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Clutch update


kmac

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Some of you may remember my thread about my clutch troubles.

I just wanted to update.

 

I have decided to adjust my riding style and see if i can baby this clutch out a bit while i save up for the new unit and get a few more miles out of this one.

 

As a life long motocross guy, I am very used to using the clutch to slow me down. On right hand corners in MX you have your right foot stuck out and you cant use the rear brake so you use the gears control the rear wheel. I am just used to slipping the clutch for up and down speed rpm control.

So I have adjusted that style thanx to you guys input, so thank you all for that help. I no longer down shift at high RPMs to slow the bike down. I no longer tap the clutch jump up the RPMs for acceleration. I also no longer power shift on hard throttle or take off really hard. As long as i make sure the clutch is fully engaged before hammering the throttle all of the time it seems to have less slipping problems. My guess is that from the long time of sitting a seal stuck to one of the shafts, and once it started getting ridden again leaked and oiled down the clutch. I dont think it is worn out, just has been oil soaked at some point. It doesnt seem to be still getting wet, just has gotten wet and is saturated some. Once all of the Pressure Plate force is applied it seems to stick and not slip too much.

 

So the change in style like not letting the RPMs drop below 3-3.5k and and releasing the clutch under high throttle seems to help...so im gonna ride it, and hope it doesnt strand out somewhere.

Thanx guys

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The change of style may be key. I doubt that if the friction plate is soaked, that it would ever be drivable again.

 

I downshift for decl all the time, but I match engine revs (blip the throttle) to road speed before engaging the clutch and let the engine brake with closed throttle after engagement. Smooth riding is the goal, but a happy clutch is the benefit.

 

Boxer clutches do slip, even when new. For example, I don't think that you can wheely a boxer (not that I've tried).

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You really cant hammer the BMW dry clutch! It just wont last under those conditions. Wehn I frst went to BMW's I had to adjest my riding style as well around the clutch, since I came from japanese bikes with a wet clutch. The final decision for me was when I completely destroyed the clutch on my RS after 5k miles from new..... :D The dealer covered it under warranty, which was very cool, but the service manager pulled me off to the side and had a little heart to heart talk about how I was treating it. His basic words were somethign along the lines of telling me if I wanted to ride it like a ninja, then I needed to go buy a ninja. Somehow or another he was able tell that I had been riding it hard before that... :grin: Maybe it was the fact i had the front end off the ground, when pulling off the line of the intersection earlier that day.... :rofl: From that day, I learned alot about dry clutches and changed my riding style of the clutch. Since then I have not had any clutch issues.

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Neither of your replies make alot of sense to me, NO offense meant to you guys.

 

Every car i know of has a similar style dry clutch. I used drag race bugs which has a similar style clutch and i could wheelie my bug thru 2nd gear and hammered the piss out of that clutch and they lasted fine if you ran the HD PP and a 4 puck disc.

 

There should be no reason a clutch that is built right could not handle some tough riding.

 

I wheelie every bike i own! I wheelie every bike i have ridden! I wheelied the 2011 GSA i demoed the other day...had to disarm the trac control of course. And on my RT i have been able to hit it at certain rpms and it not slip and get the front end up enough to touch the long mud gaurd on the ground. But i have stopped doing that lately.

 

So seriously the R clutches are that fragile that i cant ride this bike like i want to even when the clutch is new?

 

Feeling like it is time for an FJR 1300 or something else then. I like the bike overall, but i dont wanna ride a bike i cant hammer on once in a while. Seems wierd that a company that builds F1 cars and some of the highest performance cars, and now the highest performance 1000cc sportbike on the market CANT build a clutch for their ST bikes that you cant actually ride.

 

So I am NOT disagreeing with you guys, but with concept that that is part of the BMW design...piss poor if you guys are correct!

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My idea of touring is twisty roads...touring is an LT or Goldwing.

 

The RT is a SPORT-touring, there needs to be SOME sport in it or it is worthless as a sport tourer. If i ride it SPORTY and it cooks the clutch that is pretty crappy.

