Proper Technique Using Wet Clutch vs Dry Clutch.

[konacyclist]

I am getting familiar with my new 2022 R1250RT and one thing that is taking some time getting used to is the difference in clutch feel. I don't feel the clutch is disengaging completely sometimes. I am being pretty deliberate in my clutch lever use, making sure I am disengaging it fully. The time this is most noticeable is when engaging first gear. Sometimes it goes into gear quietly, other times it acts like I didn't fully pull in the clutch. I am very sympathetic mechanically and a smooth rider. I can make gear changes on my 2012 R1200GS that are smooth as warm butter and dropping into first gear is drama free and often silent. Is there a trick to getting the wet clutch to release better? Should I start the bike in first gear with the clutch pulled in? I would guess this might put more strain on the starter motor but it might be one solution.

[dirtrider]

53 minutes ago, konacyclist said:

I am getting familiar with my new 2022 R1250RT and one thing that is taking some time getting used to is the difference in clutch feel. I don't feel the clutch is disengaging completely sometimes. I am being pretty deliberate in my clutch lever use, making sure I am disengaging it fully. The time this is most noticeable is when engaging first gear. Sometimes it goes into gear quietly, other times it acts like I didn't fully pull in the clutch. I am very sympathetic mechanically and a smooth rider. I can make gear changes on my 2012 R1200GS that are smooth as warm butter and dropping into first gear is drama free and often silent. Is there a trick to getting the wet clutch to release better? Should I start the bike in first gear with the clutch pulled in? I would guess this might put more strain on the starter motor but it might be one solution.

Morning konacyclist

 

That is always a problem with wet clutches (especially with cold or cool thicker engine oil). 

 

With a dry single plate clutch there is nothing but air between the clutch disk the drive disk.

 

With a wet clutch you have multiple plates with somewhat vicious engine oil between the released drive plates & driven plates, therefore there is a LOT more potential for clutch drag when you pull the clutch lever in. 

 

You can start it in gear but that places more wear on the starting gears & starter motor. 

 

Personally I don't worry too much about it so just pop them into 1st & ride off. 

 

Or, if the motorcycle has a lot of released-clutch drag I will put it into 2nd (usually is more mild going into 2nd), THEN shift down  into 1st & ride off. 

[duckbubbles]

The clunk when engaging 1st gear is universally common on the wetheads and practically all wet clutch bikes.  Starting with the '17 models, BMW modified the transmission (I think that is right) to  reduce the clunk but I haven't noticed any difference between my ex-'16 and the '17 I have now. 

 

Frank

[gary45]

Might be my imagination but seems worse with slipper clutches, when my son puts his R1 in first it looks like the motor is going to jump out of the frame.

[Twisties]

57 minutes ago, duckbubbles said:

The clunk when engaging 1st gear is universally common on the wetheads and practically all wet clutch bikes.  Starting with the '17 models, BMW modified the transmission (I think that is right) to  reduce the clunk but I haven't noticed any difference between my ex-'16 and the '17 I have now. 

 

Frank

 

Certainly common to all modern boxers, wet or dry. DAMHIK 

[King Herald]

My dry clutch 1100r goes into 1st silently most times.... unfortunately it doesn't like to stay there. I've got into the habit of keeping my foot on the gear pedal as I pull away, as more than a few times I've gone to pull out and found it had popped back into neutral. Especially fun when doing a tight, low speed U turn, with the bike leaned over a fair bit....

 

My old Kawasaki Zephyr 1100 would make a great mechanical crash every time it was put into 1st, but a Suzuki Bandit 1200 snicked silently into gear, with nary a twitch.  

 

Using the wrong oil can make it worse. I spent years running car oil in my old SR500 Yam, and wondering why the clutch both slipped, under hard acceleration,  and stuck up when left for a few days. 

[Scott9999]

Now, this thread explains a lot.  I mean, I KNEW the difference between dry and wet clutches, and KNEW my 2018 Wethead had a new (to BMW) wet clutch, versus my Hexhead (and Oilhead) dry clutches, but I never thought about how they differ mechanically, and in the way they shift.  Somehow, I just expected the Hexhead and Wethead to shift exactly the same.  My shifting technique/ability on the 2018 has been crap, but I attributed that to my 6 year layoff (and well, maybe I was never all that good to begin with, but never mind that 🙄).

 

However, the differences between the two bikes' transmissions and clutches, not just the shift assist, probably has something to do with my shifting problems.  I've been just pre-loading like I did the my last R1150 and R1200 RT's, and the clutch has never "felt right".  I keep missing gears, over-reving & popping the clutch, lugging it, or doing something other than a smooth shift.  Out of frustration, my solution has been to say "to hell with it", just add more power and ride faster, hoping the problem goes away, or my latent 30 year muscle memory finally kicks in. 😏

 

(Hmmm, I suppose that I could just ride more.  Naw, that'd never work.)  🙃😖

[gary45]

On all the dry clutch r's and k's preloading was the "normal" way to shift but with shift assist it can cause problems. I had to learn to keep foot away from shifter.

[BrianT]

On 5/20/2022 at 12:24 PM, gary45 said:

On all the dry clutch r's and k's preloading was the "normal" way to shift but with shift assist it can cause problems. I had to learn to keep foot away from shifter.

This has been my problem.  Hard to unlearn 22 years of muscle memory.  I keep accidentally shifting before I intend to.

[konacyclist]

I have come up with a solution that works for me. When starting out in the morning, I put the bike in first gear, pull in the clutch lever all the way and then push the bike a short distance to break the "stiction" in the clutch plates. I can then start the bike while the clutch is fully disengaged and the transmission is in first gear. The starter does not give any indication of straining while turning over to start the engine. Once the engine is fully warmed up the clutch does disengage better and there is less of a noise when engaging first gear. This technique can also be used for subsequent starts throughout the day but it makes the most noticeable difference if the engine has been off for awhile and cooled down. The critical part of this technique is pushing the bike with the clutch in and the bike in gear in order to break the clutch "stiction".