[zenbones]

Hey everyone!



Ok, just a couple things i have noticed with my cx500 and figured this would be the best place for some answers...



First! Am i just being a wuss and cornering very easily? It seems that with the ground height of this bike, i get very nervous leaning into turns and would rather slow down to say 25mph than try the turn at 40 which is the posted limit. this causes some horn blowing behind me. but its 13 inches off the ground and that just makes the bike feel very top heavy and unstable to me. I have heard alot off great reviews for the way this bike handles, but i am not seeing / feeling it. just want some feedback as to whether this thing can do more than i am letting it.



Second! the bike only has 22,000 on it. I have adjusted the valves and the timing chain, replaced the intake boots as they were very badly cracked. the exhaust is cracked before the mufflers all the way around, but pete seeger said it best. " it went zip when it moved and Popped when it stopped...." this sounds like orville reddenbacher is hiding somewhere in my motorcycle and randomly making popcorn as i slow down in gear. intake leak maybe? i have no clue..



and last, today i was reading about the "cdi"? i have no clue. the power seems like it comes on very slow when i get going but once i open it up its starts to move. i haven't synched the carbs, but i think thats gonna be next. but now reading about this cdi, i am not sure. the bike does go over 60 when i am feeling pretty sure about it, but again, the cornering leaves me a bit nervous so i don't really get on it that much. hopefully the answers to #1 will alleviate that a bit.



So yeah, any help would be greatly appriciated. I do like this bike but the uneasyness makes me think that a lower center of gravity bike would make me a little more comfortable. if its just me, i will work on it, but if its the bike, then i may have to reconsider.



Thanks for yer help!!!!

 

[Kenny]

It's not the bike [G].



Although I don't do it anymore, I used to hang with a crowd who liked to really tear up the twisties at 2x or 3x the speed limit. I did a mountain run with them once and kept up with them as we were coming down from the top at 2x the speed limit and my GL650 handled the curves much better than I did. (I imagine a CX could do even better.)



In my experience, my GL will handle any posted speed limit easily and I'm actually more comfortable taking curves at 10-15 mph over the posted limit in most cases. If you have good tires, your suspension is up to snuff and you're familiar with the road, it's hard not to do more than the limit! If you want to work on it, find a twisty road somewhere and ride it in one direction then stop and think about it for a bit before you ride back. Do that a few times and see just how fast you can go. Don't get crazy, just work yourself up to the speed limit. It probably won't take too many runs before you find yourself going 5 over without even knowing it. The key is to practice! If you use a stretch of road that is familiar to you then you can concentrate on your skills and not worry about an unknown road surface.



Practice, practice, practice!

 

[Shep]

Which model CX500 is it?



My CX500 A models handle great.Here's a picture of my rear tyre wear,

as you can see it's about an 1/4" of an inch from the outer of the tyre so I lean quite heavily depending on road conditions/bends.I think it may just be confidence in the bike.



You should have NO leaks in the exhaust system as it will cause problems like popping/backfires.





Power delivery needs the ignition system,carburetion and exhaust all to be correct.I susupect you need a carb service.If you haven't already then put new plugs in,



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

 

[zenbones]

Ok!



I'm going to work on it today.. its beautiful out..almost perfect riding weather in CT. I have new tires. the front forks do leak a bit, even though i replaced them with new ones from a company in New York, but leak none the less. I'll give it a whirl today!!



thanks for your quick reply!! i will let ya know how it goes!

 

[Shep]

If you haven't already change the ATF fluid in the forks for the far superior modern Heavy Fork oil,





http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Heav...230429927114?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories





Makes a world of difference to the handling of the bikes.

 

[zenbones]

Its a 81 cx500 deluxe. i took the fairing off though.. i will add some pictures today. I changed the plugs but still have to go through the carbs. if i can update from my phone then i will as soon as i get outside.

 

[Allan]

Have you heard of countersteering. As you approach a left turn try giving a brief, gentle push to the left side grip of the handle bars.

Or if entering a right hand turn, then give the push on the right grip. This will cause the bike to lean in the direction of the turn and make the bike corner better.

Type "counter steering" into a google search and read/see videos etc. on this technique. If you practice this enough it will eventually become second nature and help you to avoid obstacles, potholes etc.



Also check your bike for notched steering stem bearings. While sitting on the bike on the center stand try turning the handle bars slowly from side to side, you should be able to turn them with no "notching" or sticky feeling spots.(usually if there is it will be when the wheel is straight ahead. When you lean your bike into a turn it should "countersteer" somewhat on its own but if there is a notch in the bearings it may not do this as easily as it should.



As for the popping and poor engine performance, you may have an air leak somewhere. I use an unlit propane torch to find air leaks. Open the valve on the torch and move it all around the intakes between the carbs and the heads while the bike is idling, if you notice a difference in idle speed while the torch is in one particular spot, chances are you have an air leak at that spot. A lot of the members here use a spray can of brake cleaner, etc. in place of the propane torch.



