Bmw K1200 GT problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
61 owner complaints analyzed
6 distinct recall campaigns
14,800 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 to 2008 model years. Data snapshot: . 59 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 12 of 61 complaints (19.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 22 | 36.1% |
| Engine operation | 5 | 8.2% |
| Transmission and shifting | 3 | 4.9% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 3.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 12 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 7 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 6 |
| Power Train | 5 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 |
| Electrical System | 4 |
Service Brakes: 12; Fuel System, Gasoline: 9; Fuel/Propulsion System: 7; Engine And Engine Cooling: 6; Power Train: 5; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 5; Vehicle Speed Control: 5; Electrical System: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 40 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 15 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 2 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 40; 25,000 to 49,999: 15; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (40). 2 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 10 |
| 2008 | 9 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 9 |
| 2013 | 7 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
2007: 10; 2008: 9; 2009: 3; 2010: 3; 2011: 4; 2012: 9; 2013: 7; 2014: 6; 2015: 3; 2016: 4; 2017: 1; 2018: 1; 2019: 1
Pattern summary
Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 22 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 5 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10456011 · 2012-04-22 (April 22, 2012)
FAILED OF POWER BRAKE ASSIST, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AMONG FORUM MEMBERS IN NUMBERS THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT THIS ISSUE IS FAR MORE THAN AN ISOLATED ISSUE IN MULTIPLE FORUMS FOR BMW MOTORCYCLES. DEALERS HAVE NOT INDICATED ANY SAFETY RECALLS OR ADMIT TO ANY PROBLEMS. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT THE POWER ASSIST BRAKES MAY FAIL AT ANYTIME OR WILL ACTIVATE AT ANY TIME WHILE USING THE BRAKES UNDER NON ASSIST CONDITIONS AND ACTIVATING IN THE MIDDLE OF A BRAKE ACTIVATION CAUSING WHEEL LOCK UP AND NO CONTROL OF MOTORCYCLE. THIS RESULTED IN A DUMP OF MOTORCY…
Owner-reported narrative. 99,653 miles reported. Look up ODI 10456011 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10630065 · 2014-09-02 (September 2, 2014)
AT A SPEED OF 50 MPH, I APPLIED BOTH FRONT AND REAR POWER ASSISTED BRAKES AND THE REAR BRAKE DID NOT WORK. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW USING THE FRONT BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING A CAR IN FRONT OF ME. A MASTER CAUTION LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS A RAPIDLY BLINKING BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT. THIS IS A KNOWN AND VERY EXPENSIVE FAILURE ON ALL BMW MOTORCYCLES COSTING UP TO $3000 TO REPAIR AT A DEALER. WHEN REPAIRED, THESE BRAKE SYSTEMS ARE STILL SUBJECT TO FAIL WITHOUT WARNING IN THE SAME MANNER AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THIS HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE RISK OF…
Owner-reported narrative. 14,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10630065 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10482543 · 2012-10-29 (October 29, 2012)
THIS K1200GT, 2006 MODEL YEAR, HAS BEEN STALLING AT SPEEDS >50MPH. MANY TIMES, THE STALLS OCCUR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS 70-80MPH WITH SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED DECELERATION, AND LOSS OF BRAKES (THEY ARE POWER ASSISTED BY THE MOTOR). MANY OCCURRENCES HAVE RESULTED IN NEAR MISSES IN REGARDS TO ACCIDENTS. INITIAL FINDINGS BE A REPAIRING DEALER INDICATED THAT IT WAS INCOMPATIBLE FUEL TYPE (IE FUELS CONTAINING ETHANOL, WATER IN FUEL, ETC) BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES AFTER SWITCHING FUEL GRADES AND STATIONS. PROBLEM SEEMS TO EXIST OR APPEARS MORE RAMPANTLY WHEN AMB…
Owner-reported narrative. 26,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10482543 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10255183 · 2009-01-15 (January 15, 2009)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW K1200 GT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IDLES HIGHLY. THE RPM'S WILL REMAIN IN A HIGH POSITION FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT ANY THROTTLE INPUT. THE ENGINE HAS ALSO STALLED AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE TRAVELING BETWEEN 45-65 MPH. THE VEHICLE ALSO ACCELERATES AND DECELERATES VERY RAPIDLY, WHICH CAUSES AN UNSTABLE REAR OR FRONT RIDE, DEPENDING ON THE SPEED AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED NUMEROUS TIMES BY DIFFERENT DEALERS AND THEY RESET THE CPU; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE.…
Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10255183 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10201186 · 2007-08-29 (August 29, 2007)
IDLE IS ERRATIC. BIKES IDLE JUMPS RANDOMLY AND HANGS UP AT A HIGH RPM AT IDLE OR WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS. BIKE HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR FIVE TIMES NOW. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE AIRBOX AND UPDATED SOFTWARE TO NO AVAIL. BIKE IS UNSAFE TO RIDE IN THIS CONDITION. PROBLEM IS MORE PRONOUNCED AT HIGHER AMBIENT TEMPS. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10201186 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10239820 · 2008-08-26 (August 26, 2008)
THE FAILURE ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN THE BIKE HAS BEEN RIDDEN FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR. AT THAT POINT THE ENGINE WILL NOT RETURN TO IDLE AFTER THE THROTTLE IS RELEASED (IT FEELS LIKE TURNING ON THE CRUISE CONTROL). THIS FAILURE WILL OCCUR BOTH WITH THE BIKE IN GEAR MOVING AND WHILE STOPPED. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE FIRST OCCURS AGAIN AFTER RIDING FOR MORE THAN ONE HOUR. WHEN DOWN SHIFTING WITHOUT ANY APPLICATION OF THROTTLE THE BIKE WILL FIRST ACCELERATE THEN START TO SLOW DOWN. THE BIKE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR TWO ATTEM…
Owner-reported narrative. 4,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10239820 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10512411 · 2013-05-16 (May 16, 2013)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW K1200GT MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NOT A VISIBLE FUEL LEAK, HE DETECTED A FUEL LEAK AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10512411 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10444786 · 2012-01-22 (January 22, 2012)
CRACKS DEVELOPED IN THE PLASTIC FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY ON MY MOTORCYCLE. I STARTED SMELLING RAW FUEL IN MY GARAGE. I PULLED THE PANEL AND THEN THE TANK SEEKING THE SOURCE OF THE FUEL SMELL AND FOUND RAW FUEL WAS SPRAYING IN A MIST THROUGH CRACKS THAT FORMED IN THE BASE OF THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. SPECIFICALLY, THE CRACKS FORMED WHERE THE FEMALE SIDE OF THE QUICK DISCONNECT SCREWS INTO THE PUMP ASSEMBLY. A FINE FUEL MIST IS PRESENT WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED ON AND THE FUEL LINES ARE PRESSURIZED. IN MY VIEW, THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION, GIVEN THAT …
Owner-reported narrative. 37,155 miles reported. Look up ODI 10444786 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 4 |
2003: 0; 2004: 0; 2005: 3; 2006: 3; 2007: 4; 2008: 4