One of the most common questions that arises on the forum is `Andy, what battery do you use on your trike?`.......
I`m not gonna answer that because i`m not Andy, i will however provide a little insight into batteries and hopefully this will help in finding the right battery for you.
Firstly i`m going to start by saying that your battery will only be as good as your charging circuit. Self explanitory really, you cant keep taking power out without putting more back in!
BATTERY TYPESBasically there are two types of lead acid batteries (along with 3 sub categories).
The two main types are Starting (cranking), and Deep Cycle (marine/golf cart). The starting battery is designed to deliver quick bursts of energy (such as starting engines), The deep cycle battery has less instant energy, but greater long-term energy delivery, and should be used only to power items when you are camping.
The sub categories are : Wet Cell, Gel Cell, and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM).
The Wet cell comes in two styles; Serviceable and Maintenance free. Both are filled with electrolyte and are basicly the same. I prefer one that I can add water to and check the specific gravity of the electrolyte with a hydrometer.
The Gel Cell and the AGM batteries are specialty batteries that typically cost twice as much as a premium wet cell. However they store very well and do not tend to sulfate or degrade as easily as wet cell. There is little chance of a hydrogen gas explosion or corrosion when using these batteries; these are the safest lead acid batteries you can use. Gel Cell and some AGM batteries may require a special charging rate and specific battery chargers are made for these types. If you don't use or operate your equipment daily, AGM batteries will hold their charge better that other types. If you must depend on top-notch battery performance, spend the extra money. Gel Cell batteries still are being sold but AGM batteries are replacing them in most applications.
There is a some common confusion regarding AGM batteries because different manufactures call them by different names; some of the more common names are "sealed regulated valve", "dry cell", "non spillable", and "Valve Regulated Lead Acid" batteries. In most cases AGM batteries will give greater life span and greater cycle life than a wet cell battery.
SPECIAL NOTE about Gel Batteries: It is very common to use the term GEL CELL when referring to sealed, maintenance free batteries, but not all sealed and maintenance free batteries are Gel Cell.

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CCA, CA, AH and RC. What does all this mean?These are the standards that most battery companies use to rate the output and capacity of a battery.
Cold cranking amps (CCA) is a measurement of the number of amps a battery can deliver at 0 ° F for 30 seconds and not drop below 10.5 volts (a 12v battery is deemed to be flat below this). So a high CCA battery rating is especially important in starting battery applications, and in cold weather.This measurement is not particularly important in Deep cycle batteries, though it is the most commonly 'known' battery measurement.
CA is cranking amps measured at 32 degrees F. This rating is also called marine cranking amps (MCA). Hot cranking amps (HCA) is seldom used any longer but is measured at 80 ° F.
RC is Reserve Capacity. This is the number of minutes a fully charged battery at 80 ° F will discharge 25 amps until the battery drops below 10.5 volts.
AH is Amp Hour rating. If a battery is rated at 100 amp hours it should deliver 100 amps for 1 hour, 5 amps for 20 hours, 20 amps for 5 hours, etc.