Charging Battery to start the season

Hey gang...been awhile since I posted anything. Was out of work a bit over the winter, so tried to stay away from all bike related temptation so I wouldn't spend money!
Looking to get the bike ready to go now that the weather is finally starting to turn for the better. I went to hook up a battery charger tonight, and noticed inside looked bone dry. I don't know much at all about batteries...was planning on disconnecting and taking it to the local auto parts store to have the battery checked. When I bought the bike in September I was told the battery was brand new. It looks to be pretty new. Can I just add a little water in the plugs and charge it?

No harm in giving it a try and since it isn't worth a damn as is, nothing to lose right...

Unfortunately, chances are it's toast though... Sorry...

OMR

Best to remove battery from bike and service it on the work bench.

Bring fluid to proper levels with distilled water.

Charge overnight. 1 amp is good imo.

Before reinstalling, check specific gravity (little floating balls tool) and have load tested at the auto parts store.

With good charged battery reinstalled, would check charging system performance by measuring voltage across battery terminals at idle (look for 12~13 volts dc) and at 4000 rpm (look for 14+ volts dc).

Assure battery cable terminal connections are clean and snug. And also assure a good clean connection where the negative battery cable attaches to rear of engine.

Good Fortune!

Use distilled water(the kind used for steam irons) as it's mineral free(the tap water can slowly ruin a battery).

Never add acid to a battery too as it will upset the balance or water/acid needed to produce energy.

After charging, take to a shop for load testing to determine if it's still good.