New ATV models no longer come with a kick-starters these days and it is no wonder too because electric starters are more convenient and easier for both kids AND adult ATV users. Except for some ATVs that comes with BOTH electric and kick starts, batteries are usually a necessary item on the ATV. Since electric starters have become the norm on an ATV, it would be best if we learned up a little on how to maintain the ATV battery to avoid unnecessary mishaps.
Brief introduction on ATV batteries
There aren't all that many things you have to understand, know and remember about ATV batteries simply but in order to properly maintain your ATV battery, the first thing you'll need to know are the very basics. The Do's and the Don'ts. Most ATV batteries these days are lead-acid batteries which means that they are made out of lead plates, oxide, sulfuric acid and water solution. There are two common types of ATV batteries and they are the conventional type popularly known as 'floated' and then there are the AGM type of ATV batteries which translates into Absorbed Glass Mat.
The low-down on ATV battery maintenance
Usually, one would have to perform the usual ATV battery maintenance only 2 or 3 times a year. that shouldn't be all that hard to fit into your schedule. just do it during the weekend - in fact, if you have kids who complains of nothing to do and nowhere to go during the weekends, use that time to perform ATV maintenance! But let the kids do the general 'cleaning' part of the process, though unless they're old enough to be careful about getting themselves fried in the process of ATV maintenance!
You should never wear any jewelry when maintaining your ATV battery, so, remove them all before you start. Replace the jewelry with proper gloves, old and ready-to-be-discarded clothes and goggles. The ATV battery should be washed with a nice mix of baking soda and water - a few spoonfuls of baking soda with a pint of water should do the trick. Once done washing, check the fluid level of the ATV battery and refill it with distilled water. And right about now, connect the ATV battery to its charger and start trickle-charging the battery.
That's not the end of the ATV battery maintenance process because while charging the ATV battery, you should spend some time cleaning up all the connecting points inside the ATV, rub a little grease or Vaseline over the connections and tighten the positive cable connections. The ATV battery maintenance process is almost over - cover the positive connections of the ATV battery and then start greasing up and cleaning the negative connections now.
Here are some relevant sites that might be of interest to you in case you need help maintaining your ATV battery.
