1100rt shifting?

[richd]

shifting from 1 to 2nd & 2nd to 3rd at a high rpm seems to grind the gear and not let me shift clean.. I noticed that when I shift at a lower rpm the shift is much cleaner.. Does not happen when shifting from 3 to 4th or 4th to 5th..

 

Just wondering if I'm doing something wrong.. Or if there is a certain rpm I should be shifting? Also, am I damaging the transmission?

[Linz]

I don't know your experience with BMW gearboxes. You need to slightly pre-load the shifter, don't try to flick it into gear like a Japanese bike.

 

Toe under the shifter, accelerate, add small pressure under the shifter, relax, pull clutch and snick into gear. It should clunk, they all do.

 

If you have real problems, you may need to have that looked at by an expert.

 

Most shifting issues with BMW's are caused by folk coming from Japanese bikes where you can snick up a gear from a slack pedal.

 

Linz

[MGN54]

Some good info here:

 

http://bmwsporttouring.com/faq/transmission_issues.htm

 

Practice with this technique has really helped me to enjoy my RT even more. Check it out!

 

Mark

[ahirsch]

Keep practicing! Your bike sounds like mine and it just takes more zen concentration to make it work correctly. I am big on the preload to get to second and the small clutch motion with a snerk of the foot.

[Tipover_Bob]

shifting from 1 to 2nd & 2nd to 3rd at a high rpm seems to grind the gear and not let me shift clean.. I noticed that when I shift at a lower rpm the shift is much cleaner.. Does not happen when shifting from 3 to 4th or 4th to 5th..

 

Preloading firmly and lightly is the way to go. Then keep upward pressure through the shift. The preloading makes all the difference. Took me a couple of years on a K75 to finally listen and learn.

Tipover Bob

[WaywardSon]

A well designed and built gearbox should not take a great deal of thought or effort to change gears. That said, BMW's are a bit different from the norm. Anyone surprised by that revelation?

 

Preloading the shift lever helps...as does shifting at lower rpm's...say around 2500. Once you get a feel for it you can go from 3rd to 5th without ever touching the clutch...or grinding a gear. You just have to experiment with YOUR bike...every machine is different.

 

If you are accustomed to Japanese bikes then you will find BMW's to be clunky and hard to shift...nature of the beast. Cuddle up and get used to it.

[Mark K]

If you are accustomed to Japanese bikes then you will find BMW's to be clunky and hard to shift...

 

 

I took our old Honda "around the block" last week just to ride it and I hated it! Shifting was too smooth.....couldn't tell if I actually hit it or not. Without the clunk, I would need a gear indicator.

[Linz]

A well designed and built gearbox should not take a great deal of thought or effort to change gears.

 

I read somewhere that Beemer gearboxes are a little like the gearboxes found in rally cars, very tough and hardy, noisy and require slight preload during the shift.

 

I have discovered over recent months, with my newish used 2002 R1150RT (bought in June), that the state of tune of my bike has made a world of difference to the ease of shifting.

 

Now that the bike actually wants to run correctly, it snicks into gear very easily. When it ran like crap, it was awful to shift gears. Kinda a grit yer teeth and shift up experience... Don't know if anyone else has experienced this behavior.

 

I also have a Triumph Daytona 955i, an awesome bike for sports riding with a gearbox that slices through upchanges like a hot knife through butter. I never use the clutch after the first to second gear shift. I wish I had this on the Beemer but with timing and practise, it's pretty good.

 

Linz

[Santron]

When I first got my RT-P I posted the same questions. Basically, it was the worst shifting bike I had ever ridden. Now that I know how to do it, it is actually as good as, or maybe even a bit better, than all my Japanese bikes. Like everyone else says, preload the shifter, and my $.02 would be to shift as fast as possible - just barely pull the clutch and snick it up into the next gear as fast as possible to not let the speed drop between the engine and transmission.

[Boffin]

Linz, try a clutchless shift on the Beemer. I often go up and down the box without the clutch on my '04 1150RT. Just preload the lever and than the briefest dip of the throttle on up changes will give a slick change. Going down takes preload then blip the throttle whilst quickly pushing down on the shift lever.

 

The problem most people have when shifting on BMWs is that they do it too slowly. If you pull the clutch all the way in, whilst closing the throttle the lack of clutch drag means the input shaft just about stops making shifting hard. Do not close the throttle, dip it slightly. Do not pull the clutch right in, just give it a a very quick squeeze and release whilst moving the shift lever.

 

The big difference betweeen Beemers and Japanese bikes is the dry vs wet clutch. The oil drag in a wet clutch keeps everything spinning, easing the task of shifting.

 

Andy

[Linz]

Hi Andy.

 

Yes, I'd read that you could do this as they do with rally cars (there was some reference to the box type being the same or similar) but I hadn't had the balls to try it on the Beemer. I reckon I had enough problems to deal with before I wrecked a gearbox.

 

I'll give it a whirl...

 

Cheers,

 

Linz

[richd]

thanks to all.. wow.. works like a charm.. nice and smooth!!