 

I am not a squid BTW. Is Valentino Rossi a squid when he wheelies after a win? Wheelies do not make you a squid. When and where you do them makes you a squid. Not knowing HOW to do them makes you a squid. If you dont EVER loft the front wheel at least once in a while on a bike that is CAPABLE to loft it....that make you a squid in my book. Bikes were made to be ridden. NOT actually RIDING them a shame.

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My idea of touring is twisty roads...touring is an LT or Goldwing.

 

The RT is a SPORT-touring, there needs to be SOME sport in it or it is worthless as a sport tourer. If i ride it SPORTY and it cooks the clutch that is pretty crappy.

 

I am not a squid BTW. Is Valentino Rossi a squid when he wheelies after a win? Wheelies do not make you a squid. When and where you do them makes you a squid. Not knowing HOW to do them makes you a squid. If you dont EVER loft the front wheel at least once in a while on a bike that is CAPABLE to loft it....that make you a squid in my book. Bikes were made to be ridden. NOT actually RIDING them a shame.

I did not mean to imply you were a squid - I apologise if I gave that impression. The way you describe your clutch usage is however, not what I would expect for a road bike on the road.

 

I do not consider the RT to be a sport-tourer, and BMW do not seem to either. The designation RT is a touring designation - the old RS, later ST, was the sport-touring designation and even that was very much stretching the point. An FJR may be a sport-tourer, though in the UK it is still thought of as a tourer. Sport's touring over here means throwing some soft bags on a GSXR and heading for the Alps.

 

An RT is a large, heavy, not especially powerful bike with a long tank-range and good luggage capacity. The fact that they handle well for a large, heavy bike is a bonus. Sporty it is not.

 

 

 

Andy

 

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Danny caddyshack Noonan

You can do pretty much anything to these bikes except the clutch slipping and dumping. I was worried when, after getting off of KZ1000p, the dept went to the R bikes. I owned a K100RS and knew about the differences. Several mx bikes and very sporty quads in my background too. I wondered how they were going to reconcile some of the riding techniques that were made easier with a wet clutch but, that wasn't going to be my problem.

 

Basically, they just didn't design the clutch to do that kind of work. There are a bajillion Beetle clutches out there for heavy duty and abuse work but, the stock ones are a bit sensitive also from what I recall from the auto parts clerk days of yore.

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The way you describe your clutch usage is however, not what I would expect for a road bike on the road.

 

 

Keep in mind that the clutch on the RT is virtually the same clutch on their sportier bikes such as the R11XXS, K-RS, R11xxR.....I agree with Kmac that the clutch should be able to withstand more, its a weak part of the BMW bike IMO. However, this doesnt mean that you can ride aggressively, you just need to learn to ride the bike differently. I would prefer a wet clutch like on the FJR as well.

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Keep in mind, also, that this is a single plate clutch. Most wet clutches are multi-plate. Lots more sept area. Also keep in mind that the basic design of the boxer has not changed much since WWII.

 

Most BMW riders ride the torque curve. If you want to "hammer" your bike, go for it. It's your bike. But given your riding style (as described above) maybe you should have bought the Ninja.

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If you dont EVER loft the front wheel at least once in a while on a bike that is CAPABLE to loft it....that make you a squid in my book. Bikes were made to be ridden. NOT actually RIDING them a shame.
You know, I was going to let this pass. But I just can't.

 

I have never had the front wheel off the ground on any of the eight bikes that I have owned over the years. And I have no desire to do so. I have ridden a motorcycle across the con. US in 5 days. I enjoy every minute on my bikes, whether I am commuting to and from work, or chasing ghosts on I90 or riding the twisties at home. My bikes are quiet and my style is smooth. And I haven't had a speeding ticket since 1978.

 

I RIDE my bikes. And I don't abuse them. So if that makes me a 'squid' (whatever the hell that is) then I'm proud to be one.

