Clutch Dry or wet

[mkmd555]

I was told that all motorcycles clutches are WET. Meaning, in practical terms, that they do not burn, for example, if you use the clutch a lot on an uphill stop ( to prevent the bike from going downhill).

But, I found in my manual that our clutches are dry.

Does this mean that we need to replace the pressure plate and the clutch discs, and if so, then, how often?

R1150R, 2002

M Khan

[towerworker]

Our clutches are considered "dry" clutches in that they are not immersed in an oil bath as in so many other motorcycles. Most other sport bikes have "wet" clutches as they are immersed in the same oil that is used to lubricate the engine. The BMW clutch is similar to what is used in a car or a truck. Just smaller of course.

You seldom hear of a BMW clutch wearing out. There is no recommended replacement interval that I am aware of. Using the clutch to keep a bike (or a car) from rolling backwards is a very destructive practice and will assure you of early and regular clutch replacement.

Wayne

[TBzz]

The dry clutch has some negatives, particularly in slow maneuvering. Doing tight, slow turns, I feather the rear brake while keeping the clutch in the friction zone. With a wet clutch, there's not much stress put on the clutch plate. This is not so with a dry clutch, so you have to keep it in mind. I like to practice slow maneuvers like this once a week or so, but I usually take my Triumph out for that purpose.

The positive side of the coin, though, is that we don't have to worry about avoiding oil with friction modifiers. Those wet clutch motorcycles require oil that does not have any Slick 50 type additives. Ordinary Mobil 1 has trace amounts of that stuff in it, so it's not recommended. In fact, the "motorcycle oil" that everyone pays so much money for is actually yesterday's state of the art, API service SJ, (I think) which means that it doesn't have any friction modifiers.

As far as replacing the clutch, do you hear much about guys having to do that? I don't. I think that most riders don't get up to the 100 thousand mile range where clutch faiure becomes more common.

[Arbee]

The R series BMW dry clutch should never wear out, the splines will be long gone before the plates.

[Ves]

The R series BMW dry clutch should never wear out, the splines will be long gone before the plates.

That's what I call a positive outlook...

Ah... how about using the rear brake to keep the bike from rolling back on a hill. Bike in gear, left foot down, right foot on rear brake. When you're ready to start moving forward feed in the clutch and gas and release the rear brake when you feel it pulling.