Push rod, slave cylinder, master
cylinder... it's none of that.
[ Saturday - September 1 ]
So the clutch on the GSW has been behaving in a really odd way of
late. On engine deceleration, the clutch behaves by pulsing
and giving the impression there is no hydrolic pressure. In
some cases the clutch stays engaged to the engine and the bike wants
to lurch forward when no braking is applied. It has a squishy
feel. A couple of pumps of the lever allows the clutch to
eventually disengage from the engine. Suffice to say, it gives
the appearance that the clutch is slipping. The first thought
was the push rod at the slave cylinder end is having problems.
Replacing the push rod worked for a while until the problem came
back in a couple of weeks. So if replacing the push rod didn't
fix the problem, it's likely the slave cylinder going bad. The
slave cylinder was changed and everything is good for about another
week. Now the clutch is having the same problem again.
The only remaining part is the master cylinder. When the
master cylinder was replaced, I was hoping this is the end of my
clutch problem. Nope! The head mechanic test rode my GSW
and nearly killed himself. Apparently, the clutch problem I'm
having has nothing to do with the hydrolic clutch system. It
has something to do with the components around the clutch
itself. It's not the nut and bolt holding the clutch
assembly. They both haven't slipped off. Interesting
problem to say the least. The verdict is still out.
Brown BMW is still investigating the problem. Bummer, no GSW
to ride around for a while.
Given my situation and the fact that there was a used F800R sitting
outside the showroom, I went ahead and nabbed the below while my GSW
is taking a vacation.
Just got it back from the dealer. Still has the Atacama top
bag and tank bag (bungee strapped) from the GSW.
It's a 2015 model. Just a straight up bike with only a slight
touch of fancy, traction control. Everything else is
basic. No fancy ESA suspension. Just a simple knob for
pre-load. The good... 3791 miles. The bad... has rust on
the chain. The ugly... no center stand nor accessory
port. All in all, it's a fun little thing to own and
ride. It's not as fast as the GSW, but it gets around and has
enough grunt to put cars in the distance.
I've always had plans of getting an F800R as a second bike.
Now is as good a time as ever to get one. They don't make
these little things any more. The F850R is coming out next
spring, likely. Under seat gas tank or above engine gas
tank? That's the question. Some complain the under seat
gas tank makes the rear look fat. Well, yes it can do
that. As for my preference, I like the under seat gas
tank. It distributes the weight a little better. The
other benefit... it's a Rotax motor. The new F850 engine is a
BMW Chinese made engine. Supposedly it work just as well as
the Rotax. That might be so, but it doesn't have the Rotax
name on it.
My girls tell me, "It's cute."
Written on: September 4, 201
Last modified: September 4, 2018
