.1 V can be charged if the battery is not damaged.

Pros

  • Simple to use
  • Can be left connected permanently

Cons

  • Build quality is flimsy

How to avoid flat batteries on your motorcycle

The solution, of course, is to leave your bike with its battery on charge when it’s not being used. This is particularly true for bikes that are laid up for winter, and in this case, a battery optimiser/maintainer can be useful, as it not only charges the battery but it carries out a series of conditioning cycles.

These put some load on the battery so that it isn’t simply under constant charge, as this can also, paradoxically, damage the battery and reduce its capacity as well.

One point you should consider is what kind of battery your motorcycle uses. Lithium batteries are becoming more popular as they can offer better performance than traditional lead-acid ones.

However, they require very different charging characteristics, and as such, you should be careful not to pair the wrong charger with the battery, as this can have a negative effect on the battery and can even be dangerous.

About the author: After qualifying as a mechanical engineer, Jim began working on magazines in the early 1990s. He remains passionate about product testing to ensure readers know what products offer good value and why. He relishes torrential rain to see if riding kit keeps water out and an hour or two to tinker on a project bike in his workshop.

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