Titto
Registered user
Wapping your right I did continue to justify myself... im putting that down to serious lack of sleep and not reading my own bloody posts prior to submitting!!!
Clacks , Crunches, or cant get Neutral
- Thread starter needlongerlegs
- Start date
Note to self: Buy shares in 'Perfect Peter's Popping Corn Inc. the sales will be going through the roof.
They you go
You never bought one of the very first - they fixed them quicker back then
That's the point, mine was one of the first
it had been originally bought in Berlin by a guy who couldn't ride it due to illness.
Bails
Registered user
That's the point, mine was one of the first
You were lucky then
Buy a GS WC & see if your luck continues
Wapping
All you say is very true, and I for one am so glad my bike is fine so far. and hope all those that have the gearbox problem get them sorted. I still wonder what the root cause is because there are clearly bikes out there with no issues and then ones that have yet have the same parts and obviously some would have the same build dates. (Mine was built in May, & currently 8000 miles)
I personally think it will be a clutch issue. I would also assume BMW will be working on the problem, however it does seem to be going on a bit too long.
I shall definitely be buying the new GSA on the basis of how good my WC is, but to be honest if my bike had, had problems I would change brand.
Terry
All you say is very true, and I for one am so glad my bike is fine so far. and hope all those that have the gearbox problem get them sorted. I still wonder what the root cause is because there are clearly bikes out there with no issues and then ones that have yet have the same parts and obviously some would have the same build dates. (Mine was built in May, & currently 8000 miles)
I personally think it will be a clutch issue. I would also assume BMW will be working on the problem, however it does seem to be going on a bit too long.
I shall definitely be buying the new GSA on the basis of how good my WC is, but to be honest if my bike had, had problems I would change brand.
Terry
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Emoto
Registered user
The UK is relatively small,geographically. Why don't you guys organize a group meeting some Saturday or Sunday? Have those whose bikes shift properly, and believe that the shifting problem is down to poor technique, ride the bikes of those who have the problem and vice versa. If, in fact, the bad shifting can be eliminated by some specific technique, then those who know how could teach the others how to do it. If, in fact, there is an issue that proper technique does not eliminate, then it would be confirmed as truly real. Everyone benefits.
How far apart in terms of distance can any of you be? Helping your fellow riders out is as good an excuse for a ride as any, isn't it? This should be easy.
How far apart in terms of distance can any of you be? Helping your fellow riders out is as good an excuse for a ride as any, isn't it? This should be easy.
Will tickets be available for the rest of us,should be entertaining
I should have bought tickets for Welford Road yesterday. That was entertaining
. 
I should have bought tickets for Welford Road yesterday. That was entertaining
It was a good job the Aussies were beaten if not yesterday would have been a very bad day. Tigers are really suffering from a lack of leadership and direction in the backs.
needlongerlegs
Registered user
Hello hello hello FFS is there anybody there? its the bike not the tosser sitting on it.
and how do I know this my american friend? Because I've had two one that was crap and now one that isnt.
Stupid posts about how to change gear do not help the poor sods stuck with this problem.
Emoto
Registered user
Mine is that way, too (rough). I am just sick of the deniers on this thread, so why not prove them wrong? Or right? So far, as far as I can tell NOT A SINGLE GEARBOX PROBLEM DENIER HAS RIDDEN ONE OF THE BAD ONES. Why not change that? And if it turns out that they do possess some kind of magical technique, why not let them teach it to others?
chad
Registered user
he has a point
Deleted account 211025001
Registered user
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2005
- Messages
- 8
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- 10
Whilst not on the scale of Russia, America or even a France, the UK is not a small place. Besides, it's dark in the evenings and it's raining, neither conditions suiting WC riders who don't like getting their trousers wet.
If anyone with a really clanky gearbox wants to join us on the Wander to France and let me have a go on their bike, I'll pay their train fare. It's next weekend, form an orderly queue.
Why not get together with your buddies and torch your local dealership. I don't know, you Americans, no get up and go.
shortywilliam
Registered user
This thread beggars belief.
There are half arsed opinions from technical riding experts, gnarly old timers who have more miles and bikes under their belts than most on this site (got to love the arrogance of that) and simple owners who want their bikes to work as they think they should. I bought 'Bike' magazine today and the summary of their long term test bike was 'great but the gearbox is crap' (I paraphrase).
For Christ's sake, were talking about BMW's flagship 2013 bike not a hand change Harley from the dawn of time. To say that the gear change issues are down to technique are equivalent to BMW saying that gearchange issues on (say) the M5 car are down to the driver moving the gearlever too fast - can you see them getting away with that?
It's nearly 2014 - bikes should be getting easier to use, not harder. Changing gear is a fundamental requirement and shouldn't require 'riding god' technique and timing - it should (as has been previously noted on this thread) be as simple as clutch in, gear, clutch out. There should be no need to make allowances for the gearbox /clutch on a modern, mainstream tourer (which is what the GS is).
My half arsed opinion - it's a fundamental design issue. Constant mesh gearboxes are admittedly tricky things to design - you can't just stop shaft rotation between gearchanges because the dogs might not mesh, so you have to design in a shaft deceleration curve which allows the dogs a fighting chance of engaging, while being slow enough to snick in without crunching. Tricky but not impossible by any means - many manufacturers (including BMW) have managed it quite successfully in the past. To me it sounds like a clutch drag problem - shaft rotation speed is still too high at the gearchange point. This might be down to the clutch design, gear dog geometry or clutch actuation (or a combination).
The fact that 'solutions' are being tried means that there is a tacit admission that there is a problem but different oil / pushrod changes are probably attempts to fix it cheaply... To fix it properly might require replacement clutch slave / master cylinders, clutches or (God forbid) new gearbox internals. It's almost guaranteed that hell will freeze over before this happens as it would amount to an admission that BMW fecked up and would trigger worldwide recalls - massively costly and embarrassing. That said, you can guarantee that there are some pretty serious meetings taking place in Bavaria. I'd guess that there will be an attempt to correct the problems with the release of the GSA and hope that the GS owners will give up complaining and go away...
I could not have put it better
shortywilliam
Registered user
The best and most helpful advice on here. And my gearbox is still shite.
Bails
Registered user
The problem is that the video example given shows a shit rider application which leaves doubt. I have ridden 4 different WC's and can say there is different gearbox action between bikes, but none, would I say were any worse than my 1200 Ducati Multistrada. My take from this is there are unrealistic expectations from some, especially in regard to clunks into first ! The box is not a fast box I accept that but then this is an SUV and if you have driven any you don't expect them to perform like a Porsche 911.
