Clutch Smell!!

[Paul Mac]

Hi everyone - just joined the forum after taking delivery of my new 1220 GS. The bike has 200 miles on the clock now and ever since new I have noticed a strong smell like burning clutch during normal use. I have had several BMW bikes before and never noticed this. Has anybody else had this problem or is it because the bike is new and still bedding in etc????

Regards Paul Mac Yorkshire UK

 

[Jezza]

The only time I got a clutch smell was pulling away a bit sharpish in 2nd. 10 minutes later I could still smell it.

It could be the catalyser “bedding in” they smell a bit when new.

 

[Cestria]

I could be wrong on this but I think catalysts smell like rotten eggs because of the gasses they produce.
I have not had a smelly clutch problem with my 12 , mind its only done 100 miles!, but I'm sure I read a road test where the journo was complaining about the 'fishy' smell comming from the clutch. This (he said) was caused by the 'new' friction material used ( instead of asbestos) getting a bit warm.

 

[snave1]

smell

i havnt had mine yet but have spoke to a couple of people who have had a fishy type smell from theirs with normal use..

 

[schnauzer]

I got the 'fishy' smell from the adv clutch whilst crawling along in the traffic chaos after the donnington motogp

 

[JayGee]

Hi everyone - just joined the forum after taking delivery of my new 1220 GS. The bike has 200 miles on the clock now and ever since new I have noticed a strong smell like burning clutch during normal use. I have had several BMW bikes before and never noticed this. Has anybody else had this problem or is it because the bike is new and still bedding in etc????

Regards Paul Mac Yorkshire UK

Not sure if this is what you mean but mine had a strong smell for the first 600 miles, more like a hot metalic smell that I assumed was the exhaust/cat etc and it soon wore off. It could be mistaken for a clutch burn smell; I guess.
Hope yours is nothing more than this.

 

[tigerwoods]

maybe the strong smell is there because yours is a '1220gs'!

sorry. could'nt help it!

 

[gsman1]

Clutch smell

Perhaps its due to the extra power generated by the additional 20CC of your 1220 GS.

 

[Mouse]

Hmm, now you mention it I have noticed a hot brake pad / clutch (they smell pretty similar) kind of smell a few times.

I'll try and pay more attention next time and see if it's actually coming from my bike

 

[rqw]

i also got a smell from the clutch! bike has now 1200 kms and the smell came at app. 800 kms.and that's not the only thing about the clutch that botters me.

when driving away and using only the clutch (not accelerating) there's a rather awefull sound that comes from the gearbox/clutch or whetever. talked about it with my dealer and he said it was strange but normal 'cause i wasn't the first to complain about this (according to him, their demo 12gs does it too)...

@ paul: does your 12gs do this also?

anybody knows what this could be?

greets

 

[Capsize]

A couple of times so far I have smelt what i thought was very hot brakes, but put it down to other vehicles around me.

I cannot recall it having happened in the last couple of weeks, post the first service & I wonder if this smell is peculiar to the servo brakes bedding in. My bike has c1k miles. Has anyone with more miles experienced it recently.

Of course this only holds true if it IS the brakes and not the clutch.

 

[Irish Al]

Got a strong fishy smell from mine twice but I was in Fleetwood at the time... so maybe not the bike.

Al

 

[TheJoker]

I knew this girl once....

 

[Cestria]

I knew this girl once....

I was wondering if someone would go there!

 

[basil]

I have noticed this on steep hills 2 up after meeting traffic on single tracks,also on off road if ya get stuck.I,am skilled mechanic if it occurs back off power to cool down or u,ll pay the price of a fu--ed clutch

 

[Emoto]

Is it possible that the smell coulf be gear (or other) oil dripping onto the exhaust?

 

[runeo]

If you make a tight U-turn on deep gravel, and you have to use the clutch to not spread the gravel to much on the sorrunding grass, you cerenly get this ugly smell. I always get this smell in my A4AvantQuattro when I drive in reverse gear, on snow or soft ground. Unless i disengage the ESP.

best wishes
Rune

 

[Paul Mac]

Well thanks everyone who replied!!! This was my first post and I was bowled over by the advice given. Other than the smell from the clutch - yes it's deffinately clutch smell - I am very pleased with the 1200GS. It's already freeing up with just over 200 miles on the clock so I am sure things will only get better with it. Had a bulb blow on it the other day - I was in the middle of a moorland track and the amber triangle came on with the bulb sign and an arrow pointing to to the rear. I got off expecting the rear light bulb to be out - guess what no bulb out and both stop and tail light working OK. Mmmmmmm so wots going on here I thought maybe a fault on the diagnostic system????. Checked everything all seemed OK but couldn't get rid of the warning triangle. Was in the middle of nowhere without the riders handbook so I rang my dealer (Allan Jeffries Shipley West Yorks) and the service manager explained that the new GS has a very clever system that when one of the filaments in the dual stop tail lamp blows it puts a reduced voltage onto the good one so you still keep your lights - clever or wot eh!!!! Anyway appart from feeling a bit daft I replaced the bulb and all was well. Yes I know just shows how you have to read the manual with these new electronic gismos!