Research by CTEK, a global battery protection and care brand, has found that a high proportion of motorcyclists are uninformed of the risks associated with using the incorrect type of battery charger to maintain their vehicle’s battery, which can lead to complications such as battery sulphation.

The research found that 50 per cent of riders were unaware that using a ‘trickle’ charger, the preferred method for charging older battery types, is not the appropriate method for charging and maintaining modern battery units. Therefore, if these chargers are used with newer batteries, serious damage could occur.

When the incorrect charger is used, two main problems can arise. Firstly, if a battery is undercharged then sulphation can occur, meaning that it can become deeply discharged or in the worse cases, fail completely. Conversely, it is possible to overcharge a battery, causing it to ‘dry out’. This is a common occurrence when using older-style chargers to charge modern and ‘maintenance free’ batteries, as these chargers can prove too powerful. Additionally, older chargers do not have the advanced features of newer devices and therefore can fail to spot potential problems in the charging cycle.

Both of these problems can be avoided by using a smart battery charger, such as CTEK’s MXS 5.0. The MXS 5.0 is a 12V battery charger that provides professional charging and maintenance and can easily solve battery related issues, ensuring that the battery is kept at optimal charge levels and in perfect health at all times. Unlike ‘trickle’ chargers, smart chargers constantly monitor charge levels and can instantly decide the best action to take for the problem that the battery is facing, making sure that problems such as ‘drying out’ and sulphation do not develop.

Katariina Stahl, director of sales and marketing at CTEK, commented: “Our research has found that far too many motorcyclists are unaware of the risks of using the wrong type of charger to charge and maintain their motorbike’s battery. This can lead to the battery being incorrectly charged, which in turn can cause breakdowns and battery failure. However, by using a smart battery charger, which has the ability to tailor its charging cycle to each specific battery type, these problems are completely avoidable.”

To find out how a simple battery check using one of CTEK’s smart battery chargers can help prolong the life of your vehicle’s battery, please visit www.ctek.com. Follow CTEK on Twitter – @CTEKChargers – and like on Facebook – /CTEKBatteryChargers.