[CalebPhotographer]

Alright, just wanting to know if I should fork out the cash for a tune-up or something.



How cold blooded should this bike be? What is that dependent on?

I live in FL and when I try to start my bike it almost never stays running on the first turn. (It will begin to then die) and I can sit there trying to get it started for a good 15-30 seconds depending on how recently I last rode it.





How loud should the engine be knocking? How much vibration should there be? When I'm cruising at about 45mph, should the rear-view mirrors be clear or should the reflection be vibrating?





Also, why can't I pull the choke knob?? If I crab the choke wire from under the tank, I can pull that with my hands to engage choke (It hurts!) but I can't get that choke knob up for the life of me. Even if I'm pulling the choke wire out so there is slack, I can't pull the knob. I tried with pliers and it wouldn't budge.

 

[MFelix5251]

This is not a high vibration bike, from my experience so far, if you are relating it to say an HD. It does have a little in comparison to the Honda VF700 which has perfect primary balance, and about the choke cable, I had the same problem. if you can't get the choke closed with slack, try lubricating the internal cable. I cut a WD-40 straw at a 45 degree (or so) just for the purpose of lubing cables. Hope this helps

 

[kingston73]

Wow, that's a lot of questions!   



Cold Blooded:  Sounds like you might need to clean your carbs for a lot of those problems.  I live up in MA, and I generally ride until it gets around 40 F.  Below about 50F or so I need to ride it with 3/4 choke for about 5 minutes or so, but anything warmer than that it will start up with partial choke and doesn't need any choke above maybe 65.  Make sure your air filter is in good shape, but sounds like dirty carbs.



Knocking:  You might hear valve tapping and/or clutch rattle, but anything louder or heavier sounding should be investigated and soon.  Have you tried to localize the noise using the screwdriver stethescope?  If it's a very heavy sound and you can localize it to the rear cover it could be cam chain noise.  



Vibration:  There's going to be some, it depends on having your carbs synced and maybe wheel bearings or head bearings.  It's also mirror dependent, some aftermarket mirrors are horrible.  I have rectangular mirrors from another Honda on mine and they will vibrate at highway speed, but I can tell a cop car from a minivan at least.  If it doesn't hurt your hands or feet and isn't a safety issue you could let it be, up to you.



Choke Knob:  I'd start with checking right up at the top and see if maybe the collar is screwed in too tight.  There's a plastic collar that your can turn to tighten or loosen the choke knob, you shouldn't need any tools to adjust it so give that a try first.  You've already checked and made sure your choke plate moves down at the carbs?

 

[CalebPhotographer]

Wow, that's a lot of questions!   



Cold Blooded:  Sounds like you might need to clean your carbs for a lot of those problems.  I live up in MA, and I generally ride until it gets around 40 F.  Below about 50F or so I need to ride it with 3/4 choke for about 5 minutes or so, but anything warmer than that it will start up with partial choke and doesn't need any choke above maybe 65.  Make sure your air filter is in good shape, but sounds like dirty carbs.



Knocking:  You might hear valve tapping and/or clutch rattle, but anything louder or heavier sounding should be investigated and soon.  Have you tried to localize the noise using the screwdriver stethescope?  If it's a very heavy sound and you can localize it to the rear cover it could be cam chain noise.  



Vibration:  There's going to be some, it depends on having your carbs synced and maybe wheel bearings or head bearings.  It's also mirror dependent, some aftermarket mirrors are horrible.  I have rectangular mirrors from another Honda on mine and they will vibrate at highway speed, but I can tell a cop car from a minivan at least.  If it doesn't hurt your hands or feet and isn't a safety issue you could let it be, up to you.



Choke Knob:  I'd start with checking right up at the top and see if maybe the collar is screwed in too tight.  There's a plastic collar that your can turn to tighten or loosen the choke knob, you shouldn't need any tools to adjust it so give that a try first.  You've already checked and made sure your choke plate moves down at the carbs?

Cold Blooded: I was very afraid I would have to do that. I really don't want to.



Knocking: It sounds exactly like valve tapping, but I took it apart and checked the valves and it seems as though the gap is correct on all of them. I'm not 100% sure that I was doing it right.. I downloaded two different shop manuals, and went around to all the different tutorial postings that I could find. I couldn't figure out how to tell that it was at "T.D.C." My only experience is with a Honda Rebel which doesn't involve anything like that.

Vibration: Syncing carbs is something that a shop would have to do, correct?



Choke Knob: I just loosened the small piece that you were talking about until it was completely loosened off of the threading. Still will not budge. Not even a millimeter. I'll try spraying some WD-40 down it.

 

[kingston73]

When it's at TDC you should be able to slightly move both sets of rocker arms.  Not much, just enough to notice.  Or you could use something like a T-handle screwdriver or similar (something that won't fall through into the cylinder!) and take the sparkplug out and put your whatever into the cylinder and watch as it goes up and down.  As for syncing the carbs, it's not the easiest thing to do but well within an average mechanic's abilities if you have the carb sync tool.  I'm outta ideas for your choke problem though...

 

[CalebPhotographer]

When it's at TDC you should be able to slightly move both sets of rocker arms.  Not much, just enough to notice.  Or you could use something like a T-handle screwdriver or similar (something that won't fall through into the cylinder!) and take the sparkplug out and put your whatever into the cylinder and watch as it goes up and down.  As for syncing the carbs, it's not the easiest thing to do but well within an average mechanic's abilities if you have the carb sync tool.  I'm outta ideas for your choke problem though...

Alright well then the clearance is perfect on my valves. Could it be not enough fuel being delivered to the spark plugs? Maybe I really should get out there and just hunker down and attack the carbs.

 

[kingston73]

If you want to try it yourself, Larry here on the forum has a great instruction book you can buy.  OR you could send him the carbs and have them cleaned for you, thats what I did after I screwed up my carb body trying to clean them myself.  He's LRCX here.

 

[Shep]

Get some tools together and do the work yourself.We have helped loads of owners do jobs on these bikes they would never dreamed they were capable of and saved them loads of money and time.

We are open 24/7/365<grin>

They should start easy in all conditions once correctly serviced e.g carbs/Starter motor/decent battery/Cleaned electrics.



Tappets.



http://www.pdsrecording.site90.com/cxgl500/CXGLTappets.htm#CXGLTappets



Carbs cleaning and setting up,



http://www.pdsrecording.site90.com/cxgl500/Carbs.htm



http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/viewforum.php?f=19&sid=c81f1d97b43689900c6d896b055851b3



I highly doubt there is a better supported,"Classic" Honda on the Tinternet

They should have very little vibration and run smooth and handle great.



They can sound like this,



http://www.pdsrecording.site90.com/cxgl500/noises.htm

 

[CalebPhotographer]

Damn I messed up. I was tightening the bolt on the rubber boot on the front of the side with the throttle cable, and the bolt pulled the threading out of the crank case. Luckily there was a longer bolt that I used along with a can of hairspray to salvage the air tight seal. Now the engine does indeed start right up. It sounds better too.