Clacks , Crunches, or cant get Neutral

[sycomoto]

Won't be the oil

I suspect you've either got an issue with the slipper clutch, maybe the spring is fitted wrong or the plates have warped or you have some quality issue with the machining of the gearbox parts. May be swarf in the selector drum. The wrong oil would cause clutch slip. The fact it changes fine on the move with or without the clutch makes me think its a clutch issue but as I haven't got a micro of the gearbox I can't tell how the slipper clutch works so can only guess at the issue.

 

[Timolgra]

I mostly roll to a stop in neutral. If I'm selecting neutral from stationary, I (almost out of habit) give the revs a little blip as I do it ...

Also with any bike that's difficult to get neutral at a standstill, a little blip sorts it.

That's the case with old or worn clutch bearings....sounds like these bikes are fecked to start with

 

[iftikartaxis]

Lc gs

Ericbusa did mention this on his you tube vid
Poor bugger got slated
Looks like he was right
Lambrettas and vespa suffer similar problems
Usually is crap plates or steels
Sounds very much like clutch dragging

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

.... The wrong oil would cause clutch slip....

The wrong oil will also cause clutch drag, and that's where my money is

The problem is, we will never know the exact cause as Cannons will not admit to a mistake if it does indeed turn out to be and incorrect oil issue.

 

[sycomoto]

Er no because

The wrong oil will also cause clutch drag, and that's where my money is

The problem is, we will never know the exact cause as Cannons will not admit to a mistake if it does indeed turn out to be and incorrect oil issue.

If it was the wrong oil then when the bike got hot the oil would become runny enough to stop the problem, when its cold you'd have tonnes of creep when you pop it into gear and you'd have to hold it on the brakes to stop it running away. From the sounds of it it sounds like the clutch isn't disengaging the plates enough and this could be something as simple as air in the clutch slave cylinder.

 

[sycomoto]

Just looked

At some exploded diagrammes of the WC engine and the first thing that sticks out is the clutch uses only 3 springs ( most sports bikes use 5/6 ) it also has the clutch in the front of the engine and the clutch slave at the rear. That means there's a long thin metal rod running through the engine and the clutch output shaft. This rod pushes the inner basket thrust plate to disengage the plates. Any air in the hydraulic clutch would have a very noticeable effect. I can see they did this to produce a short compact engine but it does seem over complicated. I spotted a number of weak points within the driveline system between the clutch and the gearbox but only time will tell if bmw thought it out well. Interesting anti torque spring fitted to the drive shaft between the clutch and gear cluster

 

[needlongerlegs]

It's the Clutch Official

Cannons reported back yesterday,

Two clutch plates are warped n blue,

BM sending entire new clutch assembl it should be here next Wednesday,

I can get things from China quicker than that Grrrrr.

I hope to have bike back by next weekend,

In the meantime I have brandspanking new RT to wander about on,

If it had LC engine it would make a fine hovercraft.

 

[cookie]

I can get things from China quicker than that Grrrrr.

yeah but, bmw have to get it from china first

 

[(RIP) Miff]

Whenever I've had problems like you describe, it was due to warped clutch plates. I suppose they were causing clutch drag.

Cannons reported back yesterday,

Two clutch plates are warped n blue.

 

[sycomoto]

Ha, great minds

An all that now the question is what caused the warped disc, what caused the excessive heat build up to turn one blue either long legs is a wannabe drag racer or something else is going on. Lack of oil would cause this sort of damage, but that would men that at first service they forgot to put enough oil in

 

[aspiring]

to stop it clacking into first gear hold the clutch in for ten seconds before selecting first gear,this should all but eliminate the clackery.its not a "real world" solution but thats life.to make neutral selection easier just change the fully synthetic oil for semi synthetic or god forbid,mineral oil....job done.

 

[Yellow Peril]

In the meantime I have brandspanking new RT to wander about on,

If it had LC engine it would make a fine hovercraft.

