2020 RTL clutch surging when cold

[AstroTom]

With the cooler weather, I've noticed when I first start out its almost impossible to get a smooth clutch engagement using light throttle when the Spyder is cold. After a the bike warms up a couple minutes, clutch engagement is normal. What is happening is just as the clutch begins to engage, it'll slightly back off, then re-start to engage, back off, and start to re-engage, in a regular pulsing manner, much like what would happen if I was slight rocking the throttle back and forth just as the clutch was feathering. About 18k on the odometer, and less than 1k since the last oil change. I think if you were standing close by, you'd think I was not applying steady throttle as the clutch starts to engage.

It'll firmly engage with a little more aggressive twist of the throttle, but it's not a natural way to back out of the driveway, or pull away from a stop.

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Tom. If the motor is still in the elevated idle range, or the oil is still cold, it'll do that. That's because you need to raise the RPM a little higher in order for the system to engage the clutch. Remember that the clutch is operated by hydraulic oil pressure. In cooler weather, the oil is colder and more viscous at startup. It doesn't flow as freely. Unless you are using an unapproved oil, it's not a concern. Just let it warm up further if it bothers you.

 

[AstroTom]

Thanks,

I wasn't too worried, but being new to Spyders, I thought I'd toss this out to the more experienced owners. Purchased it in June, so this is my first "winter" with the bike. I put winter in quotes, because winter in the Phoenix area (West of Phoenix actually) isn't the same as winter in most of the US. A cold start for me is with ambient temps in the 40s or low 50s.

Just prior to purchasing the bike, the son of the previous owner, who I think passed away, changed the oil and I didn't ask what oil he used. Both he and his dad were long time riders, and the bike was well maintained, so I have no reason to believe the wrong oil was used.

It happens as I'm backing down my driveway, and first pulling away from the house. By the time I've reached the main road a couple short blocks away, it's fine. If I give it enough throttle to get a more positive engagement, the bike will start with a little lurch, or when backing up can even chirp the back tire. It's very hard to get a smooth even engagement when first starting out.

One thing that crossed my mind is; since they too lived in the Valley, he might have chosen a heavier weight oil to better deal with the blisteringly high temps during the summer. If so, this might explain the behavior, and I could just do an oil change so I know for sure what oil is in the bike. When I purchase a used vehicle, usually I'll go through it and change the fluids so I have a known baseline for future maintenance. In this case, since he said it was just done, and the oil on the dipstick looked new, I decided to wait for the next oil change interval which is still many thousands of miles away. I just may go ahead and do an oil change and go from there. Again, no big deal, just a small quirk I noticed with the bike, and frankly, every bike I've ever owned, had it's own little quirks.

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Yep. I had the 998 in a 2012 for 10 years. I had to learn a lot of the quirks of the 1330, also. Mine does exactly the same thing. There's a Fault Code for just about everything that can happen these days. If there's a problem, it will let you know. Enjoy the ride.

 

[ollicat]

Glad you posted this. I ride in cold weather (40's) and have noticed the same and wondered if it was just my Spyder. But like you said, it goes way in about 10 minutes as the bike warms.

 

[BajaRon]

A full synthetic oil may reduce or eliminate your clutch engagement issues. Synthetic oil does not thicken as much in cold weather and tends to flow better in the cold at the same viscosity. A 40w high number is plenty unless you're regularly running in triple digit ambient temps. Even then, 50w is really not necessary unless you're running the engine very hard because the Spyder is liquid cooled. The cylinders don't get all that hot. 50w is designed for air cooled engines which get much hotter.

A fully synthetic oil will also give you better protection for more miles. It may cost a little more. But there are real world benefits to consider.

 

[arkyleo]

With the cooler weather, I've noticed when I first start out its almost impossible to get a smooth clutch engagement using light throttle when the Spyder is cold. After a the bike warms up a couple minutes, clutch engagement is normal. What is happening is just as the clutch begins to engage, it'll slightly back off, then re-start to engage, back off, and start to re-engage, in a regular pulsing manner, much like what would happen if I was slight rocking the throttle back and forth just as the clutch was feathering. About 18k on the odometer, and less than 1k since the last oil change. I think if you were standing close by, you'd think I was not applying steady throttle as the clutch starts to engage.

It'll firmly engage with a little more aggressive twist of the throttle, but it's not a natural way to back out of the driveway, or pull away from a stop.

My 2021 RTL has done that since new--only on the first cold start/accel. Not to worry. BTW, I really like the new website format!

 

[BamaJohn]

IF I understand it right, my 2020 RT acts that way, kinda like I do when I get up from sleep, i.e. get up, see if I can take a few steps, then get stabilized. I crank the Spyder and let it idle a few seconds, then go into reverse and start backing out. But, I need to "feather the throttle" to maintain a steady pace. It has never bothered me,'cause to acts just like me!

 

[baxter]

Need to do a longer warm up to get oil pressure/temp up to to where it needs. Normal as others have said.