NHTSA Complaint #10025802 — 2002 BMW K1200LT

THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT A BMW K1200LTS: IT IS TOP HEAVY AND WILL GET AWAY FROM THE OPERATOR AND ROLL OVER (STANDING STILL OR DURING A VERY SLOW MANEUVER): IN SHORT IF IT EXCEEDS ITS VIRTICAL BALANCE IT WILL FLOP OVER SLAMING THE OPERATOR ONTO THE PAVEMENT. *AK . I CALLED NORMAND BRODEUR, (MANAGER DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAM, UNDER STATE OF MAINE, SECRETARY OF STATE, BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES) AND ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW ABOUT THIS MOTORCYCLE AND HE TOLD ME HE'D OPERATED ONE AND THAT THEY ARE "TOP-HEAVY". HE KINDLY SENT ME A WORK BOOK THAT COMPLIMENTED ANOTHER BOOK I'D BOUGHT ON MY OWN TO CHECK MYSELF ON OPERATING TECHNIQUE (MOTORCYCLING EXCELLENCE AND HIS A WORKBOOK THAT GOES WITH IT, WITH A MOTORCYCLE SKILL TEST PRACTICE GUIDE ALL PUBLISHED BY THE MOTORCYCLE FOUNDATION). I PERFORMED THE SKILL TEST PRACTICE GUIDE AND HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE OPERATIONS. OF COURSE I WAS MOVING BETWEEN 10 AND 20 MPH. POOR ENGINEERING: THE K1200LTS IS NOT ONLY TOP HEAVY, THE 'V' SHAPED HANDLE BARS, WHICH REACH BACK ABOUT 20 INCHES FROM THE STEERING POST, GIVE THE OPERATOR NO ABILITY TO APPLY FORCE WHICH WOULD HELP TO STABILIZE A SLOW MOVING OR STANDING BIKE WHEN IT STARTS GOING OFF BALANCE; IN FACT THE FRONT WHEEL, ONCE THE BIKE HAS REACHED A CERTAIN POINT IN THE FALL, TURNS DUE TO FRICTION WITH THE ROAD SURFACE AND LITERALLY RIPS THE HANDLE-GRIPS OUT OF THE OPERATORS HANDS. NOT ONLY THAT. THE FRONT WHEEL ALSO ROLLS--NO 'ZIPS' AS IF IT WERE ON ICE-- OUT FROM UNDER THE MOTORCYCLE MAKING THE OPERATOR'S TRIP TO THE PAVEMENT VERY ABRUPT AND POSSIBLY VERY INJURIOUS. . . CONCLUSION: BMW MANUFACTURED A K1200 (LTS) MODEL IN 2002 THAT IT KNEW WAS TOP HEAVY AND DIFFICULT TO HANDLE AT LOW SPEEDS EVEN FOR AN EXPERIENCED OPERATOR. AND, THE K1200LTS IS DESIGNED, SUPPOSIDLY, FOR TRANSPORTING TWO PEOPLE AND SOME TRAVELING GEAR. JOHN R. MILLER