Low charge or something else? CA77

HondaDreamer

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Jul 25, 2021
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Location
Providence, RI, US
Hi all,

My Dream CA77 has been riding rough recently and I'm trying to troubleshoot why, while being very inexperienced.

I'm able to get my neutral light to come on, and even able to get the bike to start after some time, but my horn and electrical start aren't happening. The neutral light will flicker like it's trying when I engage both horn or elec. start, but nothing comes from it.
I have a pretty new battery that I trickled charged through winter. New spark plugs, and new rectifier too. Lights are working.
Any advice on what I should check next?

Definitely having a carb issue too because my mixture is too rich, hence the new spark plugs. Might take that out and give it some attention. It feels unrelated to the electrical issue, but figured it might be worth mentioning.

IMG_6136.jpg

Thanks all!
 
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That rich mixture can also be a sign of weak sparks, I would start with a voltmeter, to see if the battery voltage stays up when it's running.
 
mike in idaho said:
That rich mixture can also be a sign of weak sparks, I would start with a voltmeter, to see if the battery voltage stays up when it's running.
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Interesting, Ididn't know that. Could you elaborate why a rich mixture would also be a sign of a weak spark? New spark plugs wouldn't help with that?
 
I think what Mike means is the result of a low battery = weak spark, creating a situation that appears to be a rich mixture. These older models are very dependent on a strong battery in very good condition due to the break-even charging systems from the factory, as well as the lack of a headlights-on law here until after they were built and shipped to the US which added more load to the already average-at-best charging output.
 
ancientdad said:
I think what Mike means is the result of a low battery = weak spark, creating a situation that appears to be a rich mixture. These older models are very dependent on a strong battery in very good condition due to the break-even charging systems from the factory, as well as the lack of a headlights-on law here until after they were built and shipped to the US which added more load to the already average-at-best charging output.
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That makes sense to me. I'm puzzled by the battery because it's a new battery, recently charged and has been on and off a trickle charger through the colder season. Could a dozen colder-than-usual nights lower the charge of a new battery so much as to cause ignition problems?
 
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How much output in amps does your trickle charger have? I assume it is a 6v battery and if so, it should have 6.3v at rest. If you take it off the charger and it reads 6.3, then let it sit for at least a half hour to an hour and check it again. If it can't hold 6.3v then it's failing. Cold is one of the killers of the typical lead-acid battery. If you have to buy a new one, invest in an AGM battery as they outlast a lead-acid by at least 3 to 1, often more.
 
ancientdad said:
How much output in amps does your trickle charger have? I assume it is a 6v battery and if so, it should have 6.3v at rest. If you take it off the charger and it reads 6.3, then let it sit for at least a half hour to an hour and check it again. If it can't hold 6.3v then it's failing. Cold is one of the killers of the typical lead-acid battery. If you have to buy a new one, invest in an AGM battery as they outlast a lead-acid by at least 3 to 1, often more.
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Correct, 6v.
I'll do this test.
I appreciate the help ancientdad.
 
I could be wrong, but aren't all CA77 Dreams 12 volt? Now, I don't even think a 12v system would even work with a 6v battery, so this may not be your problem, but I just want to confirm.

If it is 12v, all the same advice applies, but bump it up to 12.3 (or so) volts at the battery while running.
 
Lucien Harpress said:
I could be wrong, but aren't all CA77 Dreams 12 volt? Now, I don't even think a 12v system would even work with a 6v battery, so this may not be your problem, but I just want to confirm.

If it is 12v, all the same advice applies, but bump it up to 12.3 (or so) volts at the battery while running.
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You are correct, my bad. Just double checked to make sure. Thanks for the correction.
 
HondaDreamer said:
You are correct, my bad. Just double checked to make sure. Thanks for the correction.
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All the Dreams are 12 volt but the baby Dreams are 6's. A cheap meter is a needed item to check on these batteries, trickle chargers vary a lot and I don't trust them. 2 hours at 2 amps is almost too much. I test them with a meter to see how much they come up. A good battery should be 12.3 - 12.6 volts. I can't tell from your bike picture if you have the early or late battery, the change happened sometime in 64.

First get your battery healthy then see how it runs.

Harbour Freight had them for like $8. And here Range Digital Multimeter, Volt Tester Volt Ohm Amp Meter with Continuity, Diode and Resistance Test, Dual Fused for Anti-Burn (Dual Fused for Anti-Burn) ,Red: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement
 
ballbearian said:
All the Dreams are 12 volt but the baby Dreams are 6's. A cheap meter is a needed item to check on these batteries, trickle chargers vary a lot and I don't trust them. 2 hours at 2 amps is almost too much. I test them with a meter to see how much they come up. A good battery should be 12.3 - 12.6 volts.
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I was remembering wrong from what I thought my '64 CA72 had when I was a kid, been a long time. Since it is a 12v battery you want 12.6v at rest, and if it holds 12.6 overnight then it should be good.
 
Ok, just went to the auto parts store to test the battery. Result was that it was maintaining a good charge and was in good shape.
So the plot thickens. Going to do as LDR suggested and start cleaning the connections.
 
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