Gearbox - Vague E

[mranner]

Have had a '99 1150gs, 15K miles for 6 months now. Gearbox is fine but E is very vague. Sloppy from 5th to E and back again. Driving in 'E' is equally woolly, at less than 85mph its as if the bikes freewheelin' no mater what the throttles doing.

Tonight, A414, 90mph in 'E' and the box changed down to 5th on its own. Not a big clunk just an alarming down shift (indicator stayed on E). Any ideas, anyone seen similar.

Always had sportsbikes where 6th was the final step in wringing the bikes neck, maybe I'm expecting too much.

Wisdom warmly received. M

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Sounds like you need a new gearbox.
Most of the early - first batch of 1150GS's from 99 had their gearbox's replaced.
Check if yours has been done.

 

[Hedgehog]

Yes

My 1150 quite often jumps out of E to 5th or neutral esp. under load. I had it almost a year & got them to fit a new box... but it still does it.
It mostly happens on clutchless up-changes... so now I've just progammed myself to use the clutch for that last change to E & it never jumps...

Not the best but it works.

Not heard the same complaint about the 'sport' box with closer ratios. You could try that if you go down that line.

 

[Shurv]

gearbox E

I have the sport box and I get no problems at all. In fact I love the ratios, it pulls like a train from 55 mph in top even with 2 on board and luggage. It does get a bit breathless at 120 though, but I guess I shouldn't be there anyway. I always use the clutch , don't know why , but always have since I was a spotty teenager with a sports moped. What is the concencus on clutch or clutch less gear changes guys. Does it make any difference to gearbox wear......any engineers out there.

Marcus.

 

[Steve]

Re: Yes

It mostly happens on clutchless up-changes... so now I've just progammed myself to use the clutch for that last change to E & it never jumps...

Same here. Clutchless 5 to E nearly always pops out, so I always use the clutch. Not that I use E much in the UK the way I ride...

 

[Panzer Patrol]

Yup, what Scurrel says.....can be clutchless up to 5 then clutch to E. Mine was always jumping out...that stopped it.

 

[Paul Young]

Going from 5 to E has always felt like going from 1st to 2nd. Like there is a bigger gap between the parts inside the g'box as the lever has to travel further through its arc to engage E.

I've never been convinced that clutchless changes do no damage. They seem to transfer any shocks from the clutch to the 'box so I'll carry on with using the clutch to change gear. They're cheaper to replace.

 

[Mick Fagan]

I have seen the innards of two 1100GS gear boxes that have had the selector forks bent by clutchless changing.

One of my friends also did his 1150R gear box after hopping of a Japanese multi onto his first BMW. Clutchless changes were the norm on the Nipponese wonder but on the Teutonic tank, it bent the selector forks and stripped the case hardening or surface of a couple of the gears.

The major hurdle is that on most Japanese (if not all) machines the G/box input shaft is travelling at half crankshaft speed and are soft on the box with their multiplate wet clutches.

Whereas the BMW input shaft is travelling at crankshaft speed and is a lot harder to align up and mesh the gears and then you have the single dry plate clutch which is just itching to bite.

I have always used a clutch all of the time, maybe I'm weird, but I reckon that they do put them in the bike to be used!

Mick.