Shifting Issues

jpalamaro

· #2 · Oct 16, 2005

LLWells said:
Occassionally, when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, always at lower RPM's, i.e., 2K maybe 3K, (when in the residential area for example), I seem to end up in Neutral. Only occurs at lower speeds. Is it me getting used to the new KS (422 miles,break in period) or is it something else? I know I should just run through the gears more aggressively, however, there are times when lower RPM's are requires.

Gets better with time. Crisp, definite shifts are the order of the day with this xmission. It will not tolerate 'mushy' shifts.

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kencorsun

· #3 · Oct 16, 2005

LLWells said:
Occassionally, when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, always at lower RPM's, i.e., 2K maybe 3K, (when in the residential area for example), I seem to end up in Neutral. Only occurs at lower speeds. Is it me getting used to the new KS (422 miles,break in period) or is it something else? I know I should just run through the gears more aggressively, however, there are times when lower RPM's are requires.

LL,

Even after 24,000 miles that happens to me occasionally, usually when I'm tired or just a little too casual. The K12S likes to be shifted with authority.

Ken

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ManfredH

· #4 · Oct 17, 2005

kencorsun said:
Even after 24,000 miles ...

How did you manage to get *24,000* miles on your S in that short time???

Manfred
with 12,500 mi in 8 months

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24k

Ken,

24,000 miles... noting the "retired" tag in your profile possibly explains the mileage. If that is the case then I am looking forward to enjoying my "retirement" even more. But somehow I think that whilst my mileage will increase now I have no longer got full time employment to eat into my time... "she who must be obeyed" will have a few tasks up her sleeve so I cannot see me hitting the 24k mark.

Second point... 24K equates to quite a bit over £2,000 in fuel alone (and thats worked out at touring mpg not sports mpg) no to mention tyres and servicing... I do not think "she" would let me spend that... though I can't complain as she did let me buy the bike!

Enjoy... and by the way the gear change does improve with use (4,800 miles in 3 months).

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kencorsun

· #6 · Oct 17, 2005

High Mileage

Manfred,

I'm not sure! My wife and I put 7,000 miles on the S this summer on vacation (New Orleans--alas, San Antonio, Santa Fe, southern Utah, etc., etc.). We visit relatives in Boston about once a month (about 500 miles round trip), we ride with a club most Sundays (300-400 miles) and use the bike for general recreational transportation. The car gets used for commuting to work which is too close to bother getting on the bike (a couple of miles). All that proper protective gear...

We've also put a couple of thousand miles on the '98 K1200RS (it has 167,000 miles) which was off the road for about five months getting an engine/transmission transplant. Now that its back in service it will be used mostly to give the S a break; the S will be for the twisties and any other times we want to go fast and really enjoy the ride.

Ride safe and often,

Ken

P.S. Having a working wife helps keep the finances in order. I'm ritired, but do some substitute school teaching to keep me out of trouble.

K

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liberator

· #7 · Oct 17, 2005

I have heard about this problem but never experienced it until this past Friday. In my case the RPMs were quite high - I was accelerating rapidly and the bike stayed in 2nd probably one full second before "popping out" into neutral. Having read similar posts I was somewhat prepared and quickly shifted back into 2nd. It is a little unnerving when it happens in traffic.

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BeemerDude

Discussion Starter · #8 · Oct 17, 2005

jpalamaro said:
Gets better with time. Crisp, definite shifts are the order of the day with this xmission. It will not tolerate 'mushy' shifts.

Thanks for the reply. You're correct, it normally happens when I am tired and sloppy.

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DOA

· #9 · Oct 17, 2005

Adjust the lever to improve shifting

You might lower that shift lever.
I have a lazy foot (like the rest of me I suppose) and will miss up shifts more than downshifts where I can stomp the shifter. I compensate by keeping the shift lever a little low, it actually rests on my boot. And I NEVER miss a shift with it there.

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gperformance

· #10 · Oct 17, 2005

DOA said:
You might lower that shift lever.
I have a lazy foot (like the rest of me I suppose) and will miss up shifts more than downshifts where I can stomp the shifter. I compensate by keeping the shift lever a little low, it actually rests on my boot. And I NEVER miss a shift with it there.

yep, the same for me. i don't think any dealer has set the shift lever (or any other though) to our requirements ! so a little bit adjustment and ....... missing gears is gone
btw i really can notice a difference as the kms grows, especially since i can ride at higher rpm's in all gears : seems really better as i stay in 2nd or 3d for a while varrying the throttle rather than shifting up and riding as if i still had a twin

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kencorsun

· #11 · Oct 18, 2005

DOA said:
You might lower that shift lever.
I have a lazy foot (like the rest of me I suppose) and will miss up shifts more than downshifts where I can stomp the shifter. I compensate by keeping the shift lever a little low, it actually rests on my boot. And I NEVER miss a shift with it there.

