Questionmy motorcycle was starting yesterday when I bought it, last night I had to jup start it to get enough juice. Today I had to push-start it and I was without any electrical functions such as headlights, brakelights, thermostat, etc. My battery looks brand new. Any suggestions?
nick
AnswerNick, CX500s are known for failing stator assemblies, which mount at the rear of the engine and are quite expensive. The motor must be pulled out to replace the stator assy. If you wind up in there, check the camchain and tensioners, too. There were some upgrades for those parts, way back when.
Some careful troubleshooting should be undertaken before condemning the stator, as there are other components to consider, including the regulator rectifer and associated wiring. Go to www.electrexusa.com for some technical assistance on charging systems.
These bikes have a self-generating CDI ignition system, so do not depend on a battery in order to make the engine run. Everything else is powered by the charging system and the battery. You can't tell the state of charge of a battery by looking at it. It has to be fully charged then tested for current draw capability. Once the battery is deemed to be okay, then you can adress the other components in the charging system.
There probably is a fusible link in the system, that is often located adjacent to the starter solenoid. If the link is bad, you will get no power at all. If the battery is dead you get the same result, of course.
If you don't have a shop manual or owner's manual for the bike, get one before you go deep into this problem.
I suspect that the previous owner was aware of the problem prior to selling it.....
Bill Silver
