Honda CX500 & GL500 Forum

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05-21-2008, 7:44 AM Sly Fox Joined on 02-13-2008 Jackson, Mississippi Posts 88 Bike Cut Off While Riding Well, I'm back again with a new problem. I was riding to work this morning when the bike decided it didnt want to go over 65 mph/6000rpms. I also noticed the temp guage was getting close to hot. So i pulled over to the side of the intertsate and sat for a little while to let it cool down. I started the bike up and the oil light was blinking at 1100rpm but when i gave it gas it cut off I then began to ride again and the bike started to develop a lower and lower top speed. I got off the interstate and the bike would only get up to 30 mph, i quickly pulled the clutch in and coasted into a parking lot, the bike cut off on its on before i made it all the way into the lot. I tried to see if it would start in neutral but it would only make a "click" from the starter. I tried to push start it and it seems to try and catch but i dont think i was moving fast enough. I'm worried that this may be a major problem. Where should I start. I just did an oil change two days ago and there was no metal in the oil, but the bike has always had a kind of ticking sound from the radiator area i thought it was the fan so i was going to check it this weekend. Thanks for any advice/suggestions.    Report

05-21-2008, 8:05 AM Anonymous Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding see this thread, sounds very similar,

05-21-2008, 8:20 AM Sly Fox Joined on 02-13-2008 Jackson, Mississippi Posts 88 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Forgot to mention Bike is a 1982 GL500, i read over the other post but my transmission was shifting fine which is why i dont think the motor is siezed up. But i could be wrong......??    Report

05-21-2008, 8:49 AM Harold Joined on 12-27-2006 Beside Washademoak Lake, N.B. Canada Posts 350 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding The bike in that other thread was a cx, that may make a difference. The gl needs battery to run, if your battery is dead, or maybe a bad connection somewhere, it may cause the symptoms you describe. If the battery is not dead, you will have to see why it is not turning over. Good Luck, I'm hoping it is the battery. "People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than biker gangs." 1978 CX500 1980 CX500 Custom 1981 CX500 Custom 1982 GL500 Silverwing 1975 XL-100 http://www.myspace.com/downwiththebutterfly    Report

05-21-2008, 8:50 AM mildhog Joined on 11-21-2007 Chesapeake, VA Posts 433 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding You could try to turn the engine at the front with a socket/wrench to see if it's siezed. But I would first check your electrical connections and grounds. Check the easy stuff first. If you have normal oil and coolant quantities with no apparent leaks and no clattering from the engine, I'd suspect an electrical problem...particularly loose grounds. They cause strange things to happen. Make sure the battery is charged. Again, easy stuff first. I'm no expert, just my thoughts. Good luck and let us know what you find. Arnie in VA 1982 GL500I Silverwing 1983 GL650    Report

05-21-2008, 8:54 AM Anonymous Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Check the 30 amp main fuse link.

05-21-2008, 9:18 AM Sly Fox Joined on 02-13-2008 Jackson, Mississippi Posts 88 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Well I'm stuck at work right now but when I get off i'll go check the main fuse, As far as engine noise goes all i had outside of normal noise was the sound from the ticking type sound from the fan area except it was louder than usual this time or maybe my fear of my bike breaking down amplified it. Lmao!!! Trying to keep some humor so i wont worry too much.    Report

05-21-2008, 9:36 AM mildhog Joined on 11-21-2007 Chesapeake, VA Posts 433 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding http://choppercharles.com/cs/forums/13458/ShowPost.aspx This deals with the 30 amp fuse. Arnie in VA 1982 GL500I Silverwing 1983 GL650    Report

05-21-2008, 9:44 AM RichNCT Joined on 03-02-2006 Posts 2,148 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Charge the battery up good.  If it starts/runs okay then, check voltage across the battery and rev the engine up, voltage should get past 13.5 VDC.  If not, charging system is malfunctioning and as previously stated, the TI bikes need battery for ignition.  If not charging, check the connector for the 3 yellow stator wires (on the GL it's under the battery sidecover, rear of the battery, in a plastic panel mounting).  Disconnect the three yellow wires, test for AC volts between each pair of yellow wires from the stator (engine) and expect to see 30-50 or more volts when revving up the engine.  If not, likely stator failure.  Also test each yellow stator wire to ground, expect no continuity to ground.  Also, a bad battery can make troubleshooting difficult, but the above tests do not require a new battery.  If charging is ok, suspect a bad battery, they sometimes fail quickly.  With the results of these tests, the troubleshooting decision tree can be redirected.  We wait with bated breath.  Born to be relatively wild    Report

