Jon5465 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Hi all, I've recently passed my CBT & bought a Honda CG 125 '02 plate for £400 to commute to & from Brighton to London. A bargain if you ask me as the last owner was a bike mechanic who replaced everything on it as it was for his wife... everything except for the battery. The '02 model is the one with both E start & Kick start so even though the battery is flat I can get the bike started and the lights / indicators work once the engine is revving. Would it be okay to keep using the bike like this? Even though the battery is flat, like I said I can still use it... but am I damaging anything by doing this? I have looked and I think YUASA YTX5L-BS is the right battery for my bike but am not sure if this is so & also if I would need to charge it when I receive it or whether I could just plug it straight in? If it does need charging would a boltstandard oxford / halfords charger do the trick? Congratulations if you've managed to get this far through my ramblings and any advice would be appreciated as I am new to the biking world! All the best, Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weebl Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 You won't do any damage riding like that. The only issue you will have is the electric start won't work, and should you stall mid junction or have another issue which shuts the engine down, you will lose lights and indicators.Depending where the battery comes from, you may be able to plug it straight in, you may have to top up the acid (which will be supplied with it) and charge. Any battery charger will work just fine, you don't need a bike specific one. You could also just fit it, then kick start the bike and go for a ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decor58 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 The only possible damage it may cause is to blow the regulator/rectifier and alternator. If the battery is dead, the bike will be constantly trying to charge it which can cause the reg/rec to overheat and blow and it's quite an expensive repair bill.If I were you, I'd try charging the battery on a 12v charger that has a trickle charge. If you don't have one, I'd recommend you look at getting a ctek charging system, as it can revive sulphated batteries and can be left attached indefinitely and help to maintain the battery.If after charging the battery it looses it's charge again I would replace it, for the sake of £40 (typical cost) I would say it's highly worth it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastanglianbiker Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 if you try and charge it make sure you are using a charger with very low ampage output and not a standard car charger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBlonde71 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I recently changed my Battery, following the instructions I added the acid and left it for an hour, then fitted it to the bike, the bike started first try and then I went on a 25 mile ride (trip to work) and it has been fine. Fit a new battery and ride from London to Brighton and it will be charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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