NHTSA Complaint #10543402 — 2007 BMW K1200 S

I COULD SMELL A VERY SLIGHT HINT OF RAW FUEL, FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS A FOULED SPARK PLUG, SO I DECIDED TO LIMIT USE OF THE BIKE UNTIL I COULD GET THE PLUGS REPLACED. I WAS RIDING THE BIKE TO MY LOCAL STORAGE, LESS THAN 3 MILES WHEN I STOPPED AT THE GATE TO ENTER THE CODE I NOTICED THAT THE SMELL HAD BECOME VERY STRONG, I PULLED UP TO MY UNIT AND NOTICE A LARGE QUANTITY OF FLUID RUNNING OUT FROM INSIDE THE BIKE, AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS COOLANT THEN I REALIZED IT WAS FUEL AND SHUT THE BIKE DOWN. I CALLED THE BMW SERVICE CENTER AND THEY WERE AWARE OF AT LEAST TWO OTHER BIKES WITH A FUEL LEAK ISSUE, I STARTED TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE, I FOUND THAT A FEMALE QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING ONCE INSTALLED STARTS TO CRACK THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE. I HAVE REMOVED THE TANK AND FOUND SEVERE CRACKING AROUND THE QUICK DISCONNECT, AS IT TURNS OUT THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED DEFECT BY OTHER BMW K1200 S&R BIKE OWNERS ALSO IT SEEMS THAT BMW IS POSSIBLY AWARE OF THIS AND HAVE YET TO DO A RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN THAT I KNOW OF, MY REASONING FOR THIS IS THAT THEY (BMW) APPARENTLY HAVE STARTED TO REINFORCE THE OPENING FOR THAT FITTING WITH A METAL GUSSET TO PREVENT THE CRACKING AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THAT'S HOW THE REPLACEMENT PART COMES. I FEEL PRETTY LUCKY THAT THE UNIT DID NOT CATCH FIRE. I HAVE ORDERED NEW PARTS, TO THE TUNE OF $800.00 THAT INCLUDES A NEW HEAT SHIELD BECAUSE THE ONE ON THE BIKE IS SATURATED WITH FUEL. THE TANK SITS DIRECTLY ABOVE THE GENERATOR, THIS LEAK IS NOT STATIC IT HAPPENS WHEN THE UNIT IS UNDER POWER. *TR