DOA,

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try this.

Ken

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Razel

· #12 · Oct 19, 2005

Shifting

One of the older axioms on shifting a BMW transmission is to preload the shift lever. Ever so slightly, such that you don't shift accidentally, but just a bit of pressure. Don't know why, but it seems to make a difference. Can't speak to the K-S exactly, as I've only ridden one for about 20 minutes, but it's been said since the airheads, and it works on the GT...

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ManfredH

· #13 · Oct 19, 2005

Razel said:
One of the older axioms on shifting a BMW transmission is to preload the shift lever.

And to pull the clutch only 1/4th of the possible distance. You can also shift without clutch and clunk. At the moment I'm trying to perfect this

.

Manfred

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rlmr

· #14 · Oct 19, 2005

Clutchless Changes

Hi Manfred,

Just a quick endorsement of your clutchless changes post.

My first run on the dealers demonstrator revealed that only using the clutch to move off from rest and "snicking" through the box without the clutch was the way to eliminate the clunk. However on my own bike... one has to be careful to match the engine speeds and not over strain the mechanics so I usually follow your other advice and just break the transmission with a minor pull on the lever, however if I am in a "hurry" or "motoring" I regularly omit the clutch, for example if out on an overtake, and the change is nice and smooth.

BTW it is nice to see that after a couple of days apparent absence during the i to k change, you are back. I have been most grateful for all the advice and pointers you have given me since I joined the forum earlier in the year.

I also enjoyed my run through Germany to Austria in September... but those Autobahn roadworks

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jimjam66

· #15 · Oct 20, 2005

Just a question for clarity here - you guys are doing clutchless shifts as the 'norm'? When I got my '12 I read an article about iffy gearboxes and decided to 're-learn' using the clutch, which I have done ever since. (Just booked a 6,000 mile service, so not in Ken's league!)

I notice, as did Manfred and Rennie, that just tweaking the clutch-lever makes for a lovely quick silent change, particularly under acceleration. I have just been too plain chicken to risk clutchless changes as I didn't want to ruin the 'box.

Am I missing out here ... ?

JJ

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rlmr

· #16 · Oct 20, 2005

Hi David,

I am quite sure that BMW would "argue the toss" if the transmission fell to pieces and you stated you never used the clutch... but in actual fact, even with the the tremendous power output of the KS, the gears will snick up and down (easier in the higher gears), without the use of the clutch, provided you make a reasonable attempt of predicting the engine rev's i.e. throttling off for changes up and slightly increasing the throttle as you change down.

But no matter, by "preloading" the gear lever and only slightly breaking the transmission (1/4 clutch lever movement) you should achieve a nice change.

Hope you enjoy your KS as much as I am enjoying mine.

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jimjam66

· #17 · Oct 20, 2005

rlmr said:
I am quite sure that BMW would "argue the toss" if the transmission fell to pieces and you stated you never used the clutch

Particularly as the owner's manual (which I read carefully in this instance for probably the first time ever) says that you should NEVER change gears without using the clutch! But then I went back and checked and it said the same thing for my R850R, and I clutchless-changed that thing for about 6,000 miles without any problems.

rlmr said:
Hope you enjoy your KS as much as I am enjoying mine.

Oh yes! Even with winter closing in ...

JJ

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kencorsun

· #18 · Oct 20, 2005

Clutchless Shifting

I "feather" the clutch when shifting. I've been told, however, that clutchless shifting is OK if you cut the throtte by the precise amount required. The transmission doesn't know what reduced the engine speed: the clutch or the throttle. (This by an accomplished BMW mechanic who shall remain nameless.)

I don't feel I have the skill to get the clutchless shift right 100% of the time so a light touch of the clutch seems the best approach. If my skill level were higher I might go with clutchless shifting.

Ken

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mconrad

· #19 · Oct 21, 2005

I've found that the quicker I shift, the smoother I shift. Just barely pulling in the clutch lever and then quickly shifting works like a charm every time. The whole sequence should take less than 1/2 second.

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jimjam66

· #20 · Oct 21, 2005

Right, I shall start re-re-learning clutchless shifts then. Sorry to bang on about this, but a certain British Biking mag (Rennie, you may know the one I mean) has endless troubles with S and R gearboxes. I have had not even a whisper of a problem, but I can't help worrying ...

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