Electric Dirt Bike Batteries – The Power to Move Your Bike

If you have used a mobile phone with a replaceable battery, you may be aware that it is a Li-ion battery.

A similar Lithium-ion battery, much larger in terms of dimensions and power, is used in Electric bikes.

There have been a few major reasons for a shift from the conventional fossil fuel powered vehicles to the electric powered ones.

Some of these are the operating costs and ease of maintenance.

So, what are the different types of batteries, how are they made and how can you choose the best batteries for electric dirt bikes?

Let’s check it out.

Electric Dirt Bike Batteries: Information, Types, Uses

The Key Parameters to Consider with electric dirt bike batteries

The batteries used in Electric dirt bikes can be classified into two main types namely Lead-acid batteries and Lithium-ion batteries. The choice of battery to use in an electric bike depends on the owner.

While choosing the battery for your electric dirt bike, a few aspects come to the fore. Since the bike runs on the power generated by an electric motor, there is an immediate correlation between the specifications of the motor and the battery. The motor rating, in turn, determines the speed the electric dirt bike can achieve. However, these two are constrained by the space the bike has to house the battery.

The designers of bikes take all these into consideration and provide a box or a slot for the bike’s battery to be placed. If you own an electric dirt bike, you will start with these parameters. Even if you plan to upgrade the motor/battery, these factors will be critical. If you are into building an electric dirt bike yourself, then you can think of a larger motor and battery.

Production of Electric Batteries is Dominated by China

Interestingly, it was in Japan that the technology to make the Li-ion batteries emerged first. However, over the years, the focus has shifted to China. It is also important to note that the industry arrived at the Li-ion batteries as the best batteries for electric dirt bikes after some trial and error.

Earlier, the Nickel-Cadmium options were toyed with but were abandoned looking at their unsuitability. In China too, the rapid growth of the electronics industry necessitated the development of the Li-ion batteries.

Starting with the small batteries for mobile phones and other gadgets, the electric dirt bike batteries have been developed as well. It must be recorded that several companies from outside China, including the Japanese companies, took their battery technologies and set up manufacturing facilities in China. The country offered cheaper labor and other infrastructure to facilitate this.

The availability of raw materials in China is another factor that has led to the flourishing of the battery-making industry in that country.

Electric Dirt Bike battery charging

The Technology Involved in Making Electric Dirt Bike Batteries

The chemical composition of the material used inside the battery that is used in the electric dirt bikes is LiCoO2 (Lithium Cobalt Oxide). This is the material used for making the cathodes inside the Li-ion batteries and for the anodes, graphite is a common choice. This is an evolving technology and plenty of research is still being carried out. You may never get surprised if these are replaced by other more efficient alternatives. LiFePO4 (Lithium iron phosphate), for example, is a chemical that is considered to be better than LiCoC2. These start with Lithium as the base element though. There is also the battery separator which plays a critical role in determining the ultimate power delivered by the battery. The other critical technological angle here is the ability to deliver the same rated power after every recharge. This is a parameter the batteries will be tested on and have to be certified.

The manufacturing of the batteries is mostly automated, thanks to the advancement in technology in the field. The Li-ion battery manufacturing units with dedicated plants for producing the batteries for electric dirt bikes make the range of products to suit different power ratings. The best manufacturing practices are generally followed and there are adequate quality control processes in place.

Electric Dirt Bike and its Battery

Battery Ratings for Electric dirt bikes

At the level of the manufacturing units for batteries for electric two wheelers, there may not be a distinction made whether they are for the electric dirt bikes or other electric two-wheelers (ETWs). They will largely go by the ratings. The normal range you will come across are 24Volts, 36Volts and 48Volts. The current ratings for these will be usually 7Ah to 10Ah, Ah here standing for Ampere hours. There may be different combinations within these.

The size, design and shape of the batteries can vary with the manufacturer. If a particular model is being produced for an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), the dimensions will be as per the specifications given by the vehicle maker. The other critical factor to be studied is how much is the distance the bike can travel with the battery charged to the full and how many hours it takes to recharge the battery again. These vary with the power of the bike and the battery size.

The Cost Factor

It may not come as a surprise that the best batteries for electric dirt bikes cost multiple times the average cost of a lead acid battery. The primary reason is the cost of the components inside them. The larger view to be taken is that these Li-ion batteries come with a much longer lifecycle and can be recharged and used for years.

The conventional batteries need to be replaced after a few years and thrown away for good. A standard battery for an electric dirt bike might put you off by around $40 to $50. This is for a 24V 7Ah battery.

Prices can vary with the specifications, brand, etc.

You will have to invest separately in a battery charger.

Safety standards for electric dirt bike batteries.

Batteries can be explosive as you are warned on any battery, including the AAA ones you use in your household. Li-ion batteries too need to be handled with care. In the case of the batteries for electric dirt bikes, there will be clear instructions accompanying the bike when you make the purchase.

For your own safety, do read and follow them. In particular, while charging the battery in your garage or wherever, do stick to the safety instructions.

Even if you have some of the best motorcycle batteries, it is important knowing about them, how they work and how you need to store the battery in case you are not using it. Yes, the battery for your electric dirt bike might be constantly using energy.

Types of Electric Dirt Bike Batteries and they are important.

We have two basic types of electric dirt bike batteries. But that is all we need.

  1. Integrated Electric Dirt Bike Battery
  2. Swap-able Electric Dirt Bike Battery

What is Integrated Electric Dirt Bike Battery?

An integrated electric dirt bike battery is one that is integrated within the bike frame and cannot be removed if you are considering replacing it on your own in a short time frame. This is very bad if you run out of battery during a long journey.
It is highly preferable to have a dirt bike that has a battery with a longer range.

What is Swap-able Electric Dirt Bike Battery?

Swap-able electric dirt bike battery is a battery that can be easily swapped and replaced. This type of battery is very practical, however these batteries tends to have lower range than the integrated batteries.

What you need to know about charging battery.

Charging your electric dirt bike battery can be slow if you don’t have the proper charger. Usually because the e-bike battery is small, it can be charged overnight. Of-course, there are options where you can buy a stronger charger, however make sure you read your battery safety instructions.

Electric Dirt Bike Battery Range

At the moment the electric dirt bike battery ranges from 40 to 120 miles on famous brands. However this is very relevant at this point since the battery range trends are growing and new breakthroughs are revealed almost every few months.

How long do dirt bike batteries last?

It really depends on your daily usages but they last 4 years on average and to 8 years if you use your dirt-bike as a hobby.

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