"Stuck gear" when downshifting on R1200GS

Does anyone else have this problem?

Precondtions:

• • Extended riding in warmer weather (engine and drive train are warmed up)<o></o>
  • Engine breaking (e.g. riding downhills or approach intersection)<o></o>

Symptom:

• • Transmission will not allow to downshift (shift lever seems to be “stuck”) or downshifting is extremely difficult.<o></o>

Remedy:

• • While clutch is still pulled from (failed) downshift attempt, rev up engine slightly to 1500 rpm and transmission will allow downshifting smoothly (as usual). This is a similar behavior as if the transmission would not be synchronized.<o></o>

This started occuring on my 2005 R1200GS after the 12000 miles service. It is sporadic, but quite frequent. Very disconcering if you have to downshift in a hurry. I filed a warranty claim with my dealer. After having the bike for a month they rejected it because they could not duplicate the issue. They also performed the 24000 mile service on the bike which includes a transmission oil change, however the problem keeps occuring.

Sounds like the clutch. Does this sound familiar:

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77458

I'm not surprised because I also get that from time to time. The shifter feels like it gets stuck or is hard to downshift. I just live with it for the moment. If and when things get worse I'll take a deeper looksee but for the moment i just live with it. Mine isn't too bad. I say that because my last ride was an 04 K1200 RS and the tranny really was a lot worse. Since riding the GS the tranny is a huge improvement but not perfect. Yours could be worse. For the moment i'm ok with mine.

Your clutch splines are shot and your tranny ones might be also. Same thing happened to me with my '04. They gave me a new clutch and tranny. Bike had 30,000kms (18,000 mi) Get it fixed now, not when you are sitting in the middle of Buttwipe, USA.

I thought it was Buttwipe BC?

I had the same thing after my clutch was replaced due to trans seal leak. Turned out they didn't bleed the clutch properly and it would not fully disengage.

Try this, pump your clutch lever next time it happens, after you get it to neutral. Then see if it shifts better.

Jim

Good to see that some things never change when it comes to BMW..

I don't think I have seen a 12GS with clutch spline issues.

Jim

Mine was assembled dry at the factory. SiFi from Jolly Old also had the same problem. Others on here have also had this problem. The early '04's all had tranny issues. That is why BMW halted sales to fix 'em before they hit the showrooms when they first came out. My friend, an ex BMW employee, was asked to fly to Jersey to do a tranny swap marathon when this happened.

Must have been only a few hundred, and I find it hard to believe they ALL had tranny issues.

Besides, if they fixed them before they hit the showroom floor, how did they get into the hands of owners still broken? I have still not heard of this except for you. Now Final Drive issues I have heard of on the early models.

Jim

A timely thread, as this has been happening to me, on and off, since around 6K. Now at 20K. Not really getting worse. Dealer swapped trans oil at the 12K, no change.

I have nightmares of dry splines, but then read other post where seemingly wise riders indicated this was part and parcel of the dry clutch system. I must admit that the behavior needed to shift from neutral into first while stopped also seems to work when shifting from 2nd to first while in motion, which is to say dragging the clutch a bit, or as I prefer, to shift as soon after pulling in the clutch as possible. The theory, which was posted by poolside if not mistaken, was that soon after you disengage, the dry coupling results in the parts ceasing to rotate (a wet clutch has viscous coupling to keep things moving), which makes the shift dogs not able to line up.

Its not clear how reving the engine (with the clutch disengaged) would cause the dogs to line up; a dry coupling does not change with rpm. I can see how dragging the clutch, or shifting soon after you pull in the lever, would cause the parts to spin again (or catch them before they have stopped) to permit shifting.

I'd be interested if others with sticky downshifts can test the following:

1. See if you can trigger the behavior to me more consistent by pulling in the clutch for a few seconds *before* attempting a downshift. If it does "stick", what happens if you keep downward pressure on the shift lever for a few seconds? I find on mine that it will drop in after a few seconds. No engine rev or clutch lever movement needed, just keep pressure on the shift lever for 1-4 seconds while coasting along.

2. Try your downshift right as you pull in clutch; no throttle blip.

Mine works in both case above and I could see where this might be explained by the dry clutch system, but also recall that when new it always seems to drop into gear. In the first case perhaps there is some slow speed coupling when in motion that ultimately allows the dogs to align as needed for a shift, if you care to wait long enough. In the former case you simply do not let the parts stop moving in the first place.

I keep thinking that dry splines would affect upshifts as well, as the clutch plate can either slide on the shaft or not. Not sure why an upshift is always so positive while downshifts are a bit hit and miss.


Regards

Understand there was a clutch plate problem where the springs start to fail (hence new clutch supplier) that causes drag & poor shifting just read it on the uk site

Same exact behavior mine (build date 11/04) started exhibiting at 6k Mi.

Just got it back after a spline lube - problem gone.

Same probelm with same build date. Mine started showing up at around 13K..I'm bringing it in for it's next service and will report back.

I've been "searching" for the last two days in the hopes of figuring out what the problem is on my bike.

Yesterday morning (26 degree weather) I pull out of the garage and head on down the road to work. Riding on 66 west for about 20 miles at about 70-80 MPH I come to my exit which requires me to downshift out of 6th down to 5th then 4th in order to keep with the flow of traffic. I depress the clutch and go to downshift-NOTHING. It felt as though the shift lever had been welded in place. I "authoritatively" stomp down on the shift lever and nothing. By now I am becoming very concerned and pulled over on the shoulder while in 6th gear, clutch depressed and the bike still revving north of 3,000. I roll on the throttle before FINALLY being able to get out of 6th. I downshift to neutral and shut the bike off; after gathering myself for a couple of seconds I start the bike up again and it shifts w/o a problem. I get to the next traffic light on 17 & 50 and re-live the same ordeal. I've been dealing with this for the past two days. This afternoon was even more off putting when I couldn't shift out of 1st gear.

Any insight from any of the more knowledgeable inmates out there?

JVB is one of the cogniscenti, I wonder if Steptoe or someone from Europe could chime in.


All I can add is that on my 1150 I mentioned to the local BMW supertech that I was having notchy, troublesome down shifting. Not all the time, but sometimes. He took the starter off and could tell the splines were really worn. In fact, I was one wheelie away from total spline failure.

Now my bike had 53,000 miles on it and 1150s are indeed known for this. 1200s, well, like JVB said, we haven't heard much about spline issues.

You need to have this resolved. If you can't tear into it, let the dealer.

Don't stomp on the shifter, you'll bend the shift forks and give yourself other problems.

I definitely lack the know how to tear it up myself. Looks like I'll be taking it over to BUA and see what George finds.

My only hope is that it's not a major issue.

Stomping on it definitely feels wrong...

I had the same problem while riding through Ohio on a trip last year on my 09 GS. I went stopped at a dealership in Ohio and they replaced the clutch cylinder. Problem solved.

.bv

so i'm guessing new clutch cylinder = major issue