Down changes difficult

[SpanishTrecker]

About the 1st gear not going in, I rode a demo bike with 1200mls on the clock and the thing would not go in gear after I stopped and put it in neutral.
Some times it would take a few attempts and others first time?

 

[stephinson]

thanks for the info
mine has done 6000 miles on an 04 and I have only had it a week
I have come from a sports bike and i`m used to banging down gears
I just thought this is the way it was supposed to be
because of the shaft drive, some safety thing
I thought it was bad as I was coming to a corner to drop a gear and it will not go in unless I blip the throttle

Lucky for me they have given me 12 months warranty

Thanks this could save me a fortune

 

[Andy Michael]

Well had new bush put into gear linkage on the 13th just came back from 2000 mile jaunt round France and Spain and bike was a dream never missed a beat.I must admit I was sceptical about the problem being with the linkage bush as it really felt like the box was the problem, but glad to say I was wrong now on 16500 miles and original gearbox.

 

[Paul Wakefield]

Andy - glad to hear it worked. My new bush is on order.

Paul

 

[Dinger]

This is a very timely thread for me as mine is going in tomorrow with EXACTLY the same symptoms as the original poster. Mine has done 15,000 miles. Changing down used to be very slick but now it's like I'm attempting a clutchless change without getting the revs right, there's just resistance. It really messes me up when changing down for cornering etc, I kind of "miss the moment" and it gets all untidy.
I'll print this thread and take it in with the bike.

 

[Dinger]

This is a very timely thread for me as mine is going in tomorrow with EXACTLY the same symptoms as the original poster. Mine has done 15,000 miles. Changing down used to be very slick but now it's like I'm attempting a clutchless change without getting the revs right, there's just resistance. It really messes me up when changing down for cornering etc, I kind of "miss the moment" and it gets all untidy.
I'll print this thread and take it in with the bike.

UPDATE
The dealer took the bike on an "extended test ride" today and concluded that the gear change is, in fact, a bit iffy. It goes in on Monday for a new gearbox.
I bet they wish I'd reported it two months ago when they had the arse off it for a new subframe!

 

[stephinson]

took it to the dealers
It did not stick for him, he took it out twice


he said the bmw has chunky teeth so it might just be that


I will just have to see if it gets worse or force it then it will be broke.

 

[Trip]

Jaygee: I have the exact problem you describe (downchanges sticky following engine braking, throttle blip corrects problem) did you find a solution in the end?

Trip

 

[Tobers]

It's probably your clutch failing to disengage properly - as a result the gearbox isn't unloaded properly and wont change down. Blipping the throttle with the clutch pulled disengages the plates a bit enabling the downchange.

On my bike, the cause was the clutch pressure plate failing and resulting in inconsistent engagement/disengagement. Eventaully, it just gave up and I had major clutch slip. Piece of crap.

BMW have changed clutch manufacturer as a result (not of just my problem I must add!). Get it in the dealer, whinge a lot, and demand a new clutch from the new manufacturer. This is a known problem.

 

[heathy]

exact same problem as first post and many others - prob started at around 14000miles - i was out of warranty and have traded bike for another (yellow one of course). if prob starts again i'll be straight back in with it.

because it catches you by surprise on entry to bend i ended up going in about 15mph faster than intended...wehey.....

 

[JayGee]

It's some time since I started this thread after experiencing difficulty on down shifts (especially on the overrun after rolling off for hazard), blipping the throttle always avoided the problem but it was still a real pain.

The dealer reamed out the bush on the lever mechanism and tried to convince me this was a cure but as soon as the bike got hot it started again. I suggested it might be clutch drag and a likely cause was the clutch plate sticking on the splines on the main shaft, they just looked blank and claimed not to have heard of this problem (thanks to Tobers for suggesting it).

Next I noticed a small amount (just a thin line) of gearbox oil at the gerabox/engine joint, indicating a leaky oil seal (gearbox input shaft seal). the bike was then a few months out of warranty but BMW & Pidcocks did the honourable thing and fixed the problem for free. They changed both engine output and gearbox input oil seals. I asked them to take the clutch apart and check for any oil on the friction pads as this can cause the clutch to stick/drag and I also asked them to ensure the splines were correctly lubed.

When I picked the bike up they said clutch was OK and splines were lubed as part of the job. The did say the clutch needed adjustment, I think this might have been bullshit as there is no adjustment on the hydraulic clutch (is there?) but maybe they meant something more basic like alignement etc.

Anyway the upshot of all this is the gearbox feels like it did when newish, no problems on down shifts, easier to get first etc. although I did get a Neutral indication when parking the other day only to shoot forward a few feet as I let out the clutch. Partly my fault as it didn't feel like it went into neutral properly.

So, I suspect the problem was clutch drag probably caused by incorrectly (not) lubed splines or maybe sticking on some leaking gearbox oil. Anyway the annoying problem has been cured, the latest s/w was uploaded and the bike feels so much better.

I've now cut down a NN wide screen to about 5 inches less than the oem screen and that has further improved the bike by reducing the buffeting without introducing too much windblast so I now think the bike is great again