Is this normal !

[Toddmeister]

Does anyone recognise these wise words.

"So if you're struggling with the bike and it's gears in particular, don't just slag it off! Step back, and see if there's stuff in your riding that you can do to meet the bike half way. And that's not necessarily a weakness in this bike, all bikes have their little ways, and a half decent rider will soon feel what different bikes want from their rider in return."

Maybe someone is now seeing the world through orange tinted glasses

 

[Engineer]

trust me. I do and I did on that trip. I blipped on 3-2 and 1, then 1 jumped out so I tried to put it back in again and that caused clonk.

I've been riding couple of different bikes in last 5 years, but none of them required changing technique when downshifting.
GS LC is first bike which forced to learn blipping on the throttle, as otherwise I wouldn't be able to put up with its clunkiness. My previous bike - s1kRR under same conditions would not clunk when shifting down the box or miss gears so often compared to my 2013 LC.

Since that video, I had my gearbox replaced and it shows good signs so far, but I didn't have chance yet to stress it in environment like the one on posted video.

Sounds like you had a genuinely faulty one and it has been fixed. Riding around mountains shouldn't stress the box in any way, hopefully all fixed now

 

[Norfolk Tiger]

I reckon Engineer is one of those Internet Bot things; it scourers the web for certain key words (BMW, clutch, gearbox, WC etc) and then fires out an automated reply using other key words programmed into it (I'm perfect, blip, no problem, best ever, I'm not listening, la la la etc)

Andres

 

[Engineer]

Giles,
I think you summed it up in an earlier post by saying you would not choose a WC for commuting. I work just a few miles from home and would often take the twin cam to work because it made be smile before the top of the road with it's big farty exhaust note and it's puppy dog springing. The new WC is way better when I get out of town, but not half so much fun in stop start conditions and I hardly ever feel tempted to get it out to ride just a few miles. Part of that is the clucth/gearbox which is in my case is more than fit for purpose but far from slick but I also think the dynamic esa produces a flat and boring ride at lower speeds, even though it is amazingly competent at illegal speeds.

Engineer,

Your bike may be different, mine produces great gear changes most of the time, but it is unpredictable and will throw in the odd heavy clunk just when I think I have the technique mastered. I don't think clutch drag is the problem, if it was why does using a little squeeze of the lever tend to produce better changes than squeezing all the way and why is the quietest change of the day the first one when cold?

For all that, it is a great bike in so many ways.

Maybe it is because I have the basic 2013 bike (no modes, no traction control, no electronic suspension) that makes it such a nice bike and perhaps because I commute on it almost everyday I have learnt how to get the best from it? Some people obviously struggle with the LC and once they have that mindset then best give up and get another bike because they will never be satisfied.

The weather looks good here tomorrow, so I shall clean and polish the bike and then go blast before I resume my commute on it next week

 

[Titto]

Engineer, in that vid, forget the 1st gear clunk listen to the crunching down the other gears. That's the noise my old one made going UP the box in all gears too. Horrendous. And your having to force the gears in.
How anyone could argue that is normal is beyond me.
As I have said, the majority of the bikes are going to be good, but there are plenty with issues.
I'm aware now of 11 people who bmw have done swaps for after presenting gearbox / clutch arguments.
That's just from this site. There will be those that are on other sites globally, and of course those that will never post only browse.
I do wonder about actual numbers, it would be interesting to know how many have swapped.
Ding dong has clearly been very very unlucky. The other chaps I know have much improved bikes on the 14 model.

 

[Giles]

Does anyone recognise these wise words.

"So if you're struggling with the bike and it's gears in particular, don't just slag it off! Step back, and see if there's stuff in your riding that you can do to meet the bike half way. And that's not necessarily a weakness in this bike, all bikes have their little ways, and a half decent rider will soon feel what different bikes want from their rider in return."

Maybe someone us now seeing the world through orange tinted glasses

Was that me

Ha ha ... Wise words there!!
Ahh c'mon, all of that is true, so I stand by what I say - there's a lot you can do to learn how one particular bike functions.
I got the best out of my GS by doing that, understanding what it doesn't like, knowing that say, as I approach a junction it will
prefer one method over another to come down the box, so I don't feel I'm guilty of jumping ship and then getting the daggers out !
The Bm is a good bike, but yer can't odds the fact that the gearbox (clutch) is its Achillies heel ...

 

[yankeedoodledandy]

FWIW, many bikes will make a loud clank/crunch when you lever them back into gear after a false neutral, not just the GS.

What would worry me more is if the bike pops out of gear more than once on the same trip. Once or twice a season, maybe due to a lazy shift, is expected. Several times per trip is unsafe. Luckily the rider wasn't approaching that corner very aggressively, and it sounds like he got a new transmission as he should have.

So in the spirit of the thread title: no, that is not normal ("that" meaning popping out of gear). Neither my own 2013 nor the 2014 I rented in September for 1500 miles do that, even when shifted aggressively all the way down to 1st going into downhill hairpins.

So you have to separate the "my bike clunks occasionally going into first and I don't like it" folks (most polite way I can describe them) from ones with real problem like "my bike clunks loudly almost every time I shift into first, misses shifts or pops out of gear multiple times when I ride aggressively."

 

[johnfoxllb]

I propose a peaceful protest at the BMW Motorrad stand during the forthcoming NEC show.

We'll have some "Is this normal?" T-shirts printed and shake biscuit tins filled with spanners.

 

[Wrinkly]

Blip on down changes and it won't happen, how many times do I have to say this!!!!!! There are videos of the 1150 doing just the same from years ago - don't people ever effing learn!!!!! I guess not!!!!!!