Your idle mixture adjustment screws may be set too lean also. Usually they should be 2.5 turns out from lightly seated as a starting point.

 

[kingston73]

Like everybody else said, as for the popping sounds that's a carb clean for sure.  As for the turning and feeling top heavy, the best thing you could do is find a big, open, unused parking lot somewhere and just practice circles and figure 8's and u-turns.  Do you have crash guards on the bike?  If not, that's a good thing to find as the cylinder heads will be the first thing to hit the ground without them.  When I first started riding, I thought there was something wrong with the speedo as it only said 25 mph and I swore I was going at least 50, turns out it was all in my head.  Like Shep said and like his picture shows, the bike will do as much as you are comfortable making it do.  My rear tire still has probably about a 1/2 inch of unused tread, I have't leaned it over to its max in the 3 years I've had it.

 

[zenbones]

I have heard of countersteering, but definatley need more practice at it. I think its mostly my mind playing tricks on me that in order to go left, just lean left, not push left.



I hadnt even considered the steering stem bearings, so it looks like i am going to need some face time with the bike in the garage. I really should have gone through the basics first, this is stuff i know. But with wanting to ride it and wanting to work on it or go through it, sometimes i sacrifice and this is where it gets me.



My idle sits at about 1100 when the bike is warm and it does seem a bit high, i just worry if it is not 100% now, and runs, how much am i going to change it to the point where i am goosing it at every light. i dont have the sych tool yet or the funds to gett the proper rebuild kits so if its something i can do with out causing more problems then i have already then i will definatley go for it.



Thanks for all your Help guys!! you do meet the nicest people on a honda!!!

 

[Allan]

I should have mentioned that when checking the steering stem bearings your front wheel should be off of the ground.

 

[Panther]

Correct idle speed Is 1,100 rpm.

anything below 1,000 could cause bearing damage due to low oil pressure.



Have you taken the Beginners Riders Course yet?

I would highly recommend it for a new rider.

It will help with a lot of the things you find strange and raise your confidence too.

 

[jayhanig]

I have heard of countersteering, but definatley need more practice at it. I think its mostly my mind playing tricks on me that in order to go left, just lean left, not push left.

I'll say this: it seems counter intuitive. I asked about it in my MSF class and never got a decent answer. They told us to push down on the side we wanted to go. That does work but it's not countersteering.



I had to experiment a bit but you push *forward* on the side you want to go. It throws you over into a lean very quickly and smoothly and your turn will happen quicker. I don't do it all the time as I still use the "press down" most of the time. But if I need to get over quickly, I countersteer. It seems much more positive on sharp turns.

 

[DavidfromWisconsin]

I have heard of counter-steering, but definitely need more practice at it. I think its mostly my mind playing tricks on me that in order to go left, just lean left, not push left.



I hadn't even considered the steering stem bearings, so it looks like i am going to need some face time with the bike in the garage. I really should have gone through the basics first, this is stuff i know. But with wanting to ride it and wanting to work on it or go through it, sometimes i sacrifice and this is where it gets me.



My idle sits at about 1100 when the bike is warm and it does seem a bit high, i just worry if it is not 100% now, and runs, how much am i going to change it to the point where i am goosing it at every light. I don't have the sych tool yet or the funds to get the proper rebuild kits so if its something i can do with out causing more problems then i have already then i will definitely go for it.



Thanks for all your Help guys!! you do meet the nicest people on a Honda!!!

Go out and practice counter-steering in a very large parking lot. It will save your butt at some time in the future. Make sure you are doing at least 30 mph when you practice it and be sure that you are prepared to turn quickly.



Here is how to check your head bearings.





Checking Head Bearings



This procedure is very hard to explain even though it is very easy to do ... If my directions don't do it for you ask a mentor to show you. I was showing someone a year ago how to do it and discovered that my GL650I head bearings were shot!!! I had checked them at the beginning of the riding season, so that shows they can go out at almost anytime on anyone.



To check the head bearings have someone sit on the back of the bike so the rear wheel is firmly on the ground.



Then go to the front of the bike and kneel down in front of it and grab both lower forks firmly with your hands. Pull slowly forward and push slowly backwards feeling for any movement. Be sure that you are no compressing the springs at all and confusing that with movement back and forth. This tells you if the bearings are loose and need adjusting. Sometimes it can also show that the forks are worn out ... so if you aren't sure ask someone who knows to test them for you.



To test for shot bearings (Not the same as loose bearings) while that person is on the back of the bike by putting one finger very lightly on top of or on the end of the hand grip of the bike. Then move the handlebars every so slowly (about a minute lock to lock) back and forth feeling for a very slight notch or stop in the rotation of the bar. It is usually very near to having the wheels straight ahead that you will normally find the notching effect. If you feel it drop into a notch that means the bearings are shot and need replacing.



You can have loose bearings and not have them shot, but you cannot have notched bearings without them being shot.



I hope this doesn't confuse you ... if it does I always recommend that you find a mentor to help you and when you become equal to that mentor you become a mentor to someone else.