Bmw R1200 GS problems and owner complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW R1200 GS. WHILE CRUISING AT 40 MPH, THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. ALL OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS WERE STILL OPERABLE. THE CONTACT PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDEWALK. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED FOR ONLY TEN SECONDS AND WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT WATER LEAKED INSIDE THE FUEL MODULE CONTROLS AND CORRODED THE CABLES, WHICH PREVENTED A SIGNAL FROM REACHING THE FUEL PUMP. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V082000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP) WAS REFERENCED. THE POWERT…

Owner-reported narrative. 11,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10206360 at NHTSA ↗

DETECTED FUEL LEAKING FROM LEFT SIDE OF MOTORCYCLE. LEFT SHIN WAS COVERED IN GASOLINE. REMOVED SIDE COVERS AND DETECTED GAS SPRAYING FROM A PLASTIC GAS LINE CONNECTOR DIRECTLY ABOVE THE FUEL PUMP. 300 MILES FROM HOME AND THE NEAREST BMW DEALER. TIE WRAPPED GAS LINE TO STOP LEAKING. MANAGED TO RIDE THE MOTORCYCLE HOME. BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS SELECTED A METAL CONNECTOR AS A REPLACEMENT. I HAD AN 18,000 MILE CHECK-UP PERFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP IN JUNE 2011. NO RECALL BY BMW. MOTORCYCLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO I MUST PAY FOR …

Owner-reported narrative. 18,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10425962 at NHTSA ↗

RIDING THE BIKE SLOWLY (ABOUT 40 KPH) AND BRAKED HEAVILY. DISINTEGRATION OF REAR WHEEL CARRIER (FLANGE) ON BMW GS1200 (2004) . THIS BILLET ALUMINUM FLANGE IS THE SINGLE COMPONENT CONNECTING THE REAR WHEEL WITH THE MOTORCYCLE. AND ALSO THE BRAKE DISK. THE PART BROKE APART UNDER HEAVY BRAKING AND THE BRAKE DISK DETACHED, RESULTING IN NO REAR WHEEL BRAKING AND DAMAGE TO THE ABS UNIT. CRITICAL FAILURE WILL CERTAINLY RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. BMW AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN ADVISED AND OFFERED NO RECOURSE TO CORRECT RO ADVISE OTHER OWNERS. ABS MODU…

Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10376817 at NHTSA ↗

2005 BMW R1200GS. ABS OFF, BLINKING BRAKE FAILURE, ONLY RESIDUAL BRAKING. DEALER RESET THE ABS COMPUTER, BUT CAME BACK AFTER ONE WEEK, ONLY RESIDUAL BRAKING NOW, (REQUIRE EXTRA ORDINARY LEVER GRIP TO STOP) THIS IF NOT PREPARED TO STOP COULD CAUSE A CRASH, WHAT IS CAUSING THE ABS TO DEACTIVATE. NOW THE BRAKE LIGHT IS STUCK ON BRIGHT, NO ABS, RESIDUAL BRAKING, DEALER TOLD ME TO DRIVE IT IN, IS THAT SAFE? NO WORKING BRAKE LIGHT? BMW SHOULD INVESTIGATE PROBLEM AND CORRECT PROBLEM. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 2,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10161346 at NHTSA ↗

IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, I HAVE RIDDEN OVER 100,000 MILES ON SIX DIFFERENT BMW MOTORCYCLES, ALL PURCHASED NEW. I RIDE YEAR-ROUND AND HAVE ALWAYS USED AN ELECTRIC VEST TO AVOID HYPOTHERMIA. IN SEPTEMBER, 2005 I PURCHASED A NEW 2005 BMW R1200RT MOTORCYCLE. DURING A CROSS-COUNTRY RIDE IN MAY, 2006, MY NON-BMW BRAND ELECTRIC VEST FAILED TO FUNCTION DURING RAIN AND COLD TEMPERATURES ENCOUNTERED IN SOUTH DAKOTA. THE NEXT DAY, I EXPERIENCED UNUSUAL FATIGUE, WENT OFF THE ROAD IN KANSAS, TOTALED THE BIKE AND BROKE MY LEG. I SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND OUT BY REA…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,005 miles reported. Look up ODI 10160356 at NHTSA ↗

THE ABS UNIT FAILED AS WELL AS THE STOP LIGHT, HEADLIGHT, SPEEDO, ODOMETER, TURN SIGNAL CANCEL AND BATTERY. DEALER SAID THAT ITS ALL CAUSED BY THE ABS PUMP UNIT. AFTER A $200 DIAGNOSIS, ESTIMATE TO RE[PAIR IS $2500. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH BMW MOTORCYCLES. UNSAFE, NO WARNING OF FAILURE! TWICE THE DEALER HAS REPLACED BRAKE LINES TO THE ABS UNIT DUE TO RECALL BUT THIS HAS NOT ADDRESSED THE ROOT PROBLEM, THE ABS UNIT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 77,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10563505 at NHTSA ↗