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I beleive that the stock clutch on the the RT's CAN handle the sport side of riding. I have 87,000 miles on mine and have done MSF, Lee Parks I & II and track days in novice. You have to remember to keep RPM's close when you shift and don't hit the throtle till after the clutch is FULLY linked up. Yes, I do lift the front end a couple times a season just to remember what it is like, practice, practice and practice.

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Neither of your replies make alot of sense to me, NO offense meant to you guys.

 

Every car i know of has a similar style dry clutch. I used drag race bugs which has a similar style clutch and i could wheelie my bug thru 2nd gear and hammered the piss out of that clutch and they lasted fine if you ran the HD PP and a 4 puck disc.

 

There should be no reason a clutch that is built right could not handle some tough riding.

 

I wheelie every bike i own! I wheelie every bike i have ridden! I wheelied the 2011 GSA i demoed the other day...had to disarm the trac control of course. And on my RT i have been able to hit it at certain rpms and it not slip and get the front end up enough to touch the long mud gaurd on the ground. But i have stopped doing that lately.

 

So seriously the R clutches are that fragile that i cant ride this bike like i want to even when the clutch is new?

 

Feeling like it is time for an FJR 1300 or something else then. I like the bike overall, but i dont wanna ride a bike i cant hammer on once in a while. Seems wierd that a company that builds F1 cars and some of the highest performance cars, and now the highest performance 1000cc sportbike on the market CANT build a clutch for their ST bikes that you cant actually ride.

 

So I am NOT disagreeing with you guys, but with concept that that is part of the BMW design...piss poor if you guys are correct! [/quote

 

So which one is it?

Wheelying squid, or an older guy who needs to stretch his legs using footpegs (ref your other thread)?

 

Seems you have the wrong bike for your riding style.

 

If I had that many issues with the bike and design I think I'd move on.

Good luck.

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I have decided to adjust my riding style and see if i can baby this clutch out a bit while i save up for the new unit and get a few more miles out of this one.

 

As a life long motocross guy, I am very used to using the clutch to slow me down.

 

Yep. Totally understand this one. It took me 2 months to get used to just the off throttle "braking" effect of the darned tractor motor on the RT after predominantly racing 2 strokes for 15 years, with a couple of thumpers thrown in there.

 

And, yes, I hate to admit it (not really :/ ) that I've had the front wheel up on the RT, and many times on the GS (off road, closed course, blah blah). However, the one thing you gotta remember is that its a BIG job to re-clutch these RT's. It's not as simple as pulling the side access case and popping in a few plates and spacers anymore. For that reason, I baby the clutch on the RT which is just going to turn 60,000 miles this month.

 

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I am an old guy who needs to stretch his knees out on long rides, in between hitting the twisties hard and occasionally lofting the front wheel pulling out of first gear turns.

 

I cant be BOTH?

 

As for the others saying to remember it is a single disc clutch, so was my 70 El Camino with a BB and my 69 Z28 with the 302 and a muncie M22 trans. And in stock form they all did fine even when hammering them.

Same on Bugs, the stock clutches were fine until you got into big motors and dual carbs. Even with just some upgrades nice upgrades the stock clutches were fine.

 

My bike is not built, it is box stock, even if i hammer it a bit, Im not saying i thrash it or even abuse it, just power shift it here and there and stand on it in some corners. I dont ride it with much weight on it.

 

As to just needing a ninja, no thanks i have had one and i prefer my gixer {sold}. I am just too old and broken up to ride in that sitting position for very long and im trying to ride longer rides, and with my FUSED wrist there is no way i can ride the gixer for long.

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Keep in mind that the clutch on the RT is virtually the same clutch on their sportier bikes such as the R11XXS, K-RS, R11xxR.....I agree with Kmac that the clutch should be able to withstand more, its a weak part of the BMW bike IMO. However, this doesnt mean that you can ride aggressively, you just need to learn to ride the bike differently.

 

And with the same clutch for all those bikes the RT is at least 100 Lbs. heavier. The first thing I was told about an RT clutch is to use it as an on / off switch. The bike has plenty of torque so you don't need a lot of RPM's to get it moving either.

