NHTSA Complaint #10617881 — 2005 BMW K1200 S

RIDING APPROXIMATELY 45MPH AND APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT THAT TURNED YELLOW, I ATTEMPTED TO STOP USING THE HANDBRAKE. BRAKING WAS NEARLY NONEXISTENT AND IMMEDIATELY A RED WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ACCOMPANIED BY A BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT. THE FOOT BRAKE DID NOT FUNCTION AS WELL. AT THIS POINT THE LIGHT WAS TURNING RED AND I HAD NO CHANCE OF DOWNSHIFTING TO USE ENGINE BRAKING, SO MY ONLY HOPE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT WAS TO DOWNSHIFT AND PROCEED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. I HAD LOST ALL BRAKING ABILITY ON A MOTORCYCLE WHILE TRAVELING OVER 40MPH IN A HEAVY TRAFFIC AREA. ONLY BY PURE LUCK WAS THERE NO ACCIDENT. AFTER TRAILERING THE MOTORCYCLE HOME, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 2005-2007 BMW MOTORCYCLES THAT USE