Winter Battery - Water, Gel, AGM?

[ericvano]

I just recently purchased my first bike, a 95 Nighthawk 750. It has a battery in it that requires distilled water. As the temperature is going to drop the next few nights, I was thinking, will that sucker crack? Do I need to get one of those Gel or AGM batteries? I plan on riding her through winter unless there is snow or ice on the ground, at least once a week for a half hour.

[jonnythan]

I just recently purchased my first bike, a 95 Nighthawk 750. It has a battery in it that requires distilled water. As the temperature is going to drop the next few nights, I was thinking, will that sucker crack? Do I need to get one of those Gel or AGM batteries? I plan on riding her through winter unless there is snow or ice on the ground, at least once a week for a half hour.

It won't crack because the water is mixed with acid. It's just like antifreeze. The dissolved chemicals lower the freezing point of the water. You add water to antifreeze the same way.

It's worth mentioning that if you add water to the battery in the winter in below-freezing temperatures, you should ride the bike for a while to make sure the distilled water mixes sufficiently, or else the "pure" water sitting on top could freeze.