Winter Storage Question

[k_enn]

For the Winter, I have to store my R65 in an unheated garage.  Each Spring, when I go to start it up, I find that I am having a clutch problem.  The problem is particularly bad if I had stored the bike "in gear."

First, the environmental factors.  I am in an area where, during the Winter, we do experience sub-freezing temperatures (which can be for several days at time before it gets above freezing).  When I start it up in the Spring, it is always well above freezing, and has been for many weeks.  

On  Spring start up, I find that the clutch lever and cable work fine.  But the clutch itself does not want to engage/disengage when operated.  The problem is worse if the bike has been stored "in gear," but it is still there if stored in "neutral" (only not as severe).  When stored in gear, in the Spring the clutch does not want to disengage.  I can manage to eventually get the bike into neutral and to start it up.  But then comes the crazy part.  If I pull in the clutch lever, the clutch still will not disengage.  I end up having to hold the brakes tight, judge enough engine speed not to stall immediately, pull in the clutch lever anyway (for after the event), and then put it into first gear.  It lurches like hell, but that is enough to break the clutch free and it works normally for the rest of the season.  I have the same problem if the bike is stored "in neutral," but some reason it does not seem to be quite as bad.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?  What can be done to prevent it?  Is there any other way to deal with it in the Spring when it happens?  If there is something I should do before storage, it would help to know now.

Thanks.

k_enn

[not-so-fast-ed]

k_enn, I have never heard of this.  What year is your R65?

How long since the transmission spline was lubed?

Sounds like the clutch face has stuck to the flywheel.  Frozen with a little moisture?  I remember car brakes freezing like that, due to moisture, when I was growing up in the North.

Strange........

 :-/

Ed

[MrRiden]

Ed has the idea I think. Either there is some contaminant / condensation on the clutch / flywheel face causing them to bond and / or the spline is overdue for lube service. The only Idea I can come up with would be to put on the parka, go out to the garage and operate the clutch while rolling the bike around. Short of having the gearbox out to have a look a spline lube and occasionally moving the bike might werk. Will you be doing the spline lube?
rich

[k_enn]

It's a 1982 (late '81 manufacture).  

I was thinking condensation cause it to freeze, but the Spring start up is always in upper 60 degree farenheit tempurate range so there could not be an freezing at that time.  But could there be a little rust-bonding that might occur over the Winter?  If so, how can it be prevented?

It has been a long while since a trans service  - 5+ years.

k_enn

[MrRiden]

K_enn,
Yes that's my thought, condensation creating a rust bond. you did state in your first post that the temps were well above freezing on your spring start-up. there is really nothing you can put on the clutch / flywheel that I am aware of. Does this garage see use throughout the winter months? I'm thinking that a warm wet  car pulled into the garage warming things up a bit then cooling off may be the source of the condensation.
Would it be possible to mitigate the condensation in some way? Keeping a light bulb on the trans to warm it? Using a large plastic bag like the ones a couch might come in and placing the bike & a can of desiccant in it? Maybe a heated dipstick [I've seen 'em used in Minnesota] We'll see what others come up with. I would recommend doing the spline lube regardless.
rich
who rides all winter, even when it's a low of 50° outside

[nothing]

It has been a long while since a trans service  - 5+ years.

k_enn

Is that 5+ years since a spline lube? If that isn't at least contributing to this problem, I'd bet it is causing other problems. Do a spline lube NOW, before winter.

Does "trans service" also include changing of transmission gear oil? If so, this is long overdue as well. I do each of these tasks yearly at least, more often if I have to pull the tranny for other reasons.

[Justin B.]

From discussions I've followed on other boards over the years indicate this is really not that uncommon for a bike that has been stored for a while.  The theory about surface rust bonding the disc to the flywheel are pretty much on the mark.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

If you have the money:  http://www.caresecrets.com/cycle_shield

[nhmaf]

I don't have this problem with my 82 R65, though I had to replace the clutch and spline lubed (and throwout bearing/piston/rod serviced) last year for other reasons.  The bike generally sits still from November - April and up here during the winter we may have a few days as warm as 60 degrees F and generally a few weeks as cold as -40, with the rest generally in between 0F and 20F.   The garage is unheated and is generally only a few degrees warmer than the outside air.  We do drive cars in and out of the garage all year, so cars covered with snow and road salt go in there and eventually melt off the snow & ice, too.  It might be a light surface rust bond effect you are getting - pull the transmission and clean out the bell housing of rust particles and lube the splines.  If there is any surface rust on the pressure plate maybe just take that off with some emery cloth.  The friction disk material won't/shouldn't rust, but the back of the clutch carrier and the "pressure plate" piece can.

It might also be that your diaphragm spring is taking a "set", or the lack of lube on the splines makes them rust and harder for the clutch disk assembly to slide on the shaft when it sits idle for that long.

[drewboid]

Similar happened to me with the /2. No good answer except ride it more or at least excercise the clutch by putting it in gear - pulling in the clutch and using the starter to make sure it doesn't freeze in place. That should move the clutch plates to a different place on the pressure plates.

[steve hawkins]

Bring it into the sitting room.

That way you will always have something to talk about with your loved ones.

You could aways do the servicing in there over the winter as well - in the warm too!

Better drain the fuel first though!

Just a thought!

[Justin B.]

... and when you put fresh oil in it next spring remember to make sure the drain plug is installed.  Don't ask...  

[williamemack]

My other passion is tractors and when I bought a gear drive Ford/New Holland a while back, it came with a short piece of wood to be placed under the clutch pedal so that the clutch was PARTIALLY disengaged while being stored for a long period of time. This prevented the plate frlom bonding to the flywheel. It wouldn't be hard to do something similar to our R65s. The word partially is in caps as you don't want to park the bike for the winter with a fully flexed clutch spring.

[scuba]

The clutch problem can be avoided, though. Just change oil prior to winter storage, drain the tank and remove the battery. Than, every week put some fuel into the tank, put the battery back in it's place and let your bike to run for a while. Prior to starting the engine, operate clutch lever couple of times. I have build external stand for rear wheel to lift it from the ground. This allowes me to change all gears while the bike is in place. This way you stir gear oil, operate the clutch and warm up the engine, thus maintaining the whole bike in operating condition. Of course, I have warm, well ventilated garage but outside temp. is well below zero for a month and half during winter. And one must do this regularly throughout all winter. It is boring and time consuming but it helps. Mind exhaus gases! Never do this in closed garage and provide a lot of high speed, cool air stream over cylinders and exhaust pipes.