• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

It's all about the gears

subconscious

New member
My R 75/6 feels and sounds cluncky when downshifting. At first, I thought it might just be because it is, well, old - but I thought I would ask if that was accurate.

Do the older engines grind and clunk into gears? Should I adjust the clutch? Is it that the clutch is not completely disengaging the engine? By the way, the clutch is tough (compared to newer bikes I have ridden, which started me thinking along these lines) and has a miniscule friction zone.

So, overall, I am not worried, but I thought I could get some feedback about the scenario.

Thanks.
 
It shouldn't be grinding, but clunkiness is completely normal for airheads. Synthetic tranny oil will reduce the clunkiness. Do you have sufficient transmission oil?

Don't know about the clutch, mine has always felt like I thought it should (obviously, not as nice as a new bike). Are you comparing it to a newer BMW (or other brand with a single-plate clutch) or other brand (with a multi-plate clutch)? The single plate clutch on a BMW will feel harder to operate than a multi-plate clutch on other bikes.
 
I will check the tranny today. I was comparing to a new bike with a multi-plate clutch. So, I guess, that in, and of, itself would make a huge difference.

So, good to hear that the clunk is not a worry.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
Okay, after I wrote that I would check the tranny level, I went home to do just that. However, I don't know where or how to do this. I looked at the manual (the original owners) and it did not explain the steps. In fact it does not even refer to the fluid being checked.

So, how can I cehck this?

Thanks.
 
If it's a five speed transmission...

There is an allen head (hex keyed) plug/bolt above the shifter, that an 8mm (I believe) allen wrench (hex key) fits. The oil level should be about 1/16" below the bottom of the hole.

Put the bike on centerstand, remove the plug, and stick a finger in the hole (or look w/ flashlight) to see where the oil level is. If it's low, fill it to about 1/16" below the bottom of the hole (with 80/90 weight gear oil).

I'm not sure about the four speed transmissions, but I'd look in the same place.
 
Back
Top