NHTSA Complaint #10550651 — 2006 BMW R 1200 RT

SOMETIME BEFORE 04/23/09 (MAYBE A MONTH) THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD STAY ON UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON THE BRAKES WORKED BUT IT WAS ALL OR NOTHING. JUST TOUCHING THE BRAKES WOULD LOCK THEM UP, BOTH FRONT AND REAR SINCE THE HAND BRAKE OPERATES BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. SINCE MY COMMUTE RIDES WERE 12 MILES, I ONLY EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM 2 OR 3 TIMES PRIOR TO TAKING THE MOTORCYCLE INTO BMW MOTORCYCLES OF VENTURA COUNTY FOR SERVICE. ON 04/23/09 I TOOK THE BIKE IN FOR SERVICE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE BRAKE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY VOLTAGE WAS LOW AND SHOWED 12.52 VDC AND SHOULD BE MINIMUM OF 12.6 VDC. THE DEALER CHARGED THE BATTERY. ALSO, THEY BLED THE BRAKE SYSTEM TO THE TUNE OF $241.20. THE BRAKE PROBLEM CONTINUED BUT WOULD ONLY RESURFACE ABOUT TWICE A MONTH AND I WAS THINKING THIS WAS BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS RUNNING OUT OF JUICE AND CAUSING THE ABS TO MALFUNCTION. I BOUGHT A DIGITAL BATTERY TENDER AND KEPT THE BATTERY FULLY CHARGED. I STOPPED COMMUTING ON THE BIKE AND ONLY USED IT FOR 30 TO 40 MILE RIDES BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE ABS LIGHT COMING ON CONTINUED AND WHEN USING THE HAND BRAKE THE BRAKES WOULD AGAIN LOCK UP, IT WAS ALL OR NOTHING. ALTHOUGH, IF I SIMPLY USED THE FOOT BRAKE THAT ONLY OPERATES THE REAR BRAKE THE BIKE WOULD COME TO A SAFE STOP WITH NO LOCK UP. NOW THE BIKE HAS 20,599 MILES ON IT AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP, "BMW MOTORCYCLES OF VENTURA COUNTY, 830 TOURMAILINE DRIVE, NEWBURY PARK, CA. 91320...PHONE 805 499-3770 SINCE 10/17/13 AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE/REPAIR THE BRAKE MALFUNCTION. I HAVE PHONED BMW CUSTOMERS RELATIONS BUT WAS TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT PERSONS THAT IT IS REALLY A DEALER PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM SHOWED UP BEFORE THE MOTORCYCLE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE BRAKES AND BMW WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR. *TR