Different strokes for different folks. :grin:

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I disagree with the idea that the RT is not a sport tourer. The k1200ST is so close to to style and look of an rt but just in the K motor. The ergos are slightly different but intent is the same.

 

A bike with enough comfort and luggage to do long "tours" on but with a "sport" edge.

 

A touring bike to me is a HD Electra Glide, K12/1300LT, Victory Vision, Yamaha Royal Star Venture....

 

A sport bike to me is a bike built specificly for sport riding and includes anything from race bred bikes like ninjas and R1/6 gixxers and includes sporty naked bikes like the FZ1/6, Bandit, BMW R/R R/S, Honda 919, Duc Monster.....

 

A Sport Touring bike to me has a cross idea between those 2 other concepts. Concour14, FJR1300, K12/13ST, R11-1200RT....

All bikes that come with luggage, an upright or forward riding position, good handling and a few ammenities fit this category to me.

 

We all at times use bikes that we own and cross into other genres

like throwing a set of bags over your sport bike and going for a tour or taking a touring deep into its twisty capabilities. I have even commuted to work on a very buzzy KTM 530, defeinately not its intended purpose. But a sport tourer is a bike with removeable luggage so you can ride it sportier.

 

An LT or an electraglide does NOT look good without the bags and were never intended to be removed and ridden that way. A gixxer can have a set of bags thrown over it, but it was designed with that in mind.

An RT, ST, FJR, C14 are all designed to be ridden with or without the bags for a touring or sporty feel and style.

 

The clutch should be able to handle the power of the bike especially since I rarely ride 2 up and have never ridden with more than 10-15 pounds of luggage and i am about 200#

The book says my max load is 622#, if i am only riding it with about 240 lbs with me and gear or a max of about 350 with my wife or daughter, I am barely past halfway thru the weight capacity and the RT should still not slip the clutch as bad as it does.

 

I am trying to adjust my style in the interest of my wallet and clutch longevity, but i wonder why there is not a fix for this.

There are so many R bikes on the road and i read about this problem alot here and on other sites. Why has no one built a better clutch pack? When you put more power to a car and you start having clutch troubles you get a HD PP and a 3/4/5 puck ceramic disc and problem solved.

This isnt reinventing the wheel, just a hd clutch that works the way some of us want to ride.

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I think the reason that we don't see a lot of aftermarket support for these, is that we rarely see them on the track. I mean, sure, some people do, but most of what we see at the track are true sport bikes. If lots of people began taking their RT's to the track and demanding true performance out of their bikes, we would begin to see aftermarket support. Like most everything else, it's driven by money. I'm sure BMW has the engineering capability to build a higher performing clutch/drivetrain/suspension/motor. And, with the RR, they did just that. But, the fact is, the majority of people that ride RT's won't be taking them to the track and demanding the utmost performance out of their machines. In fact, most RT riders will never reach the machines performance capabilities in it's bone stock configuration. That said, it wouldn't be financially viable for any company, BMW or aftermarket, to engineer and produce high performance parts for a machine, in which the majority of the spending market would rather have comfort upgrades, rather than performance. I'm sure the RT is quite the capable machine in its own rite, but, it's not an RR. I totally agree with kmac, that it "should" be able to tolerate some aggressive riding. But, at the end of the day, Ferrari doesn't build comfort machines, and Maybach isn't on the F1 circuit. I haven't ridden an RR yet, and probably won't buy one. As my age has progressed, my brain size has become inversely proportional to my testicular fortitude. Falling hurts a lot more than it used to. I will ride an RR one day though, maybe as a demo. God I can't wait.

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In my experience these things (clutches included) are not the least bit fragile. I have 121K miles on my GS. It's done a half-dozen track days. It get abused on a daily basis with excursions to the redline at full throttle, clutchless shifts, and other high-speed shenanigans. It just keeps on ticking.

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In case you didn't Google it, the translation of RT is actually "travel tourer". But don't get hung up on a label.

