Wilkie Posted July 20, 2021 Share Posted July 20, 2021 HI All,, I've just bought a 1999 R1100RT with 31000 on the clock. About 4 or 5 years ago it developed out of the blue a problem with the gearbox. The owner of it never got around to taking it to a motorcycle repair place and instead parked it at the back of his garage. He decided the other day that it was time to sell the bike on, so I managed to buy it for a reasonable price, in the knowledge that the gearbox may need replacing, but on the other hand it may turn out to be something quite simple to fix. He had owned the bike for a number of years and had bought the bike with just 6000 miles on the clock. Anyway I trailered the bike home today and first thing was to charge the battery. The bike started within a few seconds of the engine turning over and it sounded nice, no rattles or nasty noises coming from the engine. So I gave it a quick run down the road and discovered that the gears are difficult to change down and almost impossible to change into first gear. Is this a common problem with these gearboxes? Is there an easy fix? Any idea as to what the cause is and will it require another gearbox? Many thanks in advance Link to comment
Jim Moore Posted July 20, 2021 Share Posted July 20, 2021 That is not a common problem. The gearbox on that 99 is actually pretty stout. Does the shifter not move, or it moves but the gears don't engage? Link to comment
Wilkie Posted July 20, 2021 Author Share Posted July 20, 2021 Shifter moves, but seems to be a nightmare to engage first gear. I was wondering if maybe it was down to play in the linkage or it may need adjusting. Going up the gears it engages smoothly and quietly, just down to 2nd from 3rd is difficult then 1st just doesn't seem to want to happen. I sprayed plenty of ACF50 penetrating oil on to the linkage just in case it was something as simple as tight linkage or pedal pivot Link to comment
dirtrider Posted July 20, 2021 Share Posted July 20, 2021 27 minutes ago, Wilkie said: HI All,, I've just bought a 1999 R1100RT with 31000 on the clock. About 4 or 5 years ago it developed out of the blue a problem with the gearbox. The owner of it never got around to taking it to a motorcycle repair place and instead parked it at the back of his garage. He decided the other day that it was time to sell the bike on, so I managed to buy it for a reasonable price, in the knowledge that the gearbox may need replacing, but on the other hand it may turn out to be something quite simple to fix. He had owned the bike for a number of years and had bought the bike with just 6000 miles on the clock. Anyway I trailered the bike home today and first thing was to charge the battery. The bike started within a few seconds of the engine turning over and it sounded nice, no rattles or nasty noises coming from the engine. So I gave it a quick run down the road and discovered that the gears are difficult to change down and almost impossible to change into first gear. Is this a common problem with these gearboxes? Is there an easy fix? Any idea as to what the cause is and will it require another gearbox? Many thanks in advance Afternoon Wilkie First thing make sure the little shift lever pinch bolt (the one on the short transmission splined shifter shaft is tight & not backed out (that alone can cause all kinds of shifting difficulties). Also make sure the ball & socket joints on the shift linkage move easily & are well lubricated (those don't just pop off the balls as there is a clip to remove first). There was also a BMW service bulletin on some transmissions__ stating, the shift lever can be moved up and down but the gearbox will remain in one gear. Due to machining imperfections, the internal selector shaft assembly does not move properly. As a result, the selector drum inside the gearbox cannot rotate correctly. (kind of a long shot on this one but just something to keep in mind if you can't find anything else) Link to comment
Jim Moore Posted July 20, 2021 Share Posted July 20, 2021 My Y2K R1100RS doesn't love 2-3 or 3-2 either. Maybe it's a feature instead of a problem. For going to first, try holding the shifter down and easing out the clutch a little bit. Link to comment
Michaelr11 Posted July 20, 2021 Share Posted July 20, 2021 DR gave you good advice. A sloppy linkage can cause the shift lever to press against the bottom of the slot that it moves within. The adjuster is the first place to check and then check the entire linkage. If the shift linkage mechanism checks out, then another possible problem would be a dry or rusted shaft at the transmission and clutch hub. If the clutch can’t slide on the input shaft downshifting can become very difficult. I would be much more inclined to think that the linkage is the problem. Link to comment
Miguel! Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 Make sure there's oil in the gear box. Miguel Link to comment
Hosstage Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 Does it shift better with the motor off? Just wondering about clutch drag. Link to comment
Wilkie Posted July 21, 2021 Author Share Posted July 21, 2021 I'm going to remove the linkage and the foot rest support rail and check that the collar on the shaft hasn't moved. I may try and put some mole grips on the collar to see if it changes gear OK without the linkage or if the problem is still there. Link to comment
Wilkie Posted July 21, 2021 Author Share Posted July 21, 2021 I'm hopeful that I have found the problem. The top ball linkage that goes in the collar on the gearbox selector shaft was rusted solid. I'm just about to order a new pair of them, as not worth risking any more issues with them. Once the new linkage arrives I will update whether this has fixed the problem Link to comment
dirtrider Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 10 minutes ago, Wilkie said: I'm hopeful that I have found the problem. The top ball linkage that goes in the collar on the gearbox selector shaft was rusted solid. I'm just about to order a new pair of them, as not worth risking any more issues with them. Once the new linkage arrives I will update whether this has fixed the problem Morning Wilkie That would definitely make smooth shifting more difficult. Those linkages are usually for sale on E-Bay, if you order new from BMW don't forget the ball retention clips or the balls won't stay in the sockets. Link to comment
Skywagon Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 wow..that looks like salt damage. Did the bike live in a salt environment? Link to comment
Wilkie Posted July 21, 2021 Author Share Posted July 21, 2021 Although bike garaged, bike lived in A coastal village in the north west Scottish Highlands. I've just ordered the bits from the BMW dealer, they are coming from Germany so will be the middle of next week before I get them. £32 + VAT, so I'm a happy chappy. I've just used a pair of mole grips on the top ball after I threaded it back in to the gear selector collar and started the bike up and the gears selected 1,N,2, 3, 3,2,N,,1 really smoothly so I think that's the problem found :-) A big thank you to everyone that has offered advice, as it has potentially saved me a load of hassle & money :-) 1 Link to comment
Wilkie Posted July 21, 2021 Author Share Posted July 21, 2021 Just an update, I freed up the old linkage with heat and put the old linkage back on to try the gears. I gave it a quick test ride and gears were smooth up & down the gears. I shall be fitting the new linkage when it arrives, but at least I know for sure that was the problem with the gears. Thanks once again for all the help 4 Link to comment
Hosstage Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 A much better solution than having to go into the tranny! Link to comment
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