NHTSA Complaint #10550138 — 2006 BMW R1200 RT

I SMELLED FUEL (ON AND OFF) ON THE HIGHWAY ON THE WAY TO WORK. WHEN I CAME TO MY PARKING SPACE, THEN I REALLY SMELLED IT. WHEN I LEANED THE BIKE TO PUT IS ON THE SIDE STAND SOME FUEL DRIPPED OUT FROM UNDER THE COWLING, RIGHT BY THE EXHAUST PIPE. AFTER WORK, IN THE PARKING LOT, I DISASSEMBLED THE COWLING AND FOUND THAT THE BASE OF THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY PACKAGE WHERE THE FUEL LINE CONNECTOR FITTING GOES INTO, WAS CRACKED, (NOT ENOUGH PLASTIC AROUND THE FITTING). I CALLED THE DEALER AND HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO, AND WAS TOLD THE PART WAS $550 BECAUSE IT INCLUDED THE FUEL PUMP (WHICH I DON'T NEED). I DECIDED THAT I WOULD NOT BUY ANOTHER DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED PIECE, SO I GOT A CLAMP AND PUT IT OVER THE CRACKED PART, AND EPOXIED IT. MAKING IT A BETTER DESIGN. THE NEXT DAY, I ALSO WAS TOLD THAT THE NEW PIECE FROM BMW HAS THE SAME SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM, A STEEL BAND. I DON'T KNOW IF THEIRS IS STAINLESS STEEL LIKE MINE. AT FIRST, I WOULD HAVE SETTLED FOR JUST THE PART I NEEDED, BUT TO BE SOLD THE SAME CRAP PLUS A PART I DIDN'T NEED, I WASN'T GOING TO DO IT. AT THE URGING OF ANOTHER DEALER I CALLED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T CARE ABOUT MY PROBLEM, IN A PROFESSIONAL WAY OF COARSE. I TRY NOT TO PANIC ABOUT SAFETY ISSUES (I AM AN INSPECTOR OF EQUIPMENT IN ANOTHER LINE OF WORK). HOWEVER, THEIR LACK OF CORRECTIVE BACKING OF A BADLY DESIGNED PART CAUSED ME TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT. IT IS AT IT'S CORE A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR