jge@unc.UUCP (John Eyles) (05/24/85)
My BMW R65 (a year old with 4k miles) has recently had great difficulty downshifting, particularly from 2nd into 1st. The shifting lever seems stuck. I have a very distinct impression that the clutch is failing to release until several seconds after pulling the hand lever, and the shift will not go until the clutch has released. Sometimes I can just pull in the clutch lever while in 2nd or 1st gear and it feels and sounds as though the clutch has not disengaged; it sometimes fails to disengage until I have come almost to a standstill. I have checked the clutch adjustment. I had a similar problem on an R75/5, which turned out to be due to the transmission input seal leaking and blowing oil on the clutch disk, causing the clutch to stick. I replaced the seal and clutch disk and had no problems thereafter. I assume my current problem is the same, but would like to see if anyone out there knows of another explanation, and has any suggestions for convincing my delaler that this is the problem (especially since the problem is intermittent). Thanx in advance for any useful responses.