help with clutch slip - please!!!!

[simplysounds]

bike: 2006 bmw r1200gsa
mileage: 28,000 miles
history: previous owner (9,500 miles) had dealer service and since my ownership self serviced as per bmw schedule (using genuine parts and approved fluids). no major issues at all. never ridden off road or in mud/sand. never slipped clutch knowingly. no wheelies or burnouts. bike is kept clean and tidy and well cared for.


hi all,

did usual service 2 weeks ago. checked and adjusted valves. balanced throttle bodies with twinmax. changed engine oil and oil filter. did a general check. cleaned front calipers and parts (i like it all clean and precise). replaced front pads (both sides)

slightly overfilled engine oil at first. drained after 1st ride out (did appx 20 miles). when i got home i drained off some oil and refilled to exact level. normally i buy 4 x 1 litre bottles and it's easy to work it out. this time i had a 5 litre can and filled it cold to the sight glass line. after riding it rose past the line. after looking at the manual and many websites it seems hot and cold makes a huge difference to the oil level using the sight glass.

just rode it at the weekend and between 4-6k revs it feels the clutch is slipping. if i pull away on an incline it feels strong and solid in 1st and second but when on the go in 3rd gear and beyond it's worst. when on the motorway in 4th and fifth i accelerate and it feels like the clutch is slipping.

what i've tried so far: removed a small amount of fluid from the clutch reservoir. checked for any oil leaks (everywhere). checked lever clearance against hand guard which is ok. still got slip and i'm worried i may need a new clutch at only 28,000 miles of careful riding?

i can't afford bmw workshop prices. i have a small workshop with a bike lift/ramp and loads of tools. i'm confident doing most tasks but replacing the clutch myself is a bit daunting.

any ideas or help would be appreciated.

 

[jwpzx9r]

Really the best way to check for a weak clutch I'd to take it down the road and fully warm it up then work it through the gears into top at about fifty ish and then absolutely nail it! If the clutch is weak the revs will rise but you won't be going anywhere quick I had a clutch issue with my bike and although they fixed it they did not actually tell me what the fault was, but I got the impression that the fault my have been with the pushrod sticking at least I think that was what the bloke was trying to tell me.... they all speak French down here Never had a problem since that though.

edit
when the needle hits 6k it will normally let go if the clutch is fecked!
edit again It might be an oil leak fron the engine or gearbox oil seal thas got onto the clutch plate

 

[jwpzx9r]

I know what you mean about replacing the clutch but there is loads of info on it on this site and really most of the issues are taking the bits and bobs off rather than splitting the bike from what I can see. Might be that you need to take the bike for a good long blast to see if the clutch gets any better/worse?

 

[simplysounds]

Really the best way to check for a weak clutch I'd to take it down the road and fully warm it up then work it through the gears into top at about fifty ish and then absolutely nail it! If the clutch is weak the revs will rise but you won't be going anywhere quick I had a clutch issue with my bike and although they fixed it they did not actually tell me what the fault was, but I got the impression that the fault my have been with the pushrod sticking at least I think that was what the bloke was trying to tell me.... they all speak French down here Never had a problem since that though.

edit
when the needle hits 6k it will normally let go if the clutch is fecked!
edit again It might be an oil leak fron the engine or gearbox oil seal thas got onto the clutch plate

thanks, i'll try that next time i'm out (Wednesday) and report back. if it was a seal that's leading to oil contamination would it just slip all the time? i ride it up my inclined drive in 1st and no slip. also it's strange i've only just noticed this happening. done loads of miles before the winter without any problems.

 

[Greg Masters]

i ride it up my inclined drive in 1st and no slip.

As jwp says, you need to check by rolling on the gas in top gear, not 1st.

 

[Pukmeister]

If its gonna slip it will do it under hard acceleration in 5th at about 5000 rpm.Mine does sometimes although it got better with time so was probably just a glazed friction plate.

I just ride around it if and when it happens, I'm too lazy to split the bike and fit new plates even though its only nuts and bolts and some money on parts.

I might do it at the end of the summer.

 

[jwpzx9r]

To check for a weak clutch you really need to get her into top and nail her from about 3k, uphill really shows up a duff clutch! If its weak or has oil on the plate it will let go at about 5.5k and spin right round to 8.5k or the limiter, if its got one, be careful don't want a broken engine! I take it it never done this before? Its not likely that the over fill did this unless it was way over and blew the oilseal. Talking about the oil don't use the sight glass for determining the correct amount of oil to add at an oil change!! If you change the filter then, providing you have drained her for say about an hour add 3.9L of oil to the engine job done! Sight glasses are good to check that there is oil in there but they don't tell you how much, much better to add the prescribed amount If there has been some oil got onto the plate from a weep it may correct its self by burning it off, if it was not too much. Take it out for a longish run and thrash it see if it stops slipping or gets worse. My penny worth hope its not too bad and sorts itself, there have been people on here that have had the same problem and its gone away

 

[simplysounds]

If its gonna slip it will do it under hard acceleration in 5th at about 5000 rpm.Mine does sometimes although it got better with time so was probably just a glazed friction plate.

