Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow speeds

If it's broken or just needs tweaked

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arcangel
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Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow speeds

Postby arcangel » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:08 pm

My bike started acting up a few weeks ago the bikes starts and runs like a dream while cold after warming up during high speed riding 55mph or so
After I stop at a light the bike starts running rough and have to rev it up to keep it runing and to get it to take off It sounds like it id bogging down .
It gets a low waaaa kind of sound and acts like it is going to die once i
I get it going lets say around 35 or so it smoothes out but as soon as I slow down for a stop It is back to running like crap again.

10 Min or so and it runs fine again.
Under a heavy load like going up steep hills it has had kinda of a spark knock sound from time to time.

at High way speeds it seems to run 65 to 70mph great but as soon as I slow down it runs like crap and has no power starting out but again it runs fine after you get it up to 35- or more mph.

Any Ideas ????
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Mainerider
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby Mainerider » Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:52 pm

What year bike?
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Pinhead
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby Pinhead » Sat Mar 12, 2011 10:39 pm

Hate to say it, but that's the exact symptoms I had when my alternator quit working... Check your charging voltage.

If that's not the problem, I'd look at your ignition system. Verify that your coils are getting good battery voltage and that they make a good, strong spark.

It sounds like ignition to me. Either low charging voltage or the ignition itself...

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arcangel
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby arcangel » Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:33 pm

It is a 1981 Honda CB650c

Thanks pin head I will look up the voltages.

Last check was last year and it was putting out around what the book called for.

I was thinking the coils might be the cause I plan on checking them next time I can to see if they are heating up I have read they can cause erratic firing if they are getting weak.
I was told the pickups can over heat as well and cause the same problems.
Thanks for the ideas I will check them out. and let you know what I find out.
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cb650
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby cb650 » Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:26 pm

I had pick ups go out when hot.
Did you clean the tank out?!?!?!?!

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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby Pinhead » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:18 am

Oh, I forgot to mention... Even if your charging voltage is spot-on, your coils may not be getting the same voltage. Since the power to the coils goes through a plethora of connections and switches, there will be some voltage drop.

If you find that your battery voltage is, say, 13.3v and your coils are only getting 12.3v (as an example), you should consider installing a relay between the coils and the battery.

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arcangel
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby arcangel » Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:28 pm

Pickups inside right cover Most likely are the cheapest first thing to change

GENERATOR, PULSE is what they are called I think Is this what you are talking about cb650?

Where Did you find your replacement at.


I will have to look for a set I guess. The bike is getting worse and worse so guess I just as well start the trial and error.

Thanks for the help.
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cb650
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby cb650 » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:07 pm

I had extras from all the parts bikes. Mine never gor worse and a couple times would do good so was always hesitant to change them. Eventually figured it out and changed them.
Did you clean the tank out?!?!?!?!

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arcangel
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby arcangel » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:10 pm

I found some pulse generators on ebay for 9 bucks used.
I may have to get them and hope they are good and fix my problem.
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Volker_P
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby Volker_P » Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:03 am

So it seems it takes a problem to make you find your way back here... :roll:

Do all four plugs look equal? If it does that again, you may find out by comparing header temperatures whether it still runs on all four.
Check your valve settings, possibly one or two cylinders are too tight.

For ignition, I would start with cleaning all contacts. 30 years are a long time.
If it sputters again, switch off the headlight ans see if it gets better. Then it is obviously an ignition power problem, maybe related to weak charging.

Also check out if your ignitors look like melting.

Have a look if carb boot clamps are still tight.
Cosky's great (free) online manual: http://cosky0.tripod.com

forum links to common technical issues

If you really like this site and you would not like to see it vanish soon, have a look there: Urgent: Future of HondaCB650.com Forum

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arcangel
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby arcangel » Tue Mar 15, 2011 8:49 pm

I read the post as a guest a lot of times but most of the time you guys have all the answers so I just don't post HA hA.
Besides I have put 20,000 miles on my bike and I can't do that by posting on the internet. :lol: I have Joined the CMA and they are keeping me tied up a lot.

Plugs look fine and wires and plugs were changed 5 months ago along with the Resisters that snap on top of the plugs

The Pulser generators look like new I reset them to .013 book says .012- .016 clearance

The ignighters not sure what those are un less you mean Pulser generators unnder the right side cover, or the Ign MODULES this is the 2 electric components on top near the battery that have the black tar in them and that are Bracketed together? I used epoxie to seal them off a long time a go they were slightly leaking.

