Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
WITH REFERENCE TO COMPLAINT NUMBER 10630065 FILED ON 2 SEPTEMBER 2014, THE FOLLOWING IS ADDED: WHEN THE DEFECTIVE ABS PUMP ON THESE BMW MOTORCYCLES IS REPLACED BY DEALERS, THE NEW PUMPS SUPPLIED ARE NO BETTER THAN THE ONES IT REPLACES AND PRONE TO THE SAME FAILURES. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR
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 A CRASH AND PERSONAL INJURY UP TO AND INCLUDING RIDER/PASSENGER DEATH. THE COMPANY SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THE AFFECTED BIKES (1997-PRESENT MODEL) TO INSPECT AND REPAIR THESE VERY EXPENSIVE, FAILURE PRONE BRAKE SYSTEMS WITHOUT COST TO THE OWNERS. UPDATED 10/22/14. *JB UPDATED 12/15/14. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE OF THE ABS MODULE LEAVES THE MOTORCYCLE WITH MINIMAL TO NO BRAKING ABILITY. UPDATED 09/28/15.
FINAL DRIVE CROWN BEARING WORE PREMATURELY AND CAUSED THE REAR WHEEL TO MAKE NOISE AND WOBBLE SLIGHTLY WHEN RIDDEN. COULD HAVE BECOME A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION IF I HAD NOT BEEN ATTENTIVE TO EXACTLY HOW THE BIKE WAS SOUNDING AND ACTING.
THE OE PART IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND ACCORDING TO INTERNET SEARCH THEY ARE PRONE TO BREAKING WITH AGE. MINE BEGAN SPILLING FUEL ON THE HOT ENGINE. I HAVE ORDERED A METAL REPLACEMENT! THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM SINCE GASOLINE WAS ALSO SPRAYED ON MY LEG AND BOOT AND ANY IGNITION SOURCE COULD HAVE SET ME AND THE CYCLE ON FIRE. *JS
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 MOTORCYCLE LUCKILY AT LOW SPEED AND NO REAL INJURY BUT IT HAS HAPPENED AT HIGHER SPEED WHILE ANTICIPATING A PROBLEM AND WAS ABLE TO COUNTER CONTROL BIKE TO KEEP IT UP AND OTHER TIMES THE BIKE WOULD HAVE NO BRAKES AT ALL. *TR
FINAL DRIVE UNIT, CROWN GEAR OUTER BEARING FAILURE. FOUND DURING INSPECTION DURING SERVICE. *KB
6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.