 

Your RT is 14 years old and two generations out of date. When it was on the drawing board 20 years ago, it was probably closer to the state of the art of the day, than it is today. Have you ridden a 1200RT? A new RT probably has 20-25% more HP and a clutch to match. How about Honda ST1300 (which I own)? I love mine.

 

Motorcycles are like hammers. If you bought a ball-peen hammer because it was a good deal, but then tried to use it on a framing job, you'd be setting yourself up for frustration. But would it be fair to subsequently conclude that all ball-peen hammers suck just because you are using the wrong tool for the job?

 

Why are there few aftermarket performance parts for these bikes? No demand. People learn to accept and appreciate boxers for what they are, or they sell them and move on to something else. Look at the race history of the boxer engine. Most people agree that the HP2 was about all you could squeeze out of this configuration. It's not a K bike.

 

I'm not one of those people who can jump on a bike and immediately feel at home on it. I relearn how to ride every time I get on a different bike. And every bike has something new to teach me.

 

 

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You are correct Tallman. I followed the wrong line over. 622 was wet weight. The load capacity is 458# which is still 200# over my average load and at least 100# over my max load.

 

Point being that even if the RT is 100 pounds more than an R or an S model to start, it still should be able to handle the weight if the laod capacity is 1080 max, and 458 on top of the bike weight.

 

I am NOT trying to argue with anybody, and i feel like some of you are feeling like i am attacking the bike. I am NOT. I like the bike overall and it fits my current needs for the most part. I just wish the clutch was better. The answers have mostly been just deal with it, it bums me out a bit.

 

Here and at a few other sites i have seen ALOT of complaints about the clutches, I am not alone. As to the wrong tool for the job and the 1200 HEX being so much better, I like the 1100RT and that point is irrelevant to SOME extent because the bike was designed {hopefully} for the power of the bike originally, so the clutch should be able to handle the power.

 

I own the bike outright, I havent worked in 6 months, and i cannot afford any other bike right now. That is why I am having to learn to be content with the bike, and deal with its idiosycracies. Since i like 95% of the things about this bike, I believe i bought the right hammer. I only want to drive in the occasional nail with my ball peen hammer that i normally use to shape metal. I expect the ball peen hammer to be able to drive in a nail albeit not perfectly, but i dont expect the hammer to split down the middle.

 

This entire thread started with me simply stating my willingness to adjust to the bike and deal with it for now and then i get mauled at my expressing my feelings on the under lying problem, I just wanted help with future fix ideas.

 

 

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In case you didn't Google it, the translation of RT is actually "travel tourer". But don't get hung up on a label.

 

Your RT is 14 years old and two generations out of date. When it was on the drawing board 20 years ago, it was probably closer to the state of the art of the day, than it is today. Have you ridden a 1200RT? A new RT probably has 20-25% more HP and a clutch to match. How about Honda ST1300 (which I own)? I love mine.

 

 

 

The basic clutch of the RT evolution hasnt changed much. I have owned an 1100, 1150 and the 1200RT and you cant treat the clutch on any of them like the ST1300. I had an ST1300 and while I hated mine, the clutch was a shining star in the bike. You could do hard lauches all day long and the clutch always took it with no ill effect. If I did that to any one of my RT's, the clutch would be toast. I love my RT's and I choose to accept the clutch for what it is and treat it accordingly. However, I do agree that it should be able to take more than what it can.

 

I also dont find merit in the 14 year old bike comment. The St1100 and concours have been around in the same time period with a durable clutch as well.

 

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Well said.

My best advice is ride the bike as it was designed.

It isn't a stoplight burner cafe racer.

 

In the 4,500 to 6,500 range it will get out of its own way, get pretty decent mpg and let you carve, tour, all day long.

Brakes are very good and if your suspension isn't worn out, it is a design I like (YMMV).

Good luck on the job front, just ride it and enjoy it.

Best wishes.

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Rereading the original posts, I think we just agreed with you up front. Then you took the discussion in a different direction.

