My CG is not happy!

[Alexio]

So, for the last three days now, every time I have started my engine from cold I've been forced to bump start it. It's as if my battery is very low, allowing my starter motor to spin my engine about twice before grinding to a halt. If the engine is warm then there's only just enough juice left in there to get it going and then it's fine.

However, my CG has been on journeys recently which ought to have been long enough to have my battery in tip top condition. So while I haven't yet checked the levels in my battery (it's pretty new anyway) I now have to assume that my alternator is failing me.

Further evidence to suggest this is that when ever my engine produces a certain amount of vibration (meaning various bands of revs) a noise which is basically metal scraping against metal comes from below me. I'm assuming this means it's pretty much going to be FUBAR inside... although seeming as my bike is still working it is hopefully still producing at least a small voltage which allows my spark plugs to soldier on.

So bea sea ef, what do I do? Is it easy to open up the cover and take a look? Is this something that is likely to have started failing after 23,000 miles or so? And how much will it cost?
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will never give up his CG. I look at my fuel gauge more as a progress bar than a fuel gauge.
G: With my GSXR I do often effectively use it as a scooter with a clutch in town.
ms51ves3: why does it need 500 miles? Are you teaching it how to be a piston?

[N cee thirty]

you might have the same problem as me

one coils burnt out,the one which runs the lights and charges the battery,and the other is for ignition

you just need to take off the flywheel which is a pain,then try and replace the coils if there gone,which is a bitch as there hard to find ,well for my 1992 cg they are.
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

[vcrmoss]

[Alexio]

[27cows]

No, it's the stator coil that's probably gone, Wemoto sell ignition coils (the thing the spark plug is attached to). Sounds as if the coil might have come loose (or even the flywheel - I had that happen once on my elderly C70).

It shouldn't be any problem to get inexpensive replacements for a CG, if it turns out the stator coil is shot.
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The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[Alexio]

Well, after consulting my local garage for a free 60 seconds of advice the mechanic noticed that when you revved my engine my headlight actually started to dim

I assume that's because the spark plugs are not only pulling power from the ignition coil / part of the engine still generating electricity but also any life left in my battery. I have now realised that ideally I should charge my battery up immediately before I ruin it. Although, it does seem to be charging incredibly slowly.

*Sigh*. I'll have to try and find some time to have it all apart. Thanks for the advice. Google is being useless in helping me find prices for parts.
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will never give up his CG. I look at my fuel gauge more as a progress bar than a fuel gauge.
G: With my GSXR I do often effectively use it as a scooter with a clutch in town.
ms51ves3: why does it need 500 miles? Are you teaching it how to be a piston?

[virus]

Get the official flywheel puller from david silvers, its only about 8 quid and well worth it.

I spent 3 days and lost about a pint of blood trying to use 3 wheel pullers, long screwdrivers and hammers removing the flywheel on mine before I relented and got the honda tool, screwed it in, gave it a light tap with a small hammer and the flywheel came right off.



Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[N cee thirty]

[Alexio]

[27cows]

I've seen whole CG motors go very cheap - might be better to consider that option (so long as the motor does come with the stator).
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The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[Alexio]

Fantastic idea! Seeming as I'm never giving up my CG I'll need a way to keep it going anyway.
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will never give up his CG. I look at my fuel gauge more as a progress bar than a fuel gauge.
G: With my GSXR I do often effectively use it as a scooter with a clutch in town.
ms51ves3: why does it need 500 miles? Are you teaching it how to be a piston?

[P.]

[Robby]

Before you go crazy pulling the engine apart, have you considered that you could just have a knackered battery?

When a battery is old it loses its capacity to store a charge, so in effect your 10Ah battery is now a 1Ah battery. If the battery is more than 5 years old, or has been neglected in the past, it probably needs replacing.

The ignition system draws a tiny amount of power.

It is also possible that the reg/rec is dying, it's a classic Honda fault and there should be a method of testing it with a multimeter in the haynes manual.

I think a CG also has a ballast resistor that does something to do with the lighting, sitting beneath the headlight on the yokes. Memory is hazy, but I think it rusts where it connects to the yokes and knackers the resistor.

Charging test first. Connect a multimeter across the battery set to read volts. Before starting the bike, with the ignition and everything else off, a healthy battery will read about 12.5 volts. 11 or below is bad.
Now with the engine running on tickover you want to see at least 12 volts, and it should be higher than with the engine off. Turn the headlight on, and see if you get a significant voltage drop.
Now, headlight off. Rev the engine to between 4000 and 5000 rpm and hold it there until the reading settles. You should see around 14v. If it is more like 30-60v, your reg/rec is knackered. If it is the same or less than with the engine off (12v or under) then it isn't charging. This could mean a reg/rec failure, a broken wire on the charging circuit, or a failed stator.

Again, there should be stator tests in the haynes. If it runs the stator as two difference circuits then I would assume that you can test the resistance across each circuit and see if they are wildly different.

[27cows]

A dead battery or knackered reg/rec wouldn't explain the grinding noises coming from the engine. That suggests something has come adrift in the stator area.
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The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[Alexio]

Sadly cows I think something is adrift inside of my engine as you suggest. Anyway, massive thank you Robby, I shall be testing my electrics and looking for corrosion before pulling the engine apart.

And Paddy, I know I've been mentioning it for months now but if you want to come down here and help me pull my engine apart near the end of the month that would be much appriciated
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will never give up his CG. I look at my fuel gauge more as a progress bar than a fuel gauge.
G: With my GSXR I do often effectively use it as a scooter with a clutch in town.
ms51ves3: why does it need 500 miles? Are you teaching it how to be a piston?

[N cee thirty]

i bought a replacement stator coil thingy off ebay,hoping it wil fit,or be able to be bodged on else i'm gnna be stuck for parts again :/
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

[Alexio]

[N cee thirty]

[27cows]

One of the things that puts me off the CG is the assorted models they made, with bits that aren't interchangeable. I'm still tempted to get another, what with fuel being the frankly insane price it is at present. I used to get 140mpg out of mine, with care.
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The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[Alexio]

[27cows]

I like the late 90s one, with drum brakes but 12V electrics.
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The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris