NHTSA Complaint #10208084 — 1998 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE

THREE HUNDRED MILES FROM HOME A GRINDING SOUND STARTED BEING AUDIBLE FROM THE REAR OF THE BIKE. I STOPPED AFTER IT CONTINUED AND FAILED TO SEE ANYTHING WRONG. THE WHEEL AND TIRE WERE DRY AND NO APPARENT LEAKS ANYWHERE. I CONTINUED AND THE GRINDING BECAME LOUDER. I STOPPED AND LOOKED AND THIS TIME SEEN A FEW SPOTS OF OIL ON THE REAR WHEEL. CONTINUED INVESTIGATION SHOWED GEAR OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS STILL VISIBLE. I CONTINUED A SHORT WAY AND THE SOUND BECAME MUCH LOUDER AND THE REAR OF THE BIKE BEGAN TO SWAY SIDE TO SIDE. I MANAGED TO STOP JUST AS THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP. I DISMOUNTED AND LOOKED AT THE REAR WHEEL. IT WAS NOW COVERED IN OIL. I UNLOADED THE LUGGAGE FROM THE CYCLE AND PLACED THE CYCLE ON THE CENTER STAND. THE REAR WHEEL WAS SO LOOSE THAT THE REAR BRAKE ROTOR GOUGED THE BRAKE CALIPER FROM THE SIDEWAYS MOVEMENT OF THE WHEEL. AT THIS POINT I WAS STRANDED. I CALLED THE NEAREST BMW DEALER AND HE STATED HE HAD NO TIME TO HELP ME. IT WAS FRIDAY AND HE TOLD ME TO CALL HIM TUESDAY IF I WAS STILL AROUND. I CALLED AN INDEPENDENT SHOP. AFTER SOME HOURS HE ARRIVED AND WE HAD THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL APART. THE CROWN BEARING CAGE HAD COMPLETELY, AND TOTALLY FAILED. THE RACES WERE DAMAGED, THE REAR BRAKE ROTOR, CALIPER AND PADS AND ABS SENSOR WERE DESTROYED. THE INDEPENDENT SHOP HAD PARTS IN STOCK, EXCEPT THE ABS SENSOR, AS HE HAD REPLACED/REPAIRED MANY OF THESE. HE REBUILT MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL OVER NIGHT AND THE NEXT NOON I WAS ON MY WAY. ALTHOUGH MY CYCLE ONLY HAD 27,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE, THE BIKE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY TIME WISE. THE COST OF THE PARTS AND LABOR WERE PAID BY ME. IT HAS BEEN AWHILE BUT, I THINK I HAVE SOME OF THE DAMAGED PARTS. *TR