The other day during my GS’s biennial washing, I noticed some oil leaking from between the motor and transmission. After South Sound BMW literally pulled the 1200 into two pieces, they discovered that the input seal of my transmission had been leaking and soaked my clutch in oil. I’m sure glad this hadn’t happened while in the middle of Africa or somewhere on a long trip. Now a big decision lies ahead as to which clutch to replace the oil-soaked stock unit with. Fortunately Touratech has a new oil resistant clutch from Seibenrock that should do the trick. Even if a seal does give out again sometime in the future, the clutch is designed to grab even in a full oil bath.
I plan on making this into a "long-term product test," so check back for any updates and my impressions on this clutch.
For more information on the new oil resistant clutch for BMW R1200 motorcycles, click HERE.
Update: ~500 miles on new clutch:
So far my busy schedule has kept me from doing any long trips with the new clutch. That said, I have put roughly 500 miles on my motorcycle, commuting in Seattle traffic to and from work, and am pleased to report the new clutch is fantastic. The oil resistant clutch is similar in feel to the stock clutch, but does actually grab a bit harder, which I welcome. The feel is not a harsh on/off switch like a ceramic clutch would be, but definitely an upgrade over the stock unit. In stop-and-go traffic, the clutch isn’t overly grabby and has enough slip to handle the slow speeds with ease. I have a feeling it will perform quite well off road. I have a few trips planned this summer, and will report back as the mileage accrues on my R1200GS. Stay tuned!
Update: ~7,000 miles on clutch:
After a summer of commuting, and a few week-long trips that included both street and off-road riding, I have more to report on the oil resistant clutch in my R1200GS. After about 7,000 miles the clutch still feels great. The action is very similar to stock, with a bit more grab. This was welcome on a few steep sections of dirt I rode in Idaho and Oregon. I was running more street-oriented tires, and was fully loaded with gear, so the oil-resistant clutch really got a workout. This is no Ceramic Clutch however, and it can heat up and smoke when it’s being worked hard, although not nearly as bad as the stock unit.
During my daily commute to work and back, the clutch has done great in traffic. There were a couple exceptional situations though, where I was stuck in stop-n-go traffic for more than an hour and both my engine and clutch heated up to the point where it became difficult to shift into neutral at a standstill. This was a minor annoyance, and only happened twice, during epic traffic jams in Seattle. I have a feeling the stock clutch would have done the same, or worse.
If I have any more findings, I will be sure to post them on this blog. Until then, ride safe.