 

My goal is always to learn how to make my bike happy. If the bike is happy, then by extension, I'm going to be happy. It's kind-of like sex. If you learn how to please your partner, you are going to get more pleasure in return.

 

P.S. My r1100r is my first boxer and probably my last. As relationships go, I find them to be a little too high maintenance. ;) YMMV

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Thanks guys, this post has turned back into a direction i was hoping for, constructive input. I appreciate it.

 

This has helped me see that i may not need a new clutch, since if i ride it with the same intensity, a new clutch may end up doing the same.

 

It does seem that as long as i have the lever and clutch fully engaged before i apply too much throttle it stays hooked up pretty good. Someone said earlier that means that it is not likely oiled down from a leaky seal because that would make it slippy all of the time. So that is good news i think.

 

Part of this is just wishing there was a good fix for this, BUT as my boss used to say, "wish in one hand, and piss in the other and lets see which one is warmer". Not sure what that ever meant, other than wishing doesnt always get you much.

 

So how about a straight question here that may have a clear answer...If the clutch is not oiled down, and this slipping issue is purelyme just hammering it inappropriately, If i adjust my riding style as we have discussed, will the clutch last for a long time do you guys think?

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There is something weird going on. A BMW bike clutch that is not out of adjustment, oiled, or very worn, with the clutch lever released WILL NOT SLIP.

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Yes. And maybe the best way to put your mind at ease with this, is to let someone else ride the bike who is familiar with oilheads and let them judge whether the clutch feels normal to them or not.

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So then i do still have some kind of problem?

 

I am actually heading out to the garage to do some tinkering and i will have the tupperware off. Can i pull out the starter and use a small flex light and a mirror to look around the inside of the bell housing to see if there is any oil?

 

My clutch definately slips if i stand on the gas at under 3k rpms and in 3rd gear or higher. Also if i start to give it much throttle while i am letting out the clutch lever in any gear it will slip.

 

When i picked up the bike i didnt notice it but i was riding it pretty easy at first. The first time it jumped on very hard i noticed it slip. So that is when i checked the adjustment. It seemed a bit too tight so i went to adjust at the bar, but it was all the way in, so i did the trans end adjust as per the manual. It still slips. As long as i ride the bike quite gentle it is not a problem. I can oddly enough be in first or second gear, at about 4k, then let off the gas for a second and then jump on the throttle without touching the gas and it will jump really hard, even sometimes pulling the front off the ground a bit, so sometimes it seems to be very well engaged even handling all i gave give it. Other times if it starts to slip even a tiny bit, thats it, it will slip until i back off and let it fully sync up then it is decent.

VERY ODD right? Ideas then Paul?

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NON, ride on down from the cold north and take her for a spin. It is 87 degrees F here right now and sunny....that is about 30*C....you could probably use a nice "winter" ride by now... :grin:

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Other times if it starts to slip even a tiny bit, thats it, it will slip until i back off and let it fully sync up then it is decent.
Yes, once you get it slipping, it will stay slipping.

 

Kmac, we've been talking around this issue for weeks. I would have thought that by now you would have pulled the starter and taken a look, given all the posts that you have made about leaking seals etc. etc. Yes, take a look.

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I am just used to slipping the clutch for up and down speed rpm control.

So I have adjusted that style thanx to you guys input, so thank you all for that help. I no longer down shift at high RPMs to slow the bike down. I no longer tap the clutch jump up the RPMs for acceleration.

 

Do you use your car clutch the same as the RT?

 

Do you 'fan' your car clutch?

 

I think that is your main problem. You don't fan street bike clutches and expect them to last. Dirt bike clutches last because the rear wheel can spin. Fanning the clutch on a street bike only causes clutch wear.

 

I am about to change the clutch on my R1100RT - 107,000 miles. It has lasted much longer than any other street bike clutch (all wet) I have had - most lasted less than 20,000 miles.

 

I raced for 29 years, 27 of those were motorcycles. I do not match revs on down shifts, but I let the clutch out at relatively low rpms. I use the brakes to slow the bike. They are much cheaper and easier to replace.

