wont start on side stand overnight

[Darwin_R65]

Well last year I had a few issues where the bike would not start first thing in the morning.
I'd push it out the driveway and roll start it down the hill, but even then was a bit onerous as in 5th gear the back wheel would still lock up. I'd have to roll it backwards in gear to get the engine off the compression stroke and then roll start it whilst pressing the starter button, and then it takes about 30 feet to start.
I thought I had a battery on its way out and had been planning on replacing the battery.
But after a short while of procrastinating i discovered that when it did start I'd have a small smear of oil appear near the flange on the left pipe that would then burn away. I also sometimes get a good cloud of smoke from the left side exhaust when starting.

What it appears to be is overnight i get an accumulation of oil in the left cylinder if I leave it on the side stand overnight. And obviously oil doesn't compress as well as air/fuel mixture.

If I leave the bike on the centre stand overnight i don't have any issues, even when i left it for 4 weeks. It started easily.

So sounds like I have valve seals to deal with.

Would you agree? or has anyone had similar experience?
I assume if it was the piston rings, I'd be blowing smoke all the time.

Once i start it the bike is easy to start fro the rest of the day.

Cold overnight weather is not an issue as its not cold overnight in Darwin.

Weather is currently (in celcius)

Darwin:    
Monday        Showers, possible storm.       Min 25    Max 31
Tuesday       Showers or storms.               Min 25    Max 31
Wednesday   Afternoon shower or storm.   Min 25    Max 31
Thursday      Afternoon shower or storm.   Min 25    Max 32
 

John

[Barry]

Smoking on the left side after use of the side stand is common enough but I've always thought it was oil passing the piston rings rather than the valve guides which are not in anycase submerged in oil with the engine off although mine doesn't lean over very much on the side stand.

My experience of overnight use of the side stand when I had the centre stand off for repairs was that it would only smoke say one time in 5 and I put that down to the resting position of the piston when the engine was turned off.

If you really want to add seals to the valve guides I have read that those from a Rover SDI 2300 & 2600 will at least fit the mainstream Airhead guides. Not sure if ours are the same.

Could it also be an accumulation of oil from the breather valve.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I would quit using the side stand!

If you've never had the cylinders off the bike, this might be the time to do so.

[Bob_Roller]

It's pretty common to have hard starting after leaving the bike on the side stand over night or longer .

I think there may be excess fuel somewhere in the carb/intake area due the extreme lean angle of the side stand .

I wouldn't be too surprised if the carb floats weren't in their normal position, causing the float needle to be off of it's seat allowing fuel into the carb .

The valve guides on our airhead engines don't have valve guide seals .

[montmil]

I would quit using the side stand!...

Absolutely! Wise, old Grandpa Jones on the funky TV Hee Haw show would say, "Don't do that!"

Monte

[Barry]

If you really want to add seals to the valve guides I have read that those from a Rover SDI 2300 & 2600 will at least fit the mainstream Airhead guides. Not sure if ours are the same.

Of course these seals won't work as our valve guides are not the same in that our valve stems are 1mm smaller. Doesn't mean it can't be done but you'd be on your own trying to find something that would fit.

[Julio A.]

You guys had me worried; I left the R65 back home on the Sidestand  

[Darwin_R65]

I realised on my to work this morning that the issue of oil in the morning is a normal upright cylinder issue leaking past valve guide seals, sort of doesn't apply here.

No I haven't had the heads off. The previous owner I think was more into "patch" maintenance. Patch it up so you can't see the problem and keep going. The box of bits had a bottle of "wynns no more smoke". Which I've never used.

It sits on the centre stand most tims now. Although on Sunday i went to a friends house and there was only grass to park on. They live out rural. The centre stand was not a safe option due to monsoon season turning lawn/dirt to mush. It went onto the side stand with a garden stake under the stand to stop it from sinking in and lying the bike on its side.

John
John

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Yes, there are times when the sidestand is necessary (as you related).

It is in times like these that it is even MORE critical to remember to shut off your fuel valve as you are approaching your destination, to empty the float bowls a bit - AND to be assured that your fuel is shut off!

[Semper Gumby]

Hi John,

Oil from the breather pools in the square airbox.  When you leave it on the sidestand the oil runs down the LH carb intake tube into the cylinder.  Your rings are probably fine.  If you think the rings are gummed up then try some SeaFoam in the LH cyclinder to cleanout the carbon and free up the rings.

Is there a little oil on the bottom of the carb dripping on your left foot?  Run your hand under the carb and see if there is oil...

[Davie_Hall]

Hi There I had the same problem on my 1980 r45 a couple of years ago, it turned out to be the float needle in the left hand carb was not sealing properly and allowing the fuel to leak into the cylinder, I was lucky that it never hydrauliced the cylinder. fitted a new float needle and it never smoked again , and it still doesnt burn any oil