NHTSA Complaint #10033225 — 2003 BMW R1200C

BMW MOTORCYCLES MODEL YEAR 2003 MODEL # R12CL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT WHEEL ALIGNMENT/TRACKING PROBLEM SECONDARY TO A DESIGN DEFECT. BMW ARGUES THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR THIS MODEL AND REFUSES TOI ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. *AK THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL MANDATED. FOLLOWING IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM AS I DESCRIBED AND CONFIRMED IT WITH BMW. 2003 BMW R12CL [XXX] HAS TRACKING TO THE RIGHT PROBLEMS WHICH HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED BY BMW MASTER TECHNICIAN [XXX] AT DEALER 2049. FRONT AND REAR WHEEL FRAME GEOMETRY AND TRACKING TO THE RIGHT. THIS MOTORCYCLE WAS NOTED BY MYSELF TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PULL OR TRACKING TO THE RIGHT SIDE DURING NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS EVALUATED FOR THIS PROBLEM BY BMW MASTER TECHNICIAN [XXX] ON JUNE 3 2003 AT DEALERSHIP 2049 AND HE DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM. THE UNIT HAD BEEN IN SERVICE FOR 578 MILES AT THIS TIME. REPAIR ORDER 44013 WAS GENERATED AT THIS TIME DOCUMENTING THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE ATTACHED THIS FOR YOUR REVIEW. SINCE THIS PROBLEM CAUSES RIDER FATIGUE FROM THE CONSTANT STEER PRESSURE THAT MUST BE APPLIED TO KEEP THE MOTORCYCLE TRACKING FOLLOWING THE ROAD IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE ALSO IT WILL CAUSE PREMATURE UNEVEN TIRE WEAR , IT MUST BE ADDRESSED NOW. SERVICE MANAGER LONG TOLD ME THAT HE HAD CONTACTED YOU TO DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND THAT YOU REPLIED  ALL BMW MOTORCYCLES TRACK TO THE RIGHT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR