cold weather and my clutch

[billz]

I am beginning to understand that my bike doesn't shift for beans when it is cold. In fact, if the bike is setting outside in 30F weather it will not shift into first gear without killing the motor. After I ride for an hour or so down shifting is much smoother than just putting around town and never getting her warmed up.

I have the clutch set on the 'longest pull' setting already. Does anyone else experience this? Is there anything I can do to improve this issue.

It is kind of embarrassing to be sitting in the 'library' for a couple of hours and come out and kill your bike, sheesh!

 

[boogerdave]

Hmm . . too bad its not a Hardly . . you could just trailer it to the library and back in cold weather . . .

Seriously . . if I remember right there is two different weights of oil you can use in the bike. 10w50 and 20w50 . . you might try the 10w50 or . . let it warm up a bit more.

 

[Sidecar Flip]

Clutch drag is an inherent characteristic with all wet clutch designs. Even my little KLR exhibits the same symptoms when cold.

The easiest method to break the clutch, driven/drive plates from the oil film grip when cold is to rock the bike back and forth a bit with the bike in gear and the clutch pulled. That will break the oil film and allow the plates to become free.

Every wet clutch assembly exhibits the same behavior.

I won't matter a bit if you have the clutch at maximum pull (as you say). In all actuality, because of the clutch design (lifter shaft and socket), I would refrain from doing that. I would immediately return the adjustment to the factory recommend setting. When you set the cable at maximumn pull (travel), you put unnecessary strain o0n the lifter shaft and the ball socket.

Whether you pull the clutch at maximum travel or not, has nothing to do with seperating the drive/driven plates. The film thickness of the oil holds them together and there is no internal mechanism that seperates the plates upon disengagement other than the obtained clearance allowed by the removal of pressure by lifting the pressure plate.

 

[billz]

Thanks!

Thanks Flip, that makes sense, I will give it a whirl!

 

[Baggage1]

Don't know if I'm yanking a chain here or not but would slight engagement as in feathering with the brake on, warm it as well ? After all, you are looking for heat to free the buggar up. Clutch wear for heat is the trade off just stop before the smoke starts. Or my favorite suggestion is to move to Fl.

 

[Sidecar Flip]

Don't know if I'm yanking a chain here or not but would slight engagement as in feathering with the brake on, warm it as well ? After all, you are looking for heat to free the buggar up. Clutch wear for heat is the trade off just stop before the smoke starts. Or my favorite suggestion is to move to Fl.

Fla might not be a bad move. It's cold here tonight...like 34 and that's warm compared to what it's gonna be.......

Got room in the garage?

Billz's problem is cold disengagement. The film thickness of the cold oil causes the clutch plates to stick together so you start the bike in neutral and go to put it in first and BAM, the motor stalls. On my little KLR, the bike spins the tire...and stalls. It's an inherent characteristic of an oil bath wet, multiplate clutch.

If you aren't in a hurry, you can start the bike and let it warm up a few minutes...the oil will warm and will loose the 'stickyness' on the clutch plates and then she will release and go in gear.

I guess you could start it in gear and feather the clutch a bit....powerbrake sort of. That too would free the clutch..........

I could see myself doing that and loosing my grip on the clutch lever and going ass over teakettle........

We know that I know that the sucker is a bitc* to pick back up.