Motorcycle Repair: Motorcycle repair, goldwing aspencade, clutch replacements

Question
I have a 1985 Goldwing Aspencade.  The starter won't engage (makes a zinging noise).  What is the problem?   Is it just too cold?

Answer
Barbara, the "zinging" sound is a sign that the starter clutch components are failing to grip the hub.

http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/honda-motorcycle-gl1200a-gold-wing-...
for illustrations. See GENERATOR section. The springs in the starter clutch have probably collapsed, causing the rollers to lose contact with the clutch hub. I haven't worked on GW motors, but I suspect that this could be an engine-out repair.

I did find this reference to another option for you, relating to cold temperatures...

GL1100 & GL1200 Starter Motor Spinning Problem. Lots of people have e-mailed me to say that when cold, their GL1100 starter motor spins fine but will not turn the engine over. From personal experience I have found that using 20-50W oil is a major cause of this problem, especially in cold weather. Changing to a lighter oil such as 10-40W usually fixes this problem.

If this doesn't alter the problem, then it is mechanical and needs parts replacements.

I went here: http://bbs.gwrra.org/scripts/board/search.pl but didn't find many references to starter clutch replacements, so maybe it is just the cold oil, after all. Hope so!

Bill Silver