Clutch weirdness

[cjstora]

I have a problem with the clutch on my 2005 R1200GS.

With use, the clutch seems to "go away" on me. The friction point where the clutch lever engages/disengages the clutch moves backward, toward the handlebar, until eventually the clutch lever is hard against the handgrip and cannot engage/disengage the clutch to shift it in and out of gear.

The clutch fluid level is fine, well above the minimum line. The fluid itself is a greenish-black colour. I can post a picture of it if that would help.

If the bike sits for a few days, it seems to fix itself, until I drive it for a little while and the clutch "goes away" again.

Any thoughts? Is it time to flush and replace the fluid, maybe?

I'm told the R1200 uses mineral oil instead of hydraulic fluid from clutch lever to slave cylinder. Is that generic mineral oil, or is it necessary to buy the BMW brand?

[marc]

Check your slave cylinder. The BMW fluid is reported to be the same as Magura Blue Blood, a mineral oil used in bicycle hydraulic brakes and commonly found in bicycle shops for much less money than what BMW charges.

[pdxrmccgs]

I would bleed the clutch and put new fluid in to start. This should get
rid of any air in the system. Next step would be checking out the
slave cylinder. Here is the fiche:

MAX BMW Motorcycles - BMW Parts & Technical Diagrams - R1200GS 05-07 (K25)
Click on " 21-Clutch"

The critical part on the "bleed" is refilling with no air bubbles. If you want more
info just ask.

[mikec]

My '09 GSA exhibited the exact symptoms as your '05. In my case, the incorrect fluid had been installed at the factory. My clutch finally gave up when I was on a trip and the machine had to be towed almost 600 miles. I believe Marc and pdxrmccgs to be spot on with their advice. My slave had to be replaced and the system was bled seven times before it returned to normal.

Mike

[cjstora]

Thanks for the tips. It certainly seems like a fluid replace is in order. The BMW replacement fluid that I see is blue in colour, and this is definitely a green colour, with what appears to be a black suspension, almost like it's the wrong fluid, or contaminated (although I'm not sure where a contaminant would come from)

Marc, I have discovered at the ADVRider forum that the Magura "Blue Blood" hydraulic fluid is the same as the BMW hydraulic clutch fluid. It's manufactured by Magura, rebranded for BMW. It's cheaper and more readily available - I can buy it locally at a good bicycle shop, as opposed to a 3 hour trip to the nearest BMW moto dealer.

Will flush and replace it this weekend and will update the thread with the results. There's no leakage around the slave, but will definitely get it checked out after the flush.

[ca1ic0cat]

or they might be a seal that is going bad. I haven't heard of this before but you might have to rebuild the master before this is over. Just a thought....

[marc]

Originally Posted by cjstora

Thanks for the tips. It certainly seems like a fluid replace is in order. The BMW replacement fluid that I see is blue in colour, and this is definitely a green colour, with what appears to be a black suspension, almost like it's the wrong fluid, or contaminated (although I'm not sure where a contaminant would come from)

The fluid put in the '05 bikes is somewhat green in color. Contamination can come from the slave cylinder. I'd not be surprised to find out your slave cylinder is failing.

This is what my fluid looks like. The image was taken during my 66K service about 6 weeks ago. The clutch works properly. The only clutch maintenance I've done over the last 6 years is to remove a touch of fluid on two occasions to keep the level below the MAX mark.

[cjstora]

Thanks marc, that's pretty much what my fluid looks like. I'll snap a pic tonight if it's light enough out when I get home.

[pdxrmccgs]

Slave cylinder failure video

A failed hydraulic clutch "slave cylinder" from an R1150RT w/ 40,000 miles on it. The hole in the center is where the clutch rod rests. The rod, of course, spins w/ the engine rpm when the clutch lever is pulled in. The bearing has failed resulting i

Another thread on slave cylinder failure:

http://www.r1150r.org/board/viewtopi...ghlight=clutch

Another thread on slave cylinder failure. It seems at one time guys even came up with
their own (drill a hole) fix to protect the clutch from contamination.

http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20213