NHTSA Complaint #10439696 — 2012 BMW R 1200 GS

BMW MOTORRAD USA CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES PO BOX 1227 WESTWOOD, NJ 07675-1227 DEAR SIR: I HAVE RECENTLY HAD A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE WITH MY NEW 2012 R1200GS ADVENTURE. I BROUGHT MY MOTORCYCLE TO MY DEALER FOR THE 600 MILE BREAK-IN SERVICE AND MENTIONED TO SERVICE MANAGER THAT I HAVE BEEN FEELING A WOBBLE THROUGH THE HANDLEBARS WHEN CORNERING AND WHEN DRIVING OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT. WHEN I ARRIVED TO PICK UP THE MOTORCYCLE THE DEALER WAS HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX THE WOBBLE. IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT FORWARD SUSPENSION NEEDLE BEARING IN THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT. I ASKED IF IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR A BEARING TO FAIL SO QUICKLY. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BEARING WAS NOT EVEN INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY, IT WAS MISSING FROM THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT! THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE WAS BEING SUPPORTED ONLY BY THE BEARING DUST CAP! THIS WAS CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL TO MOVE SIDE TO SIDE CAUSING THE INSTABILITY. MY DEALER, ADVENTURE BMW OF CHESAPEAKE VIRGINIA, DID A GREAT AND PROFESSIONAL JOB OF QUICKLY FINDING THE PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE ENTIRE FINAL DRIVE UNIT UNDER WARRANTY SINCE THE BEARING SURFACE WAS SEVERELY SCORED AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE MISSING NEEDLE BEARING. I ALSO CREDIT ADVENTURE BMW FOR THEIR EFFORTS AND WITH DIRECTLY PREVENTING A POSSIBLY LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENT IF THE BEARING DUST CAP HAD FAILED WHILE RIDING. I HAVE BEEN RIDING MOTORCYCLES SINCE 1974 WITH THE LAST 15 YEARS ON BMWS. I HAVE PUT OVER 100,000 MILES ON MY LAST 3 BMWS AND I AM AN EVERYDAY RIDER USING THE BMWS AS THE PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR MY TRANSPORTATION. I HAD CHOSEN BMW FOR THEIR QUALITY AND RELIABILITY BUT I AM NOW QUESTIONING MY DECISION AND YOUR MANUFACTURING QUALITY CONTROLS AND WONDER EVERY TIME I RIDE WHAT ELSE IS MISSING ON THE MOTORCYCLE, MAYBE ONE OF THE PISTON RINGS OR A CIRCLIP RETAINER IN THE TRANSMISSION.