02 R1100SBX clutch slipping

After WV, I headed west to the Kansas line. It was about there that I thougt that first gear seemed especially tall. On my way from Springfield to Kansas City, I noticed the clutch slip during a high speed roll-on (hot day, hot bike). The really good people at Engle Motors (who opened on a Monday to replace a flat rear tire for me) did a test drive and couldn't reproduce it (cold day, cold bike). By the time I got to St. Louis, it had slipped once more (in an upper gear) and while in STL, it slipped on a hill as I started out in first gear. Prestige Motors (now NOT exclusively BMW and under new ownership) didn't seem too interested. Revard BMW in Indianapolis said it sounded like it could be one of three things, air in the line (post-tipover, not a factor), the output cylinder (but not likely according to him), or a transmission seal allowing oil to blow back onto the clutch. By phone diagnosis from KCMO, my mechanic at Capitol BMW in Raleigh also figured that it was a seal allowing the clutch to get oiled since we had switched to sythetics at 12,000 miles and the problem appeared around 15-16,ooo miles. He also wondered if the oil hadn't been overfilled by me and that had allowed overpressure to blow the seal. Doesn't the boxer have some type of pressure relief valve similar to a Positive Crankcase Ventilation system? Has anyone else had problems with an oilhead clutch or seals? The reason I ask is because at WV, during the teardown of the oilhead, the master mechanic made a reference to clutches but I thought he meant cable actuated since his comment was about adjustment and mine is hydraulic. p.s. for those who helped give me advice while I was on the road, I made it back after 3,380 miles. A testament that anyone can build a machine, but it takes someone special to build a machine that continues to do what its supposed to do when even when things start going wrong.

clutch slipping

Sorry to hear about your clutch problems. Did you experience any burning smell with the problem? On my trip to the Rally in WV I noticed a periodic burning smell and wondered about the clutch but did not have any other symptoms such as you described. I was riding an R1150RT with about 9K miles on the clock...Richard

probably a seal leaking

most notably on the S bikes a leak will cause this. have you checked out the bbs for the S at pelican parts? there are lots of threads that dicuss this very thing.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=24

repoe3

Man, I never could figure out that Pelican forum until you gave me that shortcut. I always just kept seeing Porsche stuff. Thanks alot.

now a one piece driveshaft?

Latest update. Well, they've pulled the shaft out and gotten a surprise. The driveshaft appears to be "welded" into one piece. Either a lot of heat/pressure, or it was made different from all others as I guess all the rest are two-piece units. Maybe this would explain it standing up on application of the front brake on Deal's Gap during my return? Or....maybe the '02 Boxer Cup was made with a one piece driveshaft? There is a post on the Pelican Parts board from 2000 where another guy had a one piece shaft but no solid answer from anyone as to whether it was a problem or not.

hmmm

not sure if that has anything to do with the slipping or standing up while braking. what shop do you have doing the work?

repoe3

Capitol BMW in Raleigh where I bought it. The owner and everybody there strike me as some of the most honest and knowledgeable motorcycle people that I've met.

that attitude spills over in greensboro..

there is a relationship between the two..like father and son. my father and i have purchased 5 bikes from Carolina BMW in the past few years. great people.

repoe3