June 17, 2021
In the recent scandal at Women’s Cyclocross World Championships under 23, one of the competitor’s bikes had a motor with electromagnetic wheels. So, even in world competitions, the use of electromagnetic wheels has already made its way. This motor with electromagnetic wheels made the bike an e-bike. But what is an electric bike?
Electric bikes first appeared in the late 19th century, wherein several e-bike patents were registered in the US Patent Office between 1895 to 1899. But only recently did the e-bike became prevalent with a rapid sales growth starting in 1998. Today, there are more than 120 e-bikes sold and in use in China alone. Moreover, in North America and Europe, its use is fast increasing.
The good thing about the use of e-bike is that you can automatically charge its battery while pedaling your way to your destination. However, one question that most e-bikers ask is about how long you would ride your e-bike before it gets fully charged.
How Long Should You Ride to Charge Your Motorcycle Battery?
Once your bike’s battery discharged, you can ride it to let the engine’s alternator recharge the battery. Some motorcycles don’t come with alternators but feature a magneto or generator that charges the battery while you pedal.
You must ride your motorcycle at a cruising RPM of around 3 kilometers/hour to charge its battery. Moreover, you need to provide your battery with at least 13.5 to 14.5 volts to regain its charge. Thus, you will need to ride the bike longer (for at least several hours) to gain a reliable battery charge.
You got two factors to consider when it comes to the time to recharge your battery. These two factors are the battery size and your riding speed. Your speed will determine the number of RPMs of your wheels. Moreover, increased speed means additional RPMs and a shorter time of charging.
Nevertheless, your battery size will also be a factor in the recharging of your battery. The larger your battery, the longer it will take to recharge. To maximize the RPMs, you should turn off the accessories like headlights and radio because these accessories can slow down the battery’s charging process.
Will the Battery Charge While My Motorcycle is Idling?
If the bike is idling, no charging will happen inside the bike’s battery, for the alternator will never create any charge inside the bike’s battery. Besides, once idling, it can’t create a sufficient amount of voltage. It is necessary to attain a 3K cruising RPM or even higher to engender enough battery charging voltage.
Will the Alternator Charge my e-bike’s battery if my Motorcycle Runs Stationary?
Your motorcycle alternator can recharge a dead battery in most cases. You simply must run your motorcycle on the road to make the alternator work effectively. However, if your bike doesn’t start up after being shut off and running on the road, then you need to go back to your garage and use a charger to awaken the battery up to bring it to a full charge.
Every bike will feature an alternator in its design. This alternator will keep the battery operating well while you take a ride on your bike. This alternator is a crucial safety feature that you can always rely on.
Nevertheless, if your motorcycle consistently exhibits start-up issues, it is time to consider replacing your battery. It will help to look for the best-performing battery as a replacement for your old battery.
Major Concerns When Riding Motorcycle to Create the Needed Battery Charge
One primary concern you may have when riding your bike to recharge its battery is about the reason why your battery discharges. There are several reasons why your battery will discharge. One reason may be because you left a light turned-on all night long. It may also be because you may have forgotten to turn off the radio after riding your bike.
Nevertheless, your headlight or radio can work even if your bike is not entirely cranked. However, if you inadvertently forget to turn off the key, you can surmise that the turned-on key caused the battery’s discharging.
Another reason is that you might not have used your bike for a long time. It will be useful to take your bike for a long ride every month to ensure that your battery will not completely discharge and that your bike will be ready and hot when you use it.
So, if you can’t ride your bike consistently every thirty days, it will help to buy a battery charger to maintain the battery hot.
Another reason behind the discharging of your bike’s battery is the malfunctioning of your alternator. If you have been riding your bike to keep the battery charged, but it often discharges, then the alternator might not be functioning well.
Lastly, your battery might not be working well. A good battery will maintain a full charge when you charge it. Yet, if it is not working well or has a dead cell, you need to check which between the alternator and battery is the culprit in your battery’s frequent discharging.
Do Motorcycles Come with Different Charging Power?
Motorcycles come in various charging power. The type of motorcycle you own would largely determine whether the alternator can revive its dead battery. If your bike comes with magnetic stators that don’t recharge at a very low RPM, then you will indeed find it hard to recharge your battery with low RPM.
It will be useful to check your motorcycle manual to figure out the level of voltage required by the alternator to start charging your bike’s battery.
How Can You Determine If Your Motorcycle Battery Needs Replacement?
When it comes to determining if your battery is beyond repair, use a battery tester. It will give you a certain sense of being scientific when it comes to figuring out your battery’s health quickly.
You can try charging the battery and then use your battery tester to determine if the charging session is sufficient. If the charging session didn’t work well, then it is time to replace your battery.
Conclusion
The use of e-bike, of course, comes with many advantages, especially for the environment, which has been so much affected by humanity’s misuse. However, one problem that comes with its use lies in how you would charge it and how long you need to ride it to give it a charge.
The tips mentioned above may help you solve some of the issues that hound an battery. Moreover, the FAQs mentioned above may also be the questions that keep on playing in your mind.