BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Initial reports show that the clunk into first has been eliminated, neutral is easy to find,  and all further gear changes are silent and smooth.
My 2016 always clunks into first, but otherwise changes gear just fine, so no rush to buy the latest model just yet. How about other LC owners? Happy with your box or tempted to upgrade?

Maybe BMW will offer the new box for those with issues that go down the warranty route?

Good luck with getting BMW to warranty there gear box for 'The Clunk' gearbox, the response will be 'They All do That'.
But that being sadi you would think with the premium $ paid for the bikes they could have fix that issue many models ago!
Yes & my 2016 does it, I have found that sometimes light pressure of the gear shift lever to feel the engagement then release then place into first work some of the time to reduce the CLUNK.

No clunk, ee gads, that's a disaster, even less for your money.

RTman10 wrote: No clunk, ee gads, that's a disaster, even less for your money.

Your right of course, are they trying to completely remove all the boxer character! 
At least with the clunk you can be certain it's in gear. ;D

Here's a thing.  All is not lost. Just been talking to a mate with a brand new RS. He agrees no clunk onto 1st, when its cold.  Get it hot and it's back but not much.  My 14 is like that.  Praise the Lord.

That's interesting. The modifications were supposed to sort it out, but I don't think I have ever had a wet clutch bike that didn't clunk into first. I guess we have been spoilt with the later 1150/1200 oil heads and their dry clutch. I took my old 1150 out yesterday and it really is a nice gearbox (although the same can't be said of my 1100rt, that was a gear box with character!).

I recommended that BMW should learn Japanese, then take an FJR apart, and learn how to make a quiet tranny.


I dont see how those guys can sleep at night when the Japanese are making better trannies than them

wethead wrote: I recommended that BMW should learn Japanese, then take an FJR apart, and learn how to make a quiet tranny.

My brother's 2015 FJR-ES may it rest in peace made clunk--he had to learn how to avoid it just like we do.  He had a ritual he went thru that did ultimately solve the N>1st clunk as long as he did the ritual every time, so in this regard it's not all that different from RTLC.  It's such a non-issue for me on the '16 RT as I almost always keep the clutch pulled w/ motor running when stopping at a traffic signal anyway to allow for a quick move if someone on my 6 doesn't appear to be stopping fast enough for my liking.  If it appears to be a real long signal I just caught after it turn red then sometimes I'll kill the motor, leave the bike in 1st, and restart w/ the clutch pulled.  It's absolutely true when the bike is cold and ambient temp is less than around 72F or so you get no clunk starting the bike in N after rolling the bike in 1st w/ clutch pulled briefly then putting it in neutral.  I can then drop it into first w/ virtual complete silence.  Ambient temps much over that on a cold bike, and of course on a warmed motor, will generate the N>1st clunk.  I would definitely prefer to never have to think about it, to be able to put the bike in 1st from N w/o a clunk, but at least there is a workaround so you never have to tolerate the clunk if you don't want to.  Quite frankly, despite the comments that it will never matter, intuitively there is absolute metal bashing on metal w/ some force, and I cannot see how over time that isn't a factor for something to muck up the gearbox, shifting, clutch bearings, something.

I'm not sure how I'd feel about it. I'd have to ride it and see. I like the boxer engine and all it's quirks. One thing's for sure, I'm not going to trade in my 2016 RT to be a beta tester for the 2017! I'll wait a few years to make sure any bugs get worked out and then I'll ride it and decide then!!

wethead wrote: I recommended that BMW should learn Japanese, then take an FJR apart, and learn how to make a quiet tranny.
I dont see how those guys can sleep at night when the Japanese are making better trannies than them

Lol. Ever owned a Harley. BMW box is on a par

Yes, it clunks (think that's been discussed to death!?). Me, bothered? No, but a mildly irritating feature maybe.  However, I enjoy riding this bike too much to worry about the 'erfin clunky gearbox change (from N to 1st that is!).

I whined about the neutral to first clunk for a while after I got my RT. Then I figured out "they all do that" and began paying less attention to it. I also must say that with over 20K miles the gearbox is smoother also. At any rate, I just stab it into first and go when the light changes to green. So far no metal parts left behind.....


While the new RT may indeed have less clunk, and I would appreciate that, it is far from anything I lust for. After all, it is probably the same transmission with a damper added. Which means more weight and something more that can go wrong!

Boys, time to stop whining about the gear box.


I'm just back from 2,500 miles across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia on a GSLC.  Gear box makes the RTLC box feel like one of Japan's finest...

richardbd wrote: Boys, time to stop whining about the gear box.
I'm just back from 2,500 miles across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia on a GSLC. Gear box makes the RTLC box feel like one of Japan's finest...

But is the exact same gearbox and engine on both.
Cured mine totally (earplugs and Bluetooth music from the sat nav) . Changes sweetly and I can't hear a single clunk  ;D

Not nesessarily. The early GS had a lighter flywheel than the GSA.  The RT has always had the GSA engine.  If that effects the gearchange is anybody's guess.  And who knows what type of treatment a hire bike has had.