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No NC, i have not pulledit as of yet. I have just been riding and in Physical Therapy. That is where i will look next.

 

Brian, I fan clutches in cars often, and i have done it on street bikes regularly as long as i have been riding them. My first street bike was in 1980.

 

I have commuted in a Toyota truck, 4cyl. 5 speed, and in traffic if you are rolling at 15-20mph and you need to jump up some speed to change a lane, you have to step on it and tap the clutch. I have done it thousands of times in my old Toy and i got 140,000 miles out of that single disc clutch. In a low to mid power/torque vehichle i have always used the clutch to help jump up RPMs.

 

I obviously am having to change that right now.

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Thanks 94aero,

I have that website saved already. They dont have any in stock and no idea of when. It feels like they made some proto types for their own race bikes and intended on building them to sell, but when they moved into racing HDs they left the idea behind. Paul M has had one on order for a year. When i called they said they would LOOK into it and call me back....that was last week.

 

 

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That is interesting, and if you search back, their name (RB Racing) comes up once in a while over the past 5 years. But I couldn't find anywhere that someone had actually bought one of their clutch friction plates and tried it. They are double the OEM price.

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NC, i went straight out and pulled off the TW, footpeg mount plate, and the starter. I had no idea you could see that well inside with the starter out.

 

Good news is, NO OIL. Not a drop. No goo, no slime, no moisture.

 

Just a dry black powdery substance like brake dust. The disc itself looks okay too.

 

I coulnd't obviously get in to actually measure the disc with a caliper, and i dont have a verner caliper.

 

So i know it is not exactly a perfect measurement but a 4mm allen wrench fit perfectly between the 2 plates. So a round measurement of the disc thickness is 4mm. Not sure what the spec is. I see no issue in there with anything.

Any ideas guys? Maybe you guys are proven fully right and it is just my stupidity causing this. I guess that is good and bad.

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No their kit is 360 bucks with bolts for the PP and both sides of the PP and plate. It is a great deal, especially if they work...if only you could actually get one.

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I guess an outside possiblity is dry splines. The clutch assembly moves on the splines. If they were a bit sticky, it might prevent the clutch from full engaging. How smooth does the clutch lever feel when you work it slowly through its range of motion?

 

Edit: I've got an old clutch friction plate that is down to the rivets at home. I'll measure it when I get home.

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The action of the clutch is really smooth. The only clutch that feel much smoother are hydraulic clutches. There are no glitches or chatter feeling in the action.

 

I cant seem to find anything that explains the slippage other than the disc is toast, or i just ride the RT wrong, which i am working on.

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Minimum plate thickness is 4.5mm on all 1100 models except 1100S which is 4.8mm.

So unless the pressure plate is lipped at the edges it seems youre below the wear limit by about 12%.

 

Which could explain some of the other problems.

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I just put the micrometer on my old 1100r clutch plate. It sits at about 4.2mm. at that thickness it is down to the rivets and the bike would not move at all with the clutch fully engaged. That was at approximately 60k miles.

 

it is the original speedo, and the salvage/repairs were done by a shop with 99.3% positive feedback, and i got a good feeling from all of my dealing with them. I got a signed odometer certificate...
Revisting the old topic, why did it have signed odometer certificate? I'm afraid that I am suspicious about the mileage again.
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It had a signed milage certificate from the insurance company that totaled it and wrote it off. The miles are legit. Everything else on the bike seem to be low mile.

 

So it must have been the original owner riding it with a misadjusted cable, or just riding with a heavy hand on the clutch.

 

What is the stock new clutch spec thickness?

 

So aside from this being an expensive and in depth repair, A new clutch should fix most of my issue with the clutch...I think, I hope!

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NC thanx for the follow up. 4.2 is in the rivets, that is good and bad for me. That means i think i need a clutch really bad, thats expensive, so right now that is bad.

Good side, if i do it myself i can save some money and hopefully it should really fix it.

 

Paul, yeah im holding my breath right now while typing, is that bad? :D

 

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