newbie to dry clutch

[smooth cruise]

Hi

This is probably dumb que. but...

I've ridden bikes for years but all had wet clutch and slipping the clutch was part of the process (I use to practice the "ride like a pro" techniques}

 

I'm wondering how do you get around slipping the dry clutch in slow speed situations or taking off going up hill with 2up

 

Any advice would be appreciated

[JayW]

Not a dumb question at all. You don't avoid slipping the clutch in these situations. Just keeps the revs low, feather the clutch smoothly & gingerly and it will handle it just fine.

 

In extreme situations, like stop & go traffic on a hill in San Francisco with 2 up, you are going to be hard pressed to do it without some smell. In general though, if you smell burnt stuff, then you're not doing it right.

 

Jay

[Ozonewanderer]

In extreme situations, like stop & go traffic on a hill in San Francisco with 2 up...

Sounds like my worst nightmare - on any bike!

[Mister Tee]

Rather than slipping it, coasting and partially clutching at intervals seems to work best.

[mig]

yeah but I hate the clunking everytime the tranny engages.

[MotoGP]

For a bike designed for offroad use and for a rider (me) who has 40 years of offroad experience, it is difficult to get over the notion that I can't slip the clutch, especially in the dirt. I had noticed a couple of times the "smell" after pulling into my garage on my new 2011 R1200GS. My dealer told me NOT to slip the clutch at all. The lever should be in or out. This hardly seems possible in some situations as noted above in previous threads.

I miss my wet clutch and hope the dry clutch will last. Has anyone had to replace their dry clutch? If so, how many miles?

 

MotoGP

[JayW]

My dealer told me NOT to slip the clutch at all. The lever should be in or out...

 

So the dealer wants you to just dump the clutch every time? Yikes! I don't think the dealer thought about the implications of that advice very carefully. Some slipping is inevitable and necessary to get the bike moving smoothly.

 

For what it's worth, there is at least one Hexhead out there with >200K on the original clutch. Mine has 68K. Clutch replacement is a huge and expensive undertaking on these machines.

 

Jay

[MotoGP]

Thanks Jay,

I'm not going to stress it too much as clutch slippage a low rpm is probably not going to cause undue wear. I will watch out for higher rpm clutch use, however. I guess I have to retrain my wet clutch brain.

[Motodan]

Any one drive a manual transmission car any more? It is the same type clutch as the dry clutch BMW. Slipping is part of the manual experience. Cars been doing it for over a hundred years. Don't worry, just ride the thing. Clutch will no doubt last longer than most individuals ownership of any one bike.

[MotoGP]

10-4!

[smooth cruise]

thanks for good suggestions

I do drive manual shift car and some slipping is ok, the other thing I do with the car in slow situations is let the clutch out then back in quick out back in etc. to maintain slow even speed but that doesn't seem to work very well on the bike

 

thanks again

[Rinkydink]

IMHO, the less you use the clutch the better. Only for starting/stopping and changing gears. (You can even shift without the clutch if you want) Yes, there are going to be situations where some slipping is required, you do what you have to do....less is more.

 

Do this and I don't see why you wouldn't get many many miles out of the original clutch.

[rolling18]

THIS pretty much sums up the Dry Clutch AND WHY its a GOOD thing!!

 

What’s Up With BMW’s Clutch?

BMW utilizes a different clutch system than some of our competitors. BMW’s clutch is a hydraulic (self-adjusting) single-plate dry clutch as used in cars and trucks … well proven for long life. Our competitors utilize a multi-plate wet clutch, which runs in an oil bath.

 

The primary difference between the two designs is that the dry clutch operates at the end of the engine crankshaft before the primary gear reduction. The wet clutch design operates after the primary gear reduction. Meaning, that for a given RPM on a dry clutch design, the same RPM on a wet clutch design will be turning that wet clutch surface approximately half as fast (feet-per-second at the plate surface). Conversely, if you have been trained to ride a wet clutch motor, you will need to greatly reduce the RPM on the dry clutch motor to keep from over-heating it. How long would any wet clutch last if you grey-area slipped that clutch at 5,000 rpm?

 

Furthermore, the unique BMW opposed-twin engine design enables the motor to pull itself at idle with no throttle in either first or second gear. Consequently, the motor works best at slow rpm grey area operation below 2,000 rpm. Most fleets that have received indoctrination training have experienced no clutch issues and are seeing clutch life as high as 60,000 miles! Lastly, the BMW warranty covers the clutch for wear in the first 12 months while your officers acclimate to the motor!

[vfrman]

I changed my clutch to the sintered dry clutch after just 30k miles.

 

Mine burnt up after a nightmare stint on the hills of SF on July 4th, 2-up... in the worst traffic I've ever experienced on a bike.

 

There no way I can engage my clutch below 2,000 rpm without stalling the bike. Well, maybe if it's pointed downhill.

[ka5ysy]

My dealer told me NOT to slip the clutch at all. The lever should be in or out...

 

So the dealer wants you to just dump the clutch every time? Yikes! I don't think the dealer thought about the implications of that advice very carefully. Some slipping is inevitable and necessary to get the bike moving smoothly.

 

For what it's worth, there is at least one Hexhead out there with >200K on the original clutch. Mine has 68K. Clutch replacement is a huge and expensive undertaking on these machines.

 

Jay

 

 

+1. Sounds like the "dealer" needs to take a MSF BRC course with emphasis exercise 2, part one, a lot !! (Clutch control and the friction zone!).

 

 

[MotoGP]

I think what we are all getting at here is to avoid high rpm's when "slipping" the clutch.

Clutch control and the friction zone are aimed at low rpm turning to increase stability, no?