Oil leak

["Panichas, George E" <panichag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Subject: Oil Leak

While having the 36k service done on my 2001 R1100RL (a pampered bike that has 
been scrupulously maintained), I was informed of an oil leak between the motor 
and transmission. I was a bit surprised because I've never seen any oil, never 
experienced any clutch slipage, and oil use is pretty much what it has always 
been. Also, I think 36k is more than a little bit young for this sort of 
problem. So I have some questions for the group:

1. The service guys say this is a serious repair that will require some 10 
hours of work and, if the clutch needs to be replaced, the whole package will 
be around $1200. Does this strike you as reasonable?

2. Given the relatively low mileage, should I be raising hell with BMW and ask 
them to chip-in on this? Of course, years-wise, the bike is long out of 
warranty. But I certainly think that rear seals should be good for more than 
36k.

3. As noted, I've experienced no clutch slipage to date, and want to continue 
to ride the bike putting off the repair for now. Is it safe to do this? I 
assume oil leaks of this type worsen over time. Does anyone know how much, how 
fast, etc.?

All advice is appreciated.

George Panichas
Easton, PA