Newbie (sorta) question/Switch to RT?

[wardyRT]

I just got off the phone w/my dealerwho informed me that the clutch in my mighty GT was toast. 1yr 9 mo. old, 26K on the clock, it was just worn out, no warranty, no love and the hit is all mine to the tune of about a grand. My dealer tried to finagle a little bit for me but y'know... Anyway, does the RT have any clutch issues that y'all know of? I'm asking 'cause I wasn't aware of any prob.s w/the K's 'til now (this is my first BMW). As far as I can tell, the tranny set-up is similar. I love the way my GT goes but I guess the weight (and the pilot) weren't a good match for this clutch set-up; maybe the lighter RT will suit better. BTW, I don't tear it up too, too badly. Mainly sweepers w/some twisties when I can find 'em w/the occasional ton-up run. I ride with RT guys often and they seem to ride 'em even harder than I ride mine w/no ill effects. I'm open to opinion, advice, whatever, thanx.

[jakfrost]

The clutch is 180mm on the R12RT vs the previous version at 165...also 51 pounds lighter than the 1150. I never had a clutch issue with my 1100 in 65,000 miles of fairly aggressive (had to keep up on those Vermont roads...)driving. Also 2 up for 5 days camping a couple of times a year

[BamaRider]

So BMW thought it was normal to wear a clutch out in 26k miles and 21 months? Thus no warranty fix? OUT of warranty? Or did they say you were dogging the bike?

[Eschelon1]

Sorry to hear about the trouble with your K Bike, but I have a couple of thoughts. I could be a couple of things, 1st you could've got a bad clutch in which case the dealer says normal wear & tear and you buy it. 2nd it could be your riding style. BMWs (Up untill the new K Bikes) have a dry clutch like a car. They are not meant to slipped as much as the wet clutch on a Japanese Bike. Dealer says normal wear & tear and you buy it. In my opinion, if it's your riding style, you be even harder on the R clutch because the clutch let off and engagement is harder to get down smoothly because of the Twin compared to the smoothness of the K Bikes 4 In-line. If you ask around, a K Bike clutch should last well over 50k miles, some go over 100k.

[wardyRT]

I can only think that the combo of me "slipping" the clutch and the fact that the friction surface was apparantly constructed of cheese were the major factors. The mech didn't imply any abuse, just said, "the K bike is more of a highway machine, high revs and twisties bring me a lot of clutch work." Another classic was, "Most guys that ride the way you do just know they wear clutches out. They just write the check." I'm not gonna get into my feelings on either of those points, just suffice it to say,I kinda expected more from an $18K bike. I've ridden other marques harder (if not further) with better results and easier self-maintenance. Well, that's enough whinin'. Thanks for y'alls input, these forums do help a lot.