1100GS - Head Gaskets and clutch

[Rabbitson]

My 1100GS has about 61000km (36000miles) on the clock, the clutch is going and more recently the LHS head gasket has started leaking. Both these need replacing and as the RHS headgasket also has a minor leak, I thought while I took it into the garage the guy might as well do them both (hate paying good money to mechanics for labour, but no garage and incomplete tools plus bike needed or work has forced situation).

Don't mind paying to have these replaced but I am wondering if these problems (not the clutch particularly, but more the head gaskets) are indicative of an underlying problem with something else. Anyone experienced similar problems? (would like to avoid it happening again if that's possible) mechanic at garage seemed to think that it can happen if the bike is not allowed to warm up properly, not sure if that is true or not, but 30 motorway miles each way each day in the cold weather probably doesn't help, I do try to let the bike warm up a bit first (for a couple of miles and a gentle tickover on startup) and this seems like reasonable preparation to me, but who knows?

Bike has a laser can, and I don't know if this means a non-standard chip.

Any help is appreciated.

David

 

[Vern]

Clutch, sounds about right time to go, just get it replaced, nothing else for it really
I don't know how old your bike is, but the early ones had crap head gaskets, that leaked any time they wanted to. My bike, '94 1100, had them on, and I eventually replaced them both with the new gaskets. The new ones are made out of several layers of formed shim steel, and held togethet by a couple of rivets. If you get on your hands and knees, and have a really close look in the gap where the head meets the barrel, you can see the rivet in the gap, if you can't see the rivet, you've got old gaskets. Use a torch, and do the check when the engine is cold, otherwise, you burn your nose on the exhaust (not that I would ever do anything as stupid as that )
Next

 

[Mick Fagan]

I do not see why the clutch should be ready to give up the ghost at a pre-determined kilometreage.

The reason it should go is from wear and tear, this can happen after just one race, or 300,000 kilometres.

My 98 1100 has 72,000 Klm's on the clock and doesn't even look like having clutch problems. Another friend did 225,000 Klm's on his 96 1100GS and onsold it to a friend who has taken it past 250,000 Klm's. It still hasn't had the clutch replaced.

If you ride normally and don't drop or slip the clutch, I see no reason why it shouldn't last the life of the bike. With one exception, my last six BMW bikes have done 927,000 Kilometres and I haven't replaced a clutch in any of them.

The exception was my 1980 R80 G/S which did two clutches due to it being ridden very, very hard, over very corrugated dirt at prolonged highish speed.

Mick.

 

[Vern]

Couldn't agree more. I replaced my clutch at 120000miles, and only then because I was having the gearbox rebuilt. I know of clutches that have had their lot in as little as 15k. Doesn't seem much rhyme nor reason, apart from the rider

 

[Rob Farmer]

My clutch friction plate was half worn at 30k, so I replaced while the gearbox was out to save the hassle later. Head gaskets have both been replaced for the later ones - see Verns comments above. I think two or three different gasket designs were tried before the later multi-layer sorted the problem.

The laser exhausts were sold with or without a chip. The only way to find out is to open up your ignition module or at least look at the modules securing screws to see if there are any screwdriver marks.

 

[Rabbitson]

Cheers for the input guys, comments duly noted, hopefully new type gaskets will go in and should last a bit better.

Regarding the clutch, it's possible that it has reached a premature end as I noticed that it wasn't adjusted very well when I bought it (should've seen that one coming really).

David

 

[richie]

Just out of interest who has tried the Touratech ceramic clutch. As already stated by myself I had a chat with some french police riders who slagged of the clutches on their RTs. Personaly mines fine at 67000KM (touch wood)

 

[(RIP) maverick]

Those ceramic clutches is very good if you have the patience of doing the 5000 miles first to get them bedded in properly.
Would think a new pressure plate should also be installed when going through that effort else you going to have one kick ass clutch and one no good pressure plate.
Personally though about doing it but then again the way I drive the std one should last me as long and the extra £££ for all those other BMW surprises.....

 

[Rabbitson]

Hmmm, interesting, the plot thickens.

I notice on the Touratech site that these are about 370 Euro. Is this comparable to the price of a standard BMW clutch?

As I am doing about 60000Km a year, this might be worth a look, perhaps if anyone has any experience of these they could let me know.

Thanks,

David

 

[MikeO]

Have a chat with Ricardo - the San Francisco clutch murderer . He fitted a ceramic clutch recently after destroying (& I mean destroying) his OE one....

Mike

 

[Rabbitson]

Thanks Mike, just emailed him.

David

 

[Rabbitson]

Touratech Aftermarket clutch

This is the information Ricardo gave me (in case anyone else is interested)

"David this is a good place to start
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&t
hreadid=27649&highlight=ceramic

Basically I don't like the way they fit and
sometimes vibrate,,put it this way the vibration
can damage the seals,making you take the bike
apart to replace the seals that is as complicated
as changing the clutch...

If you ride in the dirt a lot get,,they work they
don't over heat,and they grip really well,if you
ride on the street even doing wellies all the time
get the stock one.

Put it this way even Jimmy lewis racing on the bmw
twin at the Dakar use a "stock"(ticker) clutch,I
think is something about the feel of it...

I hope this helps"

Pretty useful tip contacting that guy Mike, Thanks.

David

 

[ArgyBargy]

hmmmm, interesting....

it looks like what I thought was a result of my caning the nuts off my beloved 1100 turns out to be a case of 'they all do that sir'

I realised my gasket had gone by the amount of oil on my boot. They used to call it 'character' when I had a Bonneville, I called it a leaky old crate. Anyway, new head gasket cured the problem. Cluth on the way out at 60(ish)K, but I do LOTS of standing starts in the London traffic light grand prix.

Anyone caused their head gasket to leak by dropping their bike??? I recently had the delight of finding myself sat in the road after losing it on wet leaves on a corner. Only doing 20mph, but bike went flying along on its rocker cover. It made me wonder what sort of impact the pots were designed to withstand, seeing how they are the first thing to hit the deck. It also made me think about fitting crash bars! (as always when it is too late, and the damage is done).

 

[Rabbitson]

Crash bars are also on the shopping list, much winter riding plus expensive BMW parts means they make sense, can't offer my opinion on them yet though as I don't have any.

Thanks for the head gasket confirmation, hopefully this won't be a waste of money then