Goldwing Clutch (and other) Woes

[DGS49]

So my 1998 Goldwing SE, which has been a trouble-free vehicle up until now, has bitten me with sudden clutch death ("SCD"). Works fine one day; doesn't work at all the following day.

The bike starts up fine, maybe I can bang it into gear, but beyond that it is clearly abusing the bike so for all practical purposes I ain't got no clutch, and consequently I ain't got no motorcycle.

So unlike most motorcycles, all of the "oily bits" of a Goldwing are covered by plastic. I'm not terribly mechanical, but if it were just an adjustment of some kind I'd be glad to give it a shot. But there is nothing visible that seems amenable to a simple adjustment. And I really don't want to start pulling plastic off my bike, and hoping that I will be able to figure out how it all goes back together when I'm done fucking it up.

I called the Honda shop to address a couple of key points, namely: (1) Is there something simple that I can do to make the bike ride-able? (2) What is the problem likely to be? (3) When can you fix it? and (4) How (the fuck) am I gonna get the bike to your dealership?

(1) No. (2) Master cylinder or slave cylinder. (3) Loooooong time - they are swamped with a safety recall affecting GL1800 Goldwings. (4) "Well, we theoretically have a 'pick-up' service (don't know why the hell they put that on the website), but don't hold your breath waiting for the truck."

I have a 2" receiver on the back of my (newish) Pacifica and it's rated at 2,800 lbs for towing. Should I ask the bike shop if I can borrow a trailer for an hour so I can bring my bike on that? Should I rent a trailer from Best Buy?

Is there an easy solution that I'm missing? I suppose I could nurse the thing along back roads in second gear, running stop signs and such, but that seems like a last resort.

 

[DarkFury]

It sounds like the rubber O rings on the slave cylinder are going away. Sometimes when they are they will roll out of the grooves on the slave piston thus you lose your pressure for a clutch until they roll back.

Trailer it to the shop. If the clutch is in the malfunction stage right now leave it there. DON'T use it to put it on the trailer. You need it to be in failure mode for a leak down test.

 

[DarkFury]

Here is a wing forum.
Clutch Problem - Honda Goldwing Forums
85 Gold here...

 

[Jarlaxle]

So my 1998 Goldwing SE, which has been a trouble-free vehicle up until now, has bitten me with sudden clutch death ("SCD"). Works fine one day; doesn't work at all the following day.

The bike starts up fine, maybe I can bang it into gear, but beyond that it is clearly abusing the bike so for all practical purposes I ain't got no clutch, and consequently I ain't got no motorcycle.

So unlike most motorcycles, all of the "oily bits" of a Goldwing are covered by plastic. I'm not terribly mechanical, but if it were just an adjustment of some kind I'd be glad to give it a shot. But there is nothing visible that seems amenable to a simple adjustment. And I really don't want to start pulling plastic off my bike, and hoping that I will be able to figure out how it all goes back together when I'm done fucking it up.

I called the Honda shop to address a couple of key points, namely: (1) Is there something simple that I can do to make the bike ride-able? (2) What is the problem likely to be? (3) When can you fix it? and (4) How (the fuck) am I gonna get the bike to your dealership?

(1) No. (2) Master cylinder or slave cylinder. (3) Loooooong time - they are swamped with a safety recall affecting GL1800 Goldwings. (4) "Well, we theoretically have a 'pick-up' service (don't know why the hell they put that on the website), but don't hold your breath waiting for the truck."

I have a 2" receiver on the back of my (newish) Pacifica and it's rated at 2,800 lbs for towing. Should I ask the bike shop if I can borrow a trailer for an hour so I can bring my bike on that? Should I rent a trailer from Best Buy?

Is there an easy solution that I'm missing? I suppose I could nurse the thing along back roads in second gear, running stop signs and such, but that seems like a last resort.

First: you can't shift without the clutch? Failing that, why go to a dealer? Are there NO other motorcycle shops in the area?

U-Haul will rent a motorcycle trailer for $15/day. There are several places in Pittsburgh that have them available...one on Western Ave. near the police station, one on Liberty Ave. (near the Pittsburgh Ballet), and one on Bigelow Blvd.

 

[DGS49]

All the shops in this area focus on Harley's. Also I will need a state inspection shortly so it makes sense to me to get it all done at the Honda garage.

It may be possible to shift without the clutch, but no good can come of it. Right now it's in neutral and I feel sure I can coax it onto a trailer either in gear or not (once it's parked on the trailer, obviously I will put it in gear).

There is a U-Haul place just a short distance down from the Honda shop (on University Blvd), so if the Honda shop won't lend me a trailer for an hour I'll get one at U-Haul. My day is going to be shot one way or another.

 

[DGS49]

My freaking nightmare...

So my appointment comes up and I call the dealer to see if maybe they have someone who can come pick it up. No deal.. The guy quit. But the write-up person says he will let me use their trailer if I don't tell anyone. OK.

I pick up the trailer and bring it back home. Of course I cannot "power" the bike onto the trailer because I have no clutch, so I get my son to come over to help. Him pushing, me riding. The ramp is too steep. So I get the bright idea of blocking up the tongue of the trailer so that the incline is lower and we execute the move, But the trailer moves as soon as the bike hits it, and the tongue - now not attached to the hitch - slams into the back of my pristine "new" Chrysler Pacifica, damaging it significantly. I probably will be able to get by without replacing the entire hatch (which has many, many electrical features) but it will cost me.

So we block the trailer, move the car, and do it again. OK. I sent my son home.

Well, the Goldwing is covered with plastic, so there are not many "inviting" points on it to attach a tie-down. For some reason I decide that I want the bike up on the centerstand (it looks better) rather than on the sidestand, and I tie everything down. Or so I thought.

I go a couple of blocks and the bike has rolled off the centerstand and looks like it is ready to come off the trailer. In technical terms, this would be "not good." So after a couple phone calls I contact a wrecking company that hauls motorcycles to get some advice. I'm sitting on the side of the road in my subdivision. The guy shows up (without a flatbed or trailer) and says he can help me secure the bike properly. On the sidestand. With the suspension fully-compressed. Tied front and back, side to side. That sucker was not going to move at all.

Got it to the dealership with minimal harm (I had used the grab handles on the side of the seat and both were torn off when I hit the first bump on the trailer).

"Free" trailer loan. $500 damage to the car. $50 fee from the trailer expert. Who knows what the clutch repair will cost?

Sheeeeeeeit.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Why didn't you just rent a trailer?!