Clutch spline failure - Gathering data

[boxermania]

I have seen/heard of this faiulre many times on diferent sites. Let's collect some data.....and see if we can help the Homo Sapiens at BMW Mottorrad......

If you have experience the failure please list Model, Year, VIN, mileage and how many times it has happened.

Thanks,

[EvMachina]

2004 R1150 Rockster
VIN#WB10318A04ZJ65278

So far one failure at 17K I am not finished with repair, BMW NA denied any claims.

[Biff's R]

2004 R1150 Rockster
VIN#WB10318A04ZJ65278

So far one failure at 17K I am not finished with repair, BMW NA denied any claims.

Where you out of time, since your milage is not that high? What was their reasoning?

[tor1150r]

2004 (mfg date 01/04). Purchased brand new in July 04

Last 8 digits (this is always what they ask for) is 4ZK72964

Happened in June 2006 @ 33.9k kms
Happened again in Sept 2007 @ 66.7k kms

[EvMachina]

I was out of warranty time wise. Actually only by a few months they said. The secondary reason was I did not have a well established relationship with the dealer (ie I didn't take it to them for regular service) as I performed all the service myself.

[MartyWadd]

Happened to me @ 35,000 miles and 37 months.
ED 80 Rockster. I'll get the VIN later.

[Biff's R]

I was out of warranty time wise. Actually only by a few months they said. The secondary reason was I did not have a well established relationship with the dealer (ie I didn't take it to them for regular service) as I performed all the service myself.

THe relationship with the dealer is BS, and has no bearing on why the splines blew out. At you milage, and age of bike that failure has nothing to do with any service that your dealer could have performed.

[Beemeridian]

55

[Ian]

for the nontechheads - whats a spline failure, what does the the bike feel like, symptoms?

[towerworker]

I would like to know as well the symptoms and also is there any preventative maintenance that we can do ourselves or does this involve a pretty major teardown?

Wayne

[tor1150r]

This has happened to my bike twice. In both instances there were no symptoms, signs, noises, slipping or interruption in power.

One minute your taking in the scenery then bang, you have no power to the wheel and all you hear is a sudden grinding sound.

[Paul Mihalka]

"02 R1150R VIN ZF45144 - BMW uses last 7 characters of VIN for id. Clutch spline failure at 29,000 miles. Bike out of warranty by about a year. I work at a BMW dealer, that helps. I insisted that just repairing by replacing clutch and gear box input shaft will make it happen again. Bike got a new gear box. BMW helped with goodwill warranty reducing cost of parts. Bosses helped by reducing cost of labor. New gear box and clutch installed cost me about $1300. Big additional cost was I-Hauling the bike from Middle Of Nowhere, Arkansas to Maryland. About $1.400 between truck and gas. I had the bike to 76.000 miles. No additional problems and bike shifted better than ever.
Symptoms before it fails: When down-shifting without blipping the throttle it will not shift but hang up. If the bike is high mileage, it may only need a spline lube. If low mileage (under 40K) there probably is a alignment problem.

[EvMachina]

I've been speaking to several BMW mechanics and I've had a 2 fold theory thrown at me.

1: These input shafts are too short. They do not go completely into the clutch hub. ALL other models did. BMW made these shafts 7mm

2: Poor quality control. Some of the 1150's are going 100,000 miles with no problems. I suspect that some of these shafts and possibly some of the clutch hubs are NOT heat treated properly. Combine this with the above issue and there is an early failure.

[NoRRmad]

Paul --

Jeez. My bike is only about 800 bikes later than your cited VIN number.

And it's out of warranty. And I'll be going to The Middle of Nowhere, Arkansas later this year.

Thanks for the symptoms; I'll be keeping an eye out for that...

[ProductUser]

If you go to the BMW ST site, you will find a ton of information re clutch splines. One of the ideas thrown around has to do with an alignment issue, I believe, between the tranny and the engine/bell housing. One person on the BMW ST site went into great detail to prove his theory.

If you're intested and have time, it can be an interesting read.

ProductUser

[EvMachina]

I had no symptoms at all before failure. I was cruising along and pulled onto a highway. As I started moving I went to shift from 3rd to 4th and gear didn't engage and was pushing it home.

[EvMachina]

what is the BMW ST site url?

[ProductUser]

what is the BMW ST site url?

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php

Use the search method to find a ton of information re clutch splines

[boxermania]

To all that have been "touched" by this failure. It has been known for some time that the failure can be precipitated primarily by missalignment, squaring of the transmission to the engine case, unfortunately this is further compounded by the "softness" of the clutch hub while riding on the input shaft.

What is really mesmerizing is the antipathy of the BMW organization in trying to cover the obvious with total disregard for the agravation and cost that it is bringing to those the support the brand.

My good friend calls that Teutonic Arrogance and the Germans are notorious for that behaviour.....BMW 745I I-drive, all the buybacks from Mercedes.....Ahhh, my friends they all do it.....even here with the big three ascrew the little people.

Buyer beware, if it looks like caca, smells like caca and tastes like caca it is not caviar.......

[pjpockets]

I have an 04 r1150r. It looks like the end result is that all 04 1150r bikes could cost a guy 2000 bucks down the road. Just how many people have had this problem, and is it time to go back to, YUCK! Harley Davidson.