I just ride around it if and when it happens, I'm too lazy to split the bike and fit new plates even though its only nuts and bolts and some money on parts.

I might do it at the end of the summer.

thanks, i'll take it for a blast and report back. i thought that i'd do the service and spend the whole summer trouble free riding, oh well - just my luck!

 

[Mr K]

Gearbox seal leaking due to over-filling and leaking into clutch?

Used to be a common fault.

 

[donny1972]

Run your finger below the clutch slave cylinder at the back of the engine near the shock. If its weeping oil you could have contaminated your clutch due to a failed pushrod seal.

 

[simplysounds]

no oil there. no oil coming from anywhere.

 

[simplysounds]

Gearbox seal leaking due to over-filling and leaking into clutch?

Used to be a common fault.

possible i suppose. when i did slightly overfill the engine oil after changing it was only by 1/4 - 1/3 of a litre over.

haven't changed the gearbox oil. did this as at 23,000 miles (0.8l) up to the filling hole.

if there is oil on the plate will it evaporate with use?

 

[jwpzx9r]

no signs of oil is a good thing! Give it a thrash and see what happens Don't know about the oil evaporating would have to get very hot for that to happen, but it might get worn off. If there is oil on it and there is a lot of it I can't see a good outcome really, but it might not be oil it may just be glazed over. A longish thrash will give you an idea of what is going to happen, if it continues to slip then you will have choises to make, it might get better rather than worse then let it go in the hope it clears people on here have done that with a positive outcome

 

[fatgser]

just a stupid one that happened to me and iam sure you would have noticed by now but the hand guard on the clutch slipped down slightly enough to keep the lever slightly de-pressed

 

[simplysounds]

just a stupid one that happened to me and iam sure you would have noticed by now but the hand guard on the clutch slipped down slightly enough to keep the lever slightly de-pressed

cheers, checked that (as mentioned in initial post). good to point it out as this has been a common issue in the past.

 

[Pukmeister]

With my clutch slip I removed the starter and checked for oil in the bell housing, looked at the amount of friction material remaining and also operated the clutch to observe the plates separate. All looked normal, so I suspect either glazing or weak pressure plate springs. I'd suspect yours is the same, mines a late 2008 bike. It started slipping at about 12,000 miles, now on 18,000 and still okay just an occasional slip when pressing on in 5th and 6th.

 

[simplysounds]

With my clutch slip I removed the starter and checked for oil in the bell housing, looked at the amount of friction material remaining and also operated the clutch to observe the plates separate. All looked normal, so I suspect either glazing or weak pressure plate springs. I'd suspect yours is the same, mines a late 2008 bike. It started slipping at about 12,000 miles, now on 18,000 and still okay just an occasional slip when pressing on in 5th and 6th.

good call. that sounds like a plan. if it's still doing it after some motorway riding i'll whip it off and have a look. if i can see the clutch at least i'll have a better idea.

many thanks for that. this is all good.

any idea how much a dealer would charge to fit a new clutch or any of the seals (if required)?

 

[Pukmeister]

I was estimated around £800 when I asked, refundable if they found a leaking oil seal whilst under warranty hence I removed the starter, saw no oil and thought better of it as my warranty had almost expired. No doubt it would have been classed as fair wear and tear and would be chargeable otherwise, and I don't want to pay for someone else to split the bike and do the clutch when I can do it myself.

I believe the parts are somewhere around the £200 mark, someone here will know the correct price.

 

[Bendy toy]

Not cheap :-(

My Diversion 900 clutch was slipping at 73,000 miles. New friction plates £45 springs £10. There was some slight knotching in the clutch basket slots, but not enough to affect the clutch operation.

I believe the new LC has a bike style clutch. Makes sense if it has.

 

[simplysounds]

Not cheap :-(

My Diversion 900 clutch was slipping at 73,000 miles. New friction plates £45 springs £10. There was some slight knotching in the clutch basket slots, but not enough to affect the clutch operation.

I believe the new LC has a bike style clutch. Makes sense if it has.

yep, cheap and easy. done a few jap bike clutches in my time. very easy to do (unlike the r12's). nicer engineering on the new lc. nice wet multi plate at the front. would love a little lottery to get the new 2013 gs.