Charging a motorcycle battery at 2 amps is slow but possible. You can do this by using a trickle charger.
You can charge your motorcycle battery with a trickle charger at 2 amps provided that you don’t exceed the given amp hours for your battery. Simply divide the total battery amps by two to determine the amp hours. For example, if your motorcycle battery has fourteen amps, you can’t leave it plugged in for more than seven hours.
Slow charging prevents battery cell stress to extend the battery lifespan. This is also a great way to keep the cells active while the battery is placed in storage.
Benefits Of Slow Charging
Slow charging definitely takes a longer time than normal charging but it has numerous benefits to it. It is deemed safer to charge at low amperage rather than a high one.
Less Stress
Battery cells can only handle a certain amount of electrolytes among its cells. This is applicable for absorbed glass mat (AGM), wet cell, and lithium-ion batteries. A huge influx of power can overwhelm the battery cells and cause damage. They may be unnoticeable at first but they’ll definitely accumulate over time.
Slow charging helps boost the longevity of your batteries. The slow flow of energy is more manageable and less stressful for the battery cells. 2 amps won’t overwhelm the battery cells with too many electrolytes.
Prevents Overcharging
Overcharging the battery happens when the charger is set at high amperage and it is left plugged in for longer than the designated amp hours. It results in irreversible damages like bloated battery cells, boiled electrolytes, excessive overheating, and buckled battery plates.
Slow charging at two amps lessens the chances of overcharging because it fills up your battery at a slower rate. This means that even if the battery was left plugged in longer than necessary, there will be little to no damage.
For Long-Term Storage
Motorcycle batteries need to be charged especially if they will be stored for a long time. The energy flow keeps the cells active and functional. It also prevents the accumulation of sulfate which can clog the battery cells and result in a dead motorcycle battery.
Charging at 2 amps is best for long-term storage because the energy flow is low and therefore manageable. This level is enough to keep the battery active from time to time.
How To Charge At 2 Amps
There are two main steps to charging your motorcycle battery at 2 amps.
Select The Proper Charger
There are three main types of motorcycle battery chargers: trickle chargers, float chargers, and smart chargers. Trickle chargers are best for slow charging and long-term storage.
You can also get a smart charger, I personally use a NOCO GENIUS2 it’s a 2-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger (check it on amazon – here) . It has a digital LED display that shows the battery charge and amp setting. It makes battery monitoring easier and more efficient. It also automatically shuts off once the battery is fully charged.
Modern chargers can also alert you if your battery’s health and if whether or not it’s time for a new battery. These chargers are more expensive than trickle chargers but they’re worth the investment.
Plug It In
Make the proper connections by plugging the positive cable to the positive terminal. This is usually color red. Plug the negative cable to the negative terminal. This is usually color black. You can also determine the terminals through their signs (+ for positive, – for negative). Plug them in the correct slots to get the polarity correct.
Set the charger to 2 amps before powering it up. Twist the knob and check if the pointer says the charger is set at 2 amps.
Once everything is in working order, you can leave it charging for the designated amp hours. Some traditional trickle chargers don’t have digital displays so you might have to check the amperage of the battery using a voltmeter or a multimeter.
