How does the clutch feel when its going?

[rmg08057]

2000LT, 114k on the clock. Good mix of riding up until now, not a lot of city traffic.

So now I am riding/commuting every day in Bay Area traffic. I have begun to notice just the slightest iffiness about the clutch...here are two key symptoms I think:
1. The other day, two up, going uphill up a windy road, I notice just the mearest touch of a feeling that the clutch, even though completely released, is still a bit engaged.
2. At traffic lights, when at the front of the queue and wanting a quick getaway, when I let the clutch out, if I slightly overrev when letting the clutch out, it is very slow on the pickup.

Note, that once going, it seems pretty alright, even with the pretty sharp accelerations that seem part of riding in traffic around here.

If it is the clutch, can it continue to be ridden with a slowly deteriorating clutch, or is it likely to go pretty quickly one of these days. I am trying to get it to the other side of Christmas as I guess this will be an expensive repair. I'll get the hole drilled while I am at it.

TIA.

[jers99lt]

I would be able to release the entire throw of the clutch lever before it engaged. That is how I purchased the bike with 35k on the clock. The dealer thought there was air in the lining. Not! After that, it only took 90 miles before there was slippage that caused over-reving and then total outage.
HTH
Jer

[vvk]

1. The other day, two up, going uphill up a windy road, I notice just the mearest touch of a feeling that the clutch, even though completely released, is still a bit engaged.
2. At traffic lights, when at the front of the queue and wanting a quick getaway, when I let the clutch out, if I slightly overrev when letting the clutch out, it is very slow on the pickup.

You might have the dreaded brake slave cylinder that drips oil on your (veeeery dry) clutch plates.

Continuing to drive will put the plates out of use and you will need new ones. Have your dealer check immediately. And let him drill a weep hole preventing that leak.

I noticed my plates going (I was too late)when in 4th or 5th suddenly accellerating the rpm's would go up, but the bike wouldn't pick up any speed, or very slowly.

[DavidTaylor]

2000LT, 114k on the clock. Good mix of riding up until now, not a lot of city traffic.

So now I am riding/commuting every day in Bay Area traffic. I have begun to notice just the slightest iffiness about the clutch...here are two key symptoms I think:
1. The other day, two up, going uphill up a windy road, I notice just the mearest touch of a feeling that the clutch, even though completely released, is still a bit engaged.
2. At traffic lights, when at the front of the queue and wanting a quick getaway, when I let the clutch out, if I slightly overrev when letting the clutch out, it is very slow on the pickup.

Note, that once going, it seems pretty alright, even with the pretty sharp accelerations that seem part of riding in traffic around here.

If it is the clutch, can it continue to be ridden with a slowly deteriorating clutch, or is it likely to go pretty quickly one of these days. I am trying to get it to the other side of Christmas as I guess this will be an expensive repair. I'll get the hole drilled while I am at it.

TIA.

I would say you are on the edge of it being pretty much gone. How many miles do you think you'll ride between now and January?

My opinion - If you're going to ride 2000 miles or less in the holiday timeframe, skip the quick getaways and hard pulls fully loaded uphill, and baby it for the next 6-8 weeks. At that point you really need to get it in for a clutch replacement before you possibly damage something in there. Hey, you got 114,000 miles out of the stock clutch, that may be a record! :D

[mpillis]

my clutch as shot at 29000 miles on an 05 lt. No oil. Just burnt up the clutch. the housing was full of black dust. I have been riding ll my life and never burnt up a clutch till now. I had been riding with some aggressive riders on Ducs. I also ride alot of miles 2 up fully loaded including mag bag on top of top box. I am picking the bike up this morning. I am going to quit riding the bike like a sport bike. It does handle good for a 900 lb beast. But with the dry clutch and weight it is not meant for that type of riding. I know I will hear others say differently but at $1500 for a new clutch, etc, I can't afford this. Mine started slipping in 4th and 5th

[motorman587]

2000LT, 114k on the clock. Good mix of riding up until now, not a lot of city traffic.

So now I am riding/commuting every day in Bay Area traffic. I have begun to notice just the slightest iffiness about the clutch...here are two key symptoms I think:
1. The other day, two up, going uphill up a windy road, I notice just the mearest touch of a feeling that the clutch, even though completely released, is still a bit engaged.
2. At traffic lights, when at the front of the queue and wanting a quick getaway, when I let the clutch out, if I slightly overrev when letting the clutch out, it is very slow on the pickup.

Note, that once going, it seems pretty alright, even with the pretty sharp accelerations that seem part of riding in traffic around here.

If it is the clutch, can it continue to be ridden with a slowly deteriorating clutch, or is it likely to go pretty quickly one of these days. I am trying to get it to the other side of Christmas as I guess this will be an expensive repair. I'll get the hole drilled while I am at it.

TIA.

When you hammer on the throttle, with clutch all the way out, does the RPMs go up, and the bikes takes a while to match the RPMs???????? That is slipping clutch.

[drmajor]

Mine acted the same. I went on for a ride with our group, but about 20 miles in, it really slipped. When I would gas it, the bike would slowly move out.

I left the ride and went home-trying not to use the clutch.

Took it to dealer next week. Slave cylinder had leaked out. New clutch and slave.

[rmg08057]

John...no, it doesn't regularly. There was a very mild hint of that on a couple of occasions, most recently two up, up hill. Where I notice it is taking off at the lights where a good rev actually slows the takeoff and I am better off taking off like a harley....low revs and chugging off on the torque.

Personally, I think David is right, this is a clutch that is right at the start of a deterioration curve....it isn't acting up like I know it would if there was oil on the clutch.

[TUSE]

I seem to be having the same problem... I helped create/teach a Sport-Bike course with the LT (It performed Great, except that I ground holes in the side bumpers and underskirts as well as ground about a fourth of my side-stand off while dragging knee in the curves) and I commute on it 60 miles a day/every day through downtown Tampa traffic. So that may explain why it is having these symptoms at 50K miles.

I do not think it is being caused by brake fluid leakage, but could a fuel leak cause it? The fuel line connections BMW replaced with the recall seem to have broken and leaked fuel out the right side of the bike [BMW fixed them again under warranty, but I informed me there are Metal ones out there somewhere that are better.].

Is replacing the clutch a hard job for a rather competent shade-tree mechanic?

[cws]

I think constant city traffic stop/starts and hard takeoffs will do it Ralph, especialy if you ride a bit "harder" and thats why mine went so early, it's most of my riding as a daily commute. I only use 4 gears in the city now, and very little rear brake. As David Taylor said... you got a damn good run out of it!