05-22-2008, 3:33 PM Sly Fox Joined on 02-13-2008 Jackson, Mississippi Posts 88 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding I charged the battery up but when I press the start button the lights dim but the stator doesnt turn over. After I hit the start button a few times the stator will turn for a moment but then it stops and nothing happens. As far as my 30 amp fuse goes I can hear it click when I try to start the bike. On the post for the battery it reads about 13 volts but for the one for the motor when i press the start button it only reads about 8 volts. In the inside of the fuse it looks like the P.O. replaced the factory piece that goes between the two screws with some homemade piece of metal. I'm at a loss as where to go from here.    Report

05-23-2008, 10:05 AM Sly Fox Joined on 02-13-2008 Jackson, Mississippi Posts 88 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding As I reread the post about the 30 amp fusible link I feel like i may be looking at the wrong part, is the fuse that you make reference to the one behind my sidecover on the left side by the battery or are you referring to the fuses in the handle bar box? The ones in the box look fine but the one by the battery is the one that the P.O. appears to have messed with.    Report

05-23-2008, 11:02 AM RichNCT Joined on 03-02-2006 Posts 2,148 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding There are no fuses in the starter motor circuit.  If the starter tries but doesn't crank the engine it could be (in order of liklihood): Battery is shot or not adequately charged. Starter solenoid contacts are buggered Battery, starter solenoid, starter motor, or ground connection is poor Starter motor needs internal cleanup or replacement Engine is binding IMO you need a new battery, if it's more than 3 yrs old or you don't know the age, replace it. Born to be relatively wild    Report

05-23-2008, 11:53 AM Sly Fox Joined on 02-13-2008 Jackson, Mississippi Posts 88 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Battery was purchased in feburary, how would i be able to tell if the engine is binding, I thought it was an electrical problem since when i press the start button there is nothing but the clicking of the starter magnetic, and after a few presses the engine will try turn over for about 1-2 seconds.    Report

05-23-2008, 1:42 PM RichNCT Joined on 03-02-2006 Posts 2,148 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Remove the spark plugs and turn the engine over with the starter or by rolling.  There will still be resistance, but it should roll over okay.  That's LAST on my list, and it means your have a very expensive problem, so forget about it for now.  For an easy test, jump from a car battery.  Get the polarity right the first time and every time, look twice before connecting.  If it still doesn't turn over with some vigor, jump the battery positive to the starter motor post on the starter solenoid.  This will bypass the solenoid contacts.  It should crank no matter where the key is positioned.  Be careful with these checks, your making sparks around a fuel tank, and reverse polarity can ruin electronics in a split second.  Are you sure the bike battery is being charged by your portable battery charger? Born to be relatively wild    Report

05-23-2008, 3:54 PM Sly Fox Joined on 02-13-2008 Jackson, Mississippi Posts 88 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding I think the stater solenoid has gone bad. I tried to jump the battery positive to the post but it didnt make the stater turn the motor over. I'll see if i can track down a solenoid.....if that doesnt fix it then i'll move on to the stater.    Report

05-24-2008, 12:55 PM fll1441 Joined on 11-06-2006 Fort Lauderdale, FL Posts 675 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding It sounds like your battery voltage ran down while you were riding and that made the bike run poorly and, eventually, die. I suspect the later cranking problems are related to the weak battery. As Rich said, a weak battery will confuse trouble shooting. I don't think a solenoid problem would have caused your battery to go flat while the bike was running. If I were you, I would take the battery to an auto parts store and have it tested. I bought a new battery a few months ago and it worked for a couple of days and then wouldn't hold a charge. When tested, it was bad. When the bad battery was on the bike, it would not crank, even when jumped from a car. I suggest you confirm the battery is okay and fully charged. Then check all the battery cables, connections, etc. If you get the bike running, do the stator tests Rich described.    Report