Engineer.

Here's a little earner for you,and I'm not jesting I'm completely serious.

Contact BMW and make them aware that you are able to educate all those having clutch/gearbox problems in how to ride correctly and achieve consistently smooth gearchanges.

My suggestion would be that you ask £2000 plus exes for each educational session.

I can guarantee they will snap your hand off fly you all over the world and you will become an international institution.

If your not interested in what will clearly make you a millionaire then for goodness sake give it a rest.

Steve

 

[DING-DONG]

why is the quietest change of the day the first one when cold?
.

I thought ENGINEER would no the answer to this ! Anyway in the morn the oil is at the coolest temp and acts as coolant around the plates so the first change is snick snick, once upto temp the oil is hot and (not as thick as when its cold) so may not be sufficient to lube the plates and with excessive heat will allow the plates to stick allowing the clutch not to disengage fully.

Also its noted on some bikes that run semi synthetic oil, by changing to fully synthetic can and does cause clutch slip.

 

[DING-DONG]

I propose a peaceful protest at the BMW Motorrad stand during the forthcoming NEC show.

We'll have some "Is this normal?" T-shirts printed .

I will be there everyday wearing that T-shift ....

 

[Neil W]

I am going to the show and do intend to have chat with someone on the stand regarding my bike ( and not one of the young ladies)

I propose a peaceful protest at the BMW Motorrad stand during the forthcoming NEC show.

We'll have some "Is this normal?" T-shirts printed and shake biscuit tins filled with spanners.

 

[DING-DONG]

Some people obviously struggle with the LC and once they have that mindset then best give up and get another bike because they will never be satisfied.

OBVIOUSLY some people do not struggle with the LC, its FLAWED and its a real shame because the bike has the makings of being exceptional, so i don't use it to commute I've done my share of riding the bike with 2 trips abroad last yr, 2 trips abroad this year, 2 visits to the ring, 750 mile dash home so I'm more than adequate to no how to ride this bike and change gear.

So ENGINEER why does it CLONK/CLUNK !

But this doesn't.

 

[stevemersey]

OBVIOUSLY some people do not struggle with the LC, its FLAWED and its a real shame because the bike has the makings of being exceptional, so i don't use it to commute I've done my share of riding the bike with 2 trips abroad last yr, 2 trips abroad this year, 2 visits to the ring, 750 mile dash home so I'm more than adequate to no how to ride this bike and change gear.

So ENGINEER why does it CLONK/CLUNK !

But this doesn't.
View attachment 268556

I think the answer lies with the shaft within shaft design of the counterbalance/cam drive shaft and the clutch output shaft...... but that is a wild guess.

 

[Katnip]

is this normal

I was keen on the new wc and have followed all the threads on here particularly the ones concerning the gearbox.
I decided to wait because it would spoil a bike if clacks and crunches were the norm. I currently own a tc and am very happy with it, quite a nice gearbox etc.
Anyway my local dealer offered me one for a day when mine was in for service and lo and behold the gearbox and changes were perfectly good. I did about 200 miles.
However, I do believe that some people have problems and I am sure it's not lack of experience or riding ability that's the problem. It must mean that some bikes just do have a dodgy set up. Don't forget that I put off buying one simply because if gear changing was an irritant I would not be happy at all.
Incidentally, I bought my tc from Ding Dong a couple of years ago and it's a great bike, thanks Dave. I wonder if you regret selling it?

 

[DING-DONG]

Incidentally, I bought my tc from Ding Dong a couple of years ago and it's a great bike, thanks Dave. I wonder if you regret selling it?

Nice to cross paths again, yep i do regret letting slip all the TC I've had, but i will have anther one shorty as a second bike, this time it will be a keeper.

 

[Engineer]

OBVIOUSLY some people do not struggle with the LC, its FLAWED and its a real shame because the bike has the makings of being exceptional, so i don't use it to commute I've done my share of riding the bike with 2 trips abroad last yr, 2 trips abroad this year, 2 visits to the ring, 750 mile dash home so I'm more than adequate to no how to ride this bike and change gear.

So ENGINEER why does it CLONK/CLUNK !

But this doesn't.
View attachment 268556

It clonks/clunks because of clutch drag - blip simultaneously with changing down and it doesn't - only clonks when I don't blip, so I blip all the time - pull in clutch lever, blip and change at the same time - release clutch - road speed, engine speed and gearbox speed all then perfectly matched so no clutch slip so drag irrelevant - simples. As long as you are moving this all works - at standstill then you will nearly always get a clonk when going from neutral to 1st.

 

[Engineer]

I thought ENGINEER would no the answer to this ! Anyway in the morn the oil is at the coolest temp and acts as coolant around the plates so the first change is snick snick, once upto temp the oil is hot and (not as thick as when its cold) so may not be sufficient to lube the plates and with excessive heat will allow the plates to stick allowing the clutch not to disengage fully.

Also its noted on some bikes that run semi synthetic oil, by changing to fully synthetic can and does cause clutch slip.

Mine nearly always clonks into 1st when cold because the clutch is dragging, 1 in 100 it doesn't because the dogs just happen to be aligned I guess.

My bike has always had the recommended fully synth oil.

 

[DING-DONG]

Oops sorry i wasn't suggesting bods run semi synthetic, i was just using the difference in oil to suggest some bikes operate different and the effects fully synthetic can have.

 

[pistole]

hey Ding. You've very much made your point.

repeatedly.

its Sunday , I'm gonna go ride my piece of crap shifting rubbish junk GSLC.

I love this bike !