lukaspriest
New member
So, I am hoping to get a call back today from the wonderful Mitch (an awesome BMW mechanic here in the Boise area) - I dropped my bike off earlier this week to have him install Spiegler brake lines and handlebar risers on my bike, and also to give it a full major service. I'm super excited to get back on and ride! While he's been working on it, I revisited the information in this thread, particularly the link shared by @pauls1150 - Oilhead 5 Speed Transmissions - and the wonderful interview with Getrag down at the bottom of the page. It was really good reading for me, and it helped me have a better understanding of these transmissions.
As you all know, I'd been doing all this worrying and hand-wringing about how my transmission feels when it shifts. Again, I thank you all for the information you've shared and the reassurance you've provided. I kind of had some lightbulb moments - one was after I watched a really in-depth video about how motorcycle gears and shift dogs work. I'll confess, while I have learned a LOT while rebuilding a couple of Hondas, I never got anywhere near their transmissions, and the workings of a gearbox have more or less remained a mystery to me until now. The other "aha!" moment came when I was reading a portion of the Getrag interview:
To banish this blemish the Getrag designers developed a two-tiered (stepped) shift dog. The slightly extended, narrower tip of the shift dog easily engages the (now relatively large) opening in the facing gear. When the gears have turned just a little more, the entire shift dog now slides into the engagement slot....If a neophyte Boxer owner just nudges the shift lever and feels the tip of the shift dog drop in, it may seem as if the shift has been completed successfully. However, it may happen that under load the gear jumps back out of engagement. The seasoned BMW gear-banger, by keeping the pedal under preload, can feel both the first and second stage of complete engagement take place. Subjectively, the impression the transmission makes is "notchiness".
While I could be mistaken, I think that this sensation, explained by the two-tiered (stepped) shift dog, has been what I have been experiencing when I shift, and has been the cause of my (false) alarm all along. Anyhow, it just felt really good to acquire an understanding behind what exactly is going on when I am feeling that during a gear shift. Thanks to all of you and the information you've shared, I can finally take my attention away from worrying about my bike and start enjoying it instead.
Riding the 1100RS has made me much more conscientious in how I shift and has made me much more....connected?....to the bike. Now that I've gotten past the anxiety about the tranny and grown in skill to be able to operate it smoothly, I am in love with this machine more than ever. I feel so happy that I stumbled into this bike at such a great price, and I take much satisfaction in knowing that I'm making an investment in it to keep it well maintained so that I can enjoy many, many miles from her.
Anyhow, I just wanted to share this! Thanks again you all!
As you all know, I'd been doing all this worrying and hand-wringing about how my transmission feels when it shifts. Again, I thank you all for the information you've shared and the reassurance you've provided. I kind of had some lightbulb moments - one was after I watched a really in-depth video about how motorcycle gears and shift dogs work. I'll confess, while I have learned a LOT while rebuilding a couple of Hondas, I never got anywhere near their transmissions, and the workings of a gearbox have more or less remained a mystery to me until now. The other "aha!" moment came when I was reading a portion of the Getrag interview:
To banish this blemish the Getrag designers developed a two-tiered (stepped) shift dog. The slightly extended, narrower tip of the shift dog easily engages the (now relatively large) opening in the facing gear. When the gears have turned just a little more, the entire shift dog now slides into the engagement slot....If a neophyte Boxer owner just nudges the shift lever and feels the tip of the shift dog drop in, it may seem as if the shift has been completed successfully. However, it may happen that under load the gear jumps back out of engagement. The seasoned BMW gear-banger, by keeping the pedal under preload, can feel both the first and second stage of complete engagement take place. Subjectively, the impression the transmission makes is "notchiness".
While I could be mistaken, I think that this sensation, explained by the two-tiered (stepped) shift dog, has been what I have been experiencing when I shift, and has been the cause of my (false) alarm all along. Anyhow, it just felt really good to acquire an understanding behind what exactly is going on when I am feeling that during a gear shift. Thanks to all of you and the information you've shared, I can finally take my attention away from worrying about my bike and start enjoying it instead.
Riding the 1100RS has made me much more conscientious in how I shift and has made me much more....connected?....to the bike. Now that I've gotten past the anxiety about the tranny and grown in skill to be able to operate it smoothly, I am in love with this machine more than ever. I feel so happy that I stumbled into this bike at such a great price, and I take much satisfaction in knowing that I'm making an investment in it to keep it well maintained so that I can enjoy many, many miles from her.
Anyhow, I just wanted to share this! Thanks again you all!
