squeak or screeching noise shifting into 2nd and 3rd-R65

schrader7032 · Post by **schrader7032** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 6:31 am

Generally, those older airheads are correct. The splines need lubing every so often, although 5K miles might be a bit often. Maybe on the order of 20K or so miles is my take on it. If the splines need lubing, the symptom will most likely be difficulty in shifting in terms of a stiff pull or jerky engagement. The splines aren't lubed and the clutch disk isn't sliding as well as it should be.

The squeaking may more of the pressure plate fingers that touch the flywheel. As they begin to engage when the pressure is increase, they can slide creating the noise. Sort of like fingernails on a chalkboard. Some might say "they all do that"...my /7 does on occasion and it may be more the method in which you shift and release the clutch lever. Not a big deal, but something that can be checked into with a clutch job. You might want to consider that with this bike just because... You don't know the exact miles and the status of the clutch and splines. It would be worth your while and give you confidence in this area if you were to do it.

Kurt in S.A.

khill · Post by **khill** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 8:48 am

Thanks Kurt. I'm still trying to get a handle about all the splines that
need the lubing. I'm guessing it is the output spline and possibly the
driveshaft splines but I am probably not right on this one. Several people
mention the input spline but when I look at some exploded views of the
R65 I havn't found a input spline. I might have missed it as there are
many parts. I am starting to see how buying a old R65 can be a real
challenge. Could be lots of problems lurking especially in the clutch
and transmission area.

Kirk

schrader7032 · Post by **schrader7032** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:08 am

The splines on the tranny are on the forward side...male in nature. The clutch disk (the female part) slips over and slides on the tranny splines. There are also a set of splines at the rear wheel that also need lubing, but that's easy to do and a different story.

It's not really all that difficult to get at the tranny splines. Some perform the lubing by loosening the swingarm pivots and the bolts that hold the trannsmission to the back of the engine. The whole assembly can be moved back maybe 1-2 inches...enough to get to the splines with a stiff brush on the end of a stick or rachet extension. That's probably the method to use for every other spline lube. But at least once in a while, it might be best to actually remove the transmission for a thorough cleaning. Again, not all that difficult. Most of the aftermarket manuals can provide good information on that. I'm sure there are individuals who have place this infomation on the web...I know of a very nice site for the /5 which is under construction but most of the concepts apply.

Another thing you should keep in mind, that you're not alone in this. You have the various forums plus other virtual clubs that are Airhead in general as well as R65 specific. The Airheads Beemer Club have Tech Days from time to time depending on the locale. I did a spline lube, clutch removal, and oil pump o-ring change on a Tech Day...I had lots of help!! The ABC also has a list of people who belong that I'm sure would be willing to look over your shoulder. Same thing with the BMWMOA. And the VBMWMO...maybe Darryl can speak about the kind of support that might be available here...I haven't been in this club that long. That's the beauty of the Airhead...it's not that difficult (although there are some "issues" that need to be figured out) and there's always someone else with the same passion to lend a hand.

Kurt in S.A.

Darryl.Richman · Post by **Darryl.Richman** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:18 am

I have to admit that I'm not one of the people who think Airheads need frequent, or even particularly regular, spline lubes. I put 92k miles on a monolever bike and never had a spline lube; similarly, I put 56k on my R65 and never did it. I think the issue came to notice becaue K75s were eating the splines off their input shafts for a while.

But Kurt is right about the shifting symptom; if shifting becomes sticky or difficult, then a spline lube is definitely called for.

To get an idea of what a spline lube involves, I think there's an article over at the Internet BMW Riders web site.

The Airheads club is by far the most active in helping owners do their own maintenance. I put on a Tech Day in April every year for the VBMWMO, the Airheads, and the R90S club, and the Airheads are by far the largest group of attendees.

khill · Post by **khill** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 2:37 pm

Sounds great Darryl. If I go ahead with the purchase of the 81 r65
I will let everybody know what the cause of the noise is.

Thanks again,

Kirk

VBMWMO · Post by **VBMWMO** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 2:51 pm

I may have finally found my R65 and the owner seems to be very honest
and told me it occasionally has a little screeching noise when shifting
into 2nd and sometimes 3rd. This bike is a 1981 model with 26,000 miles
showing on the odometer. Could this be a real problem with the R65?

Someone told me that the older airheads had some splines or something
like that on the clutch mechanism that needed to be greased every 5
thousand miles or so. That sounds pretty serious to me. Is this the type
of noise that could indicate some serious clutch or transmission problems?

Thanks again for all your support. I started a new post because I am supposed to let him know tomorrow night.

Kirk