R1100GS Slipping Clutch or Driveshaft Cush?

gog

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Recently while accelerating in 4th or 5th up a hill I noticed a bit of slippage. Bike is a 1995 R1100GS with 88k, no idea when or if the clutch has been replaced as didnt get any history with it.

I have read that the driveshaft rubber cush can show similar symptoms when deteriorated (steptoe, here http://www.bmbikes.org.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=5586)

Before I go and buy a new clutch pack, can anyone tell me how to check this?

Im going to check the adjustment tonight, to rule that out, though there is about 5mm free play at the lever.

Cheers
Gordon
 
Presumably if the cush drive bonding has gone and it allows the shaft ends to get out of phase you'd feel during cornering - I mean because the UJS will be out of synch it'll make cornering feel odd - understeer/oversteer?

Or am I talking bollocks? It makes sense to me
 
Cornering is fine Rodin, no other effect than the slip that I can tell. Unfortunately I'm not qualified to decide whether you're talking bollocks or not :D
 
If it's the prop you would probably get a hot rubber smell, pull back the gaiter and have a sniff..maybe try that after loading the throttle with the bike in 5th at about 40mph..does sound like clutch though .
 
Try a search, I'm sure I recently posted a picture of a shaft with the rubber disintegrated , or perhaps it was on Advrider. You can't feel it as suggested, you have do a visual inspection or mark the shaft and insert and check the marks are still aligned after its next slipped .
 
Found the discussion over on advrider Neil, thanks. I did do a search before posting, but was using the wrong terminology it seems.
 
Hot rubber smell after riding sounds like a good idea... (it's beginning to sound like this thread should move to the virtual pub )
 
Pulling away from standstill and it slips under acceleration - Prop-shaft rubber
Under acceleration in higher gears - clutch starting to go.


...... in my experience

Just make sure your clutch lever isn't fouling or your reservoir is not overfilled
 
I would also check the bearing on the pivot of the clutch lever near gearbox. Yours should be a cable operated clutch. if its started seizing it slows the return of the clutch and behaves like clutch slip
HTHY
 
cheers chaps, few things to check at the weekend then. i am also having some trouble shifting from 3-2 and 2-1 so going to take the gear lever off to clean and grease the bush, though the problem is intermittent and the lever feels quite free.
 
Clutch lever isnt fouling nor is the reservoir overfilled. The pivot and arm are moving freely. Pulled back the driveshaft boot and couldnt see any rubber pills. There was too much space in the handlebar adjuster, 15mm instead of 12mm which is now corrected, giving me 6-7 mm free play at the lever so looks like adjustment is (now) better, and gear changes actually feel smoother. I can still get it to slip in 4th and 5th going uphill though. On top of this, now even under normal riding when I stop the bike after a 15 minute run theres a reasonably strong smell of clutch if i get down and sniff the engine. Its looking like a clutch job is in the near future, the first on an oilhead for me.
 
There was too much space in the handlebar adjuster, 15mm instead of 12mm which is now corrected, giving me 6-7 mm free play at the lever so looks like adjustment is (now) better, and gear changes actually feel smoother. I can still get it to slip in 4th and 5th going uphill though.

Don't worry so much about the clutch lever on the handlebars... The most important part is you must have free play in the clutch arm on the rear of the gearbox.
If there's no play you'll get clutch slip.
The adjustment is at the rear of the gearbox, a 13mm locknut and 10mm adjusting nut.
 
may as well add this in here - have had some issues shifting from 3-2 and (less often) 2-1, like the gear change lever is solid. letting the clutch back out and re-engaging then allows the shift 90% of the time, occasionally I have to do it again.

I thought having read some posts here that I might need to grease the pivot and linkage, which I have done today, though it was very free anyway. This has not solved the issue so it must be something internal. Could a worn clutch cause this, or is it more likely to be selector fork wear or something else?

Bike is on 88k and gearbox is the original M94, I got no history with the bike so I dont know if its had work previously. It doesnt skip in any gear nor have I had any other issues. The oil has been changed recently for decent quality and spec so I dont think that would help.
 
Another odd thing is that my gear indicator now shows nonsense, after I removed and cleaned the linkages. In first gear, it shows 3rd, in neutral shows 2nd (neutral light still works ok), in 2nd AND 3rd it shows 3rd and its just blank in 4th and 5th. It worked fine until I removed the linkage, though i didnt change the length of the rod. Bloody fussy things.
 


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