MOTORCYCLE FAILED TO DOWNSHIFT ON RUGGED MOUNTAIN ROADWAY ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. SHIFTING REQUIRED STOPPING THE VEHICLE AND/OR DOUBLE CLUTCHING. PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS DRIVE SPLINE WITHOUT LUBRICATION. HAD THIS OCCURRED IN A BUSY AREA, THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE FATAL. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10208077 at NHTSA ↗

ENGINE REAR MAIN SEAL BEGAN LEAKING RIGHT AFTER WARRANTY PERIOD EXPIRED. THIS WAS SECOND MAJOR SEAL FAILURE, THE FIRST BEING TRANSMISSION OUTPUT SEAL. THE SEAL WAS REPLACED WITHIN A WEEK, BUT BEGAN LEAKING AGAIN ON THE TRIP BACK FROM THE REPAIR SHOP. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTORCYCLE AND USUALLY LEADS TO OIL CONTAMINATION ON THE CLUTCH, LEADING TO CLUTCH FAILURE. BMW REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE THIS DEBILITATING PROBLEM AND OFFERS NO AFTER-WARRANTY SUPPORT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10226877 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE SUDDENLY STALLED. IT WAS A SCARY MOMENT SINCE I NOTICED THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME SLAMMING THERE BRAKES, TRYING TO AVOID HITTING ME!. THE FUEL LIGHT WAS FLASHING AND WARNING (YELLOW TRIANGLE) ON. I CALLED MY BMW DEALER FOR REPAIR APPOINTMENT AND THE TECH. SAID THAT IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS MODELS WITH A FUEL SENSOR FAILURE AND IT'S NOT UNDER WARRANTY BY BMW. AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL BMW OWNERS AND READING SOME FORUMS, I LEARNED THAT THIS MODEL EQUIPPED WITH A FUEL SENSOR STRIP…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10595133 at NHTSA ↗

BMW MOTORCYCLES FUEL GAUGE WITH "ELECTRONIC FUEL STRIP" FAIL RESULTING IN SAME CONDITION AS THEIR CAR RECALL SHOWN BELOW! DANGEROUS CONDITION RESULTS. (POST 2010 MODELS CHANGED TO FLOAT TYPE SYSTEM). SUMMARY: BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN 2010 AND 2011 5-SERIES AND 5-SERIES GRAN TURISMO PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 12 THROUGH JULY 1, 2010. THE VEHICLE'S FUEL LEVEL SENSOR WITHIN THE FUEL TANK CAN BECOME WEDGED AGAINST THE TANK. CONSEQUENCE: IF THIS OCCURS, THE FUEL GAUGE IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WOULD DISPLAY A LARGER AMOUNT OF…

Owner-reported narrative. 19,404 miles reported. Look up ODI 10461180 at NHTSA ↗

UPON REPLACING REAR TIRE AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP, NOTICED A CRACKED REAR WHEEL FLANGE. THESE CRACKS APPEARED ON 4 OF 5 ATTACHMENT POINTS WHERE THE FLANGE BOLTS ONTO THE REAR DRIVE. THIS IS A PART THAT HOLDS THE WHEEL TO THE MOTORCYCLE. SPOKE TO BMW NA AND THEY DO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM AS INHERENT DEFECT, AND HAVE NOT RECALLED DESPITE HAVING REDESIGNED THE REPLACEMENT PART SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS (IMPLIED ADMISSION BY BMW OF THE INHERENT DEFECT DUE TO REDESIGN). THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE RELATED TO AN INHERENT DEFECT OF SAFETY CRITICA…

Owner-reported narrative. 62,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10643951 at NHTSA ↗

ON 17 AUGUST 2014 AT NEWCOMB'S RANCH IN THE ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST EAST OF LOS ANGELES AT APPROXIMATELY 10:15 AM I DISCOVERED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH DETENT MECHANISM HAD FAILED ON MY 2008 BMW R1200GS MOTORCYCLE. I WAS ABLE TO FREELY ROTATE THE IGNITION KEY BETWEEN ON AND OFF, SO THAT THE SLIGHTEST TORQUE FROM A KEY FOB OR WIND COULD TURN THE KEY TO OFF, WHICH WOULD SHUT THE ENGINE AND ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS OFF, PERHAPS UNEXPECTEDLY DURING OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILED IGNITION SWITCH DETENT CONDITION APPARENTLY OCCURRED DURING MY ONE…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10630849 at NHTSA ↗