NHTSA Complaint #10536546 — 2010 BMW F650 GS

THREE INCIDENTS ON THE SAME DAY WITHIN 35 MILES. THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE WAS 95 DEGREES FOR THE FIRST INCIDENT, AND IN THE MID- 80S (WHILE GRADUALLY RISING IN ALTITUDE ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD) FOR THE 2ND AND 3RD. THE GAS TANK WAS HALF EMPTY-ABOUT 2 GALLONS REMAINING: 1ST INCIDENT) RODE THREE MILES ON A FLAT, PAVED ROAD. STOPPED AND TURNED OFF IGNITION TO DISABLE ABS AT START OF DIRT ROAD. BMW WOULD NOT RESTART FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. 2ND & 3RD INCIDENTS) 10 MILES LATER WHILE RIDING IN 2ND OR 3RD GEAR IN THE RANGE OF 20 - 30 MPH, THE BMW LOST ALL POWER AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART BMW AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES EACH TIME. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE: HAD THE ENGINE STOPPED WHILE TURNING A CORNER AT A BUSY INTERSECTION IN A CITY, THE MOTORCYCLE COULD FALL OVER WITHOUT POWER. ALSO, WITHOUT POWER, A RIDER MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER AWAY FROM TRAFFIC. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WELL REPORTED ON BMW OWNER AND RIDER FORUMS IN THE U.S., IN THE U.K. AND IN AUSTRALIA. BMW DEALERS HAVE SEEN CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS, YET THE DEALERS AND THE MANUFACTURER, BMW THROUGH ITS REGIONAL AND NATIONAL MANAGERS, DENY KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM. REPORTED FIXES HAVE INVOLVED FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT AND ELECTRONIC FUEL RE-MAPPING AT CUSTOMER COST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE A REQUIRED MANUFACTURER RE-CALL, REGARDLESS OF WARRANTY DATE. *TR