Do I add distilled water to my motorcycle battery?

Yes.

Fill to the lower line and then charge.

Let it sit, then fill to the top line.

A buck or two?

Only 50 cents here.

If the battery is not a maintenance free type than it should have a upper and lower fill mark on the side and if the electrolyte level is not below lower mark you shouldn't add anything to it- just charge it if the bike won't start but don't over charge it, if the bike will crank over but not fast enough or long enough to start it than you should only have to charge it about half the time you mentioned. If you do have to add water put the cover back on as soon as you are done filling it because there is no sense in charging it with the cover removed, all that does is put the battery at risk of getting contaminated. If it is not a maintenance free battery than it will have a vent tube and as long as it is not plugged it won't build up pressure but you really should remove the battery from the bike to check the level and charge it. And remember it is important to always disconnect the negative cable first and then the positive cable last when removing your battery and when reconnecting it always connect the positive cable first and the negative cable last... I agree with dingram1 and he is right about a batteries not discharging on concrete, a battery on concrete won't discharge any quicker than one on a wooden or metal shelf or sitting in a plastic box for that matter. Also it is just dumb to fill one with tap water, distilled water don't cost that much.

Yes. Topping up the cells with distilled water is a normal and regular part of battery maintenance with a traditional flooded lead/acid battery. In summer months especially, you should check at least every couple of weeks, and top up as needed.

A gallon of distilled water is a buck or two at your local grocery or stop-'n-rob. If you find your battery low, and don't have distilled, plain tap water is better than nothing. It may shorten the life of your battery, but not as bad as leaving it dry.

Like the others said topping up is normal - an easy way to distill tap water is to boil a kettle and catch the steam droplets with a heavy plastic bag.Pour this into a clean plastic bottle - or place a clean plastic bucket in the middle of the yard when it rains.

Boiling water will not make it distilled. If anything it will concentrate the minerals and salts in it making it worse for the battery.

1

Best to buy distilled bottled water found at any store.....

yes make sure that it is distilled

you could do that...it will probably help for a little while, but if you're running a lead acid battery I'd just as soon replace it...

New battery is peace of mind.

If the battery isn't ancient, you can top up the individual cells. You can either buy distilled water, or boil up a kettle of water, and let it cool to room temperature.