goodbye clutch!

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jobooth321
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goodbye clutch!

Post by jobooth321 »

Guess I had too many vehicles working at once. I was running some errands in town and I think my clutch exploded. Horrible grinding noises and no power to the wheel. 21k miles and it's dead. Aint right.
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5lv
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by 5lv »

That's not good.

Since I have a new to me Rockster with 20K miles, I would be interested in what led up to that.
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by dustburm »

Input shaft splines???????????

$1600?????

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5lv
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by 5lv »

Based on what I have read on this forum and others, I thought maybe the same thing, but at 21k miles?
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by riceburner »

Depends on how hard the bike has been ridden - I first had clutch spline failure the day after I was practising wheelies.... (Now I don't practise wheelies!)
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jobooth321
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by jobooth321 »

I'm the 4th rider on it and I ride it pretty easily. No wild launches or wheelies. I guess the previous owners thrashed it.

It gave no signs of wear, just exploded letting out the clutch from 1st to 2nd. I'm guessing splines, but we'll see.

I'll photo document the process. I'm curious as hell to get in there and see what blew.
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by riceburner »

jobooth321 wrote:I'm the 4th rider on it and I ride it pretty easily. No wild launches or wheelies. I guess the previous owners thrashed it.

It gave no signs of wear, just exploded letting out the clutch from 1st to 2nd. I'm guessing splines, but we'll see.

I'll photo document the process. I'm curious as hell to get in there and see what blew.

It's generally the splines - either the clutch plate to gearbox, or gearbox to final drive. The splines at the clutch-gearbox join don't fully engage so it does tend to be a weak point.
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jobooth321
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by jobooth321 »

Anyone have suggestions on aftermarket brands/parts or should I just go OEM?

I haven't opened her up yet but plan on it soon. My 'honey do' list is fairly lengthy right now...
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by sykospain »

Some 6-speed splines have been known to strip at as low as 6K miles - see Chris Harris U-Toob videos. Thankfully there is now a solution - Esmir, Florida-based Rockster owner and experienced wrencher known on other boards as 'celeb1000', is now sourcing more of his Clutch Friction Plate Hub Spacer Kits - which move the plate fully onto the input shaft splines, eliminating the premature wear that plagues every single 6-speed R-bike made, so long as the splines on the input shaft are moly-greased every 20K miles. He's supplied 30 DIY kits so far and there've been no comments from riders other than satisfaction and minds-put-at-rest from worries over premature spline failure due to Berlin's continual refusal to correct this design fault by means of a factory solution.
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by jobooth321 »

UPDATE

I finally saved up some cash and towed the Rockster to the shop. The transmission input shaft stripped and took out the clutch. The clutch plate was in pieces. Youch

$$$
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FINAL update

Post by jobooth321 »

Woo! Got the Rockster back. I didn't have time nor money so the bike sat til just recently. BMW of Denver did a good job getting her all fixed up and back together. Pricey f'n job though. I am now REQUIRED to ride the piss out of this thing to get my money back! But damn, no amount of good German lube will help.

You can see in the second photo how stripped the clutch is. At the bottom are the threads. There are no threads above it. Almost perfectly smooth.

The third photo shows the shaft threads and how thin they are.

I spoke at length with the dude that did the work and the shop manager. They say the only time they've seen anything like this is if the bike sat for a long time then was fired up and ridden. The rear main seal was not properly lubed and leaked onto the shaft. The first owner on the motorcycle used this bike as a show bike so it was never ridden but was filled up with fluids at all times. We think that's what caused it. Supposedly this will 'never happen again as long as it's ridden and maintained.'

Sure is nice to be back in the saddle again. Correctly guess how much it cost me. I'll let the winner buy me lunch.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/p1t3qqauynfma ... 2.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y5l2bkm4joxeg ... 3.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7t6hg33utmqrb ... 8.JPG?dl=0
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by peels »

did you rebuild? or just replace the tranny?

ill say $2400?

$1800 was my casual quote from a Bike mechanic, when I asked, I believe LOL for full R$R with new clutch. not counting input shaft replacement.

and, If I win, were having mcdonalds. DOLLAR MENU.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: FINAL update

Post by vwdoctor »

jobooth321 wrote:
I spoke at length with the dude that did the work and the shop manager. They say the only time they've seen anything like this is if the bike sat for a long time then was fired up and ridden. The rear main seal was not properly lubed and leaked onto the shaft. The first owner on the motorcycle used this bike as a show bike so it was never ridden but was filled up with fluids at all times. We think that's what caused it. Supposedly this will 'never happen again as long as it's ridden and maintained.'
Not to stir stuff up, but that explanation makes no sense whatsoever.
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jobooth321
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by jobooth321 »

Only explanation I can think of other than one of the previous owners rode the poo out of the clutch. Any other ideas? The bike has 21k miles and change. WAY too early for it to fail.

They wouldn't cover it (out of warranty). Hell, I even asked about paying in cash vs. credit.
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by peels »

jobooth321 wrote:Only explanation I can think of other than one of the previous owners rode the ----- out of the clutch. Any other ideas? The bike has 21k miles and change. WAY too early for it to fail.

They wouldn't cover it (out of warranty). Hell, I even asked about paying in cash vs. credit.

its a design/production flaw with oilheads, and you are not alone. search it out. clutch abuse would just speed up or bring problem to the surface.

seals cannot be part of the problem here.....
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Re: goodbye clutch!

Post by sykospain »

It's so annoying that this dry-clutch issue has plagued so many sincere BMW riders of every age-group. And continues to do so.
How many times do we have to say it ? NEVER slip a dry clutch !
The design of the tranny in these 6-speed hydraulically-operated clutch oilheads has been for years so far beyond its sell-by date that it defies belief. Such that a premium brand manufacturer should have continued ( until only 5 months ago ) to fob riders off with this out-dated back-to-front Austin Mini-style single-plate dry design, without even a pilot bearing to keep things steady.

Whereby for a learner rider to follow the Department of Transport recommended learning technique of trying to master safe slow-speed riding without tumbling over, by combining careful brake control with constantly slipping the clutch, should be so seriously damaging to these bikes' transmissions.

The dry clutch on these bikes should be regarded as a simple switch - it's either engaged....or it's not. And the longer it's disengaged ( lever pulled ) the more damage is done to the hydraulic components and the friction plate.

As the prestigious German motorcycle periodical Motorrad says, in print and on its -online.de web pages, Edgar Heinrich has been Chief Designer at BMW Motorrad now for only 2 years, and it's he and his team who came up with the completely revised Boxer engine and transmission concept, saying:-
"...the boxer should be also sexy."
He and his department should be taken to task along with BMW Motorrad Customer "Support", and made to admit that the reason the switch to a wet clutch was made last Autumn, indicates that this vast, supremely profitable manufacturing combine finally realised the inherent failings of their dry clutch design.
But that'll never happen in a month of Sundays...
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