05-24-2008, 1:56 PM Sly Fox Joined on 02-13-2008 Jackson, Mississippi Posts 88 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Well seeing as how there arent any places around here that I have found that can check a motorcycle battery i guess i will have to buy a trickle charger, but when I checked the battery voltage prior to cranking it was around 12.50 but the voltage going to the starter was only about 6 volts and then it just continued to drop. Is the starter solenoid suppose to click when the start button is pressed? I ask because I've never heard it make a sound due to the fact that the motor was always turning when i would start it.    Report

05-24-2008, 2:18 PM DaveNearAtlanta Joined on 03-03-2006 Lawrenceville, GA Posts 500 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding You've measured the battery voltage as 12.5 volts prior to cranking, which is a no-load condition.  What is the voltage across the battery during cranking, when it is at full load? If it drops below 10.5 volts or so during cranking, the battery is most likely discharged or bad. If the battery voltage is above that during cranking, and the starter voltage is only 6 volts, then the voltage is being dropped somewhere between the battery and the starter.  In this case, it could be the solenoid, the heavy battery cables, the starter cable, or a poor connection between them someplace. You can use the voltmeter to pinpoint the location where the voltage is being dropped. My Home Page 1981 GL500I 1982 GL500I 1983 GL650I This User ID is no longer used. DaveF is my new User ID.    Report

06-24-2008, 8:03 AM Sly Fox Joined on 02-13-2008 Jackson, Mississippi Posts 88 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Ok, I have replaced the battery and the starter solenoid, but bike still will not start. When i hit the start button the headlight cuts off but there is nothing from the starter, and then i can hit it again and the starter will try to turn over for about a second then its nothing again. It just keeps doing that. What areas would i be inspecting to see where the volts are being dropped? Start at the battery and then go on to the solenoid or what?? I also forgot to mention that after i tried to start the bike the stater was really hot, alomost burned myself is this normal?    Report

06-24-2008, 9:46 AM PWG in Lowgap NC Joined on 01-08-2008 Minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway Posts 551 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Disconnect the battery ground wire.  Remove the spark plugs.  Place the bike in neutral.  Remove the plug in the front cover and crank over the engine, using a ratchet and socket.  If the engine will turn over easilly with no binding then remove the starter.  open up and clean the starter according to Honda Service Manual instructions.  What?  You don't have a manual?  You're screwed. 82 Honda GL 500 SilverWing Trike "Old Yeller" 06 Suzuki S 50 Boulevard Cruiser ANY WARM DAY ABOVE GROUND IS A GOOD ONE (unknown senior citizen)    Report

06-24-2008, 9:58 AM RichNCT Joined on 03-02-2006 Posts 2,148 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Jumping from the + battery terminal to the cable lug on the starter will bypass everything but the ground.  If it doesn't crank over pretty well, check the ground connections at the battery and the other cable end at the starter mounting bolt.  Before replacing the starter (yes, I did get your email) I would disassemble it and clean it up (unless it's damaged or burned up internally).  Once removed from the engine, two screws permits it to be opened up.  Pay attention to any shaft end washers and their position on both ends.  Use fine emery or scotchbrite to polish the commutator, and check the brushes and springs for some life left.  The carbon buildup in the starters is often the biggest problem.  I have "saved" several starters with no new parts this way.  It is much more likely that the starter is malfunctioning than the engine binding, but anything is possible.  Are you sure the new battery is charged up good?  They don't come from the store charged up fully. Born to be relatively wild    Report

06-24-2008, 11:32 AM Sly Fox Joined on 02-13-2008 Jackson, Mississippi Posts 88 Re: Bike Cut Off While Riding Yes the battery is fully charged, i'll try and get the starter out sometime this week but time isnt easy to find nowadays. So a burning hot starter is normal? I will also take the spark plugs out and turn the engine over with a ratchet and socket to see if the motor is siezed.