I must admit after my test ride am looking forward to testing the new RT later in the year, if is anywhere as good as the 1600 GTL I know which bike I will be buying.

 

[alp]

If you really really can't stand the clunk into 1st gear, just leave it in 1st when you stop/switch off, forget neutral.......OK OK just joking......or am I?????
Maybe I'll use that technique when I'm with my Jap powered, BMW baiting, mates, otherwise the clunk doesn't bother me.
I used to start my Multistrada which had a dry clutch with the clutch lever pulled in the minimise the noise when with that crowd!

 

[Giles]

to stop it clacking into first gear hold the clutch in for ten seconds before selecting first gear,this should all but eliminate the clackery.its not a "real world" solution but thats life.to make neutral selection easier just change the fully synthetic oil for semi synthetic or god forbid,mineral oil....job done.

Or pump the clutch four or five times.

We have a couple of FJ's at work. Jeez ... You think the beemer is bad? yer want to put the FJ into first, first thing in the morning ...

It even makes me wince ..

 

[shortywilliam]

At the first service what oil did they put into the bike?
If they used the recommended oil then the problem is elsewhere, if they didn't then they should investigate, fix it and then use the correct oil.

Regardless of what some of the old farts on here say BMW state in the manual SAE 5W40, API SL /JASO MA2, Castrol Power 1 Racing meets this spec and this is the recommended oil.

If the oil didn't meet this spec then the dealer was in error - simples.

So they do, but I'll be buggered if I can find to buy anywhere.
10w30 or 10w40 easy but 5w40 no look yet. Anyone any ideas and don't say BMW

 

[chad]

and here we go another new GS and more questions about oil

somebody at bmw must be scripting this

 

[bikewise]

Gear box woes

My gearbox is not as i would have expected from a premium product, but I'am learning to live with it. To avoid the smash in to first, i rock the bike forward as i engage first and it lessens the shock. I can now chang up smoothly through all gears but only if i do it really slowly, like minding a vintage bike. If done rapidly like i can on all other modern bikes then the crunchy feel returns. Mine is worse when warm, down shifts are no issue and neutral is ok too. Bit of a dissapointment on an expensive bike.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

My gearbox is not as i would have expected from a premium product, but I'am learning to live with it. To avoid the smash in to first, i rock the bike forward as i engage first and it lessens the shock. I can now chang up smoothly through all gears but only if i do it really slowly, like minding a vintage bike. If done rapidly like i can on all other modern bikes then the crunchy feel returns. Mine is worse when warm, down shifts are no issue and neutral is ok too. Bit of a dissapointment on an expensive bike.

I found the same this week, on a test ride
I think the lever throw on up changes is too long & fails to mesh the next gear sometimes

Both my 1150's are much smoother most of the time

 

[needlongerlegs]

Well another week zooms by,

My bike is still at Cannons waiting for parts

Bullshite email from BMW customer disposal department saying absolutely nothing.

Brand new RT they have loned me is a nice bike 320 miles on it yesterday.

I've now trebled the milage on it, the clutch n gearbox are fantasic btw.

So it's just over a week before I'm ment to take three buddies on a biking trip to Spain,

I'm thoughly peed off.

Oh yeah the RT smells of hot oil when I pull up at traffic lights, the triple black GS did that too.....

 

[original_concept]

All these clutch/gearbox stories are quite something. IIRC BMW took a Jap gearbox etc and mange to ruin it! That deserves an award on its own.

Rocking a 5 figure bike backwards and forwards to engage gear, in 2013. Really?

I'll stuck to my dry clutched setup that snicks into gear, without any fuss, thanks.

Good luck with your parts from BMW, or are BMW attempting to be the Aprilia of old. Parts sir? This month you want them, you say?

Having said that the WC is making the new Aprilia Caponord and the Super Ten more viable. Or maybe another DOHC as the next bike.

Hope you get it resolved ASAP.