Valves were re-adjusted not that they were off by much but did it any way.
even tried setting both to .003 to give them a slightly more open space same result. My local Honda dealer said they set them both to .003 instead of setting the intake to .002 and ex to .003.


as to the head light it can't be switched off ( no switch)
But I will try un pluging the headlight and see if that helps.
as to the pipes I will re-check the temps but they all seem like they are getting hot the same amount. I did find the pages to check the compoinets like the Pulser generators etc So I will check them out as well.
That and cleaning the connections as well.
I will keep you guys posted .

Thanks for the help
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Volker_P
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby Volker_P » Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:39 am

arcangel wrote: Besides I have put 20,000 miles on my bike and I can't do that by posting on the internet.
Very good reason.
Approved! :lol:

arcangel wrote: Plugs look fine and wires and plugs were changed 5 months ago along with the Resisters that snap on top of the plugs.
If the caps really contain resistors and you use the stock resistive plugs (NKG DR8ES-L) you have both components resitive. That may work (e.g. in winter?) or be too much (e.g. now that it es getting warmer?). Try usual caps with stock plugs or if you like to keep the new, shiny caps, take normal plugs instead.

Ignitors mean the boxes with the tar stuff (CDI's).

Pulse generator gap may be nicely adjusted by mounting them with a sheet of paper in between pointer nose and pulse generator.
Cosky's great (free) online manual: http://cosky0.tripod.com

forum links to common technical issues

If you really like this site and you would not like to see it vanish soon, have a look there: Urgent: Future of HondaCB650.com Forum

Pinhead
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby Pinhead » Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:37 pm

You want no more than 10k ohms of total resistance in each coil secondary loop.

Each coil fires two plugs, so that's 5k ohms at each plug. You want to run either resistive plugs or resistive boots, not both.

Don't dispense of the resistors completely, however, as the resistance in the coil secondaries is needed to slow and extend the current draw from the coils. This lengthens the spark event to help ignite the mixture more completely (as well as reducing EMI and putting less stress on the coils).

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arcangel
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby arcangel » Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:43 pm

The plugs I have are non restive plugs and the resistor boots connectors were on the bike with this type of plugs so it has only one resistor on each wire.
but thanks for telling me me about the issues of having more than one resistor on each wire/cylinder.

I did re-gap the Pulser generators to the .012 gap and it seems to have done the job so far so good on the ride to and home from work the bike was runing fine.
I pulled up at home and the bike idled like it should.

Tomorrow will be a hotter day so I will see what happens with the hotter temps.

The other day it was around 10 deg hotter and it was acting up in around 25 miles of riding at hi speed with a pasenger.
It is expected to be around 70 + degrees today it was only around 60deg.

If the pulser generators are getting weak moving them closer would make them work better I would think.
After all they were closer to the .016 hi side of the tollerance.

I may just check the old Resistive boots and the new ones and see if there is a difference in the resistance. The Honda dealer Ordered them and looked them up in the book but Could have still gotten it wrong so It may be worth a look.
Ok I checked them
5k resistance on both old and new Resistor boots
plugs are now NGK D8EA I had NGK D7EA for the winter

I wonder does any one know what the Ignitors the boxes with the tar stuff (CDI's). should read resistance wise or voltage wise what ever is applicable .

It is funny my choke has to be off with in 1/2 block to 1 block or the bike runs like crap. I have a very short warm up time even in the winter time,
and the bike starts on a dime It seem hard to believe there is a problem with carbs or electrical but here it is none the less.
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Volker_P
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Re: Running rough after 15 or 20 miles of riding at slow spe

Postby Volker_P » Thu Mar 17, 2011 1:36 am

arcangel wrote: Under a heavy load like going up steep hills it has had kinda of a spark knock sound from time to time.
Check your cam chain tension.

If it appears again I would try the other spark plugs. Maybe one of these D8EA is weak.
Cosky's great (free) online manual: http://cosky0.tripod.com

forum links to common technical issues

If you really like this site and you would not like to see it vanish soon, have a look there: Urgent: Future of HondaCB650.com Forum


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