NHTSA Complaint #10411089 — 2002 BMW R SERIES

EARLIER IN THE WEEK THE ABS FAILURE LIGHTS CAME ON AND THEN THE BRAKES STOPPED WORKING EFFECTIVELY. THERE IS A BACKUP "RESIDUAL BRAKING" OF ABOUT 15%. I SURVIVED BECAUSE I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC AND DID NOT NEED A SERIOUS STOP. I HAD IT "FIXED" AT THE DEALER ON SATURDAY. THE LIGHTS WERE OUT AND THE BRAKES WORKED FOR ABOUT 4 ON OFF CYCLES. THEN THEY FAILED AGAIN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. IT HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT SINCE. I THEN RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND IT IS RAMPANT. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED. MOTORCYCLES HAVE CRASHED OVER AND OVER. BMW IGNORES IT AND WANTS OVER $2,400 FOR THE PART REPLACEMENT ALONE. BUT THE DESIGN IS UNSAFE! WHEN THE ABS FAILS IT SHOULD GIVE FULL NORMAL BRAKING POWER. IT DOES NOT. MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE KILLED BY THESE SYSTEMS. BMW CLAIMS TO HAVE TESTED THE RESIDUAL BRAKING AND FOUND IT SAFE. THEY ARE LYING! NO ONE COULD SURVIVE AN EMERGENCY STOP EXPECTING NORMAL FUNCTION AND GETTING ONLY 15% WITH A TEN TIMES HARDER BRAKING EFFORT. FURTHER SOMETIMES THE FAILURES CAUSE THE BRAKES TO LOCK AND THE MOTORCYCLE TO CRASH. THEY SHOULD AT LEAST OFFER FREE REMOVAL OF THIS SYSTEM. IT CAN BE DONE AND MAKE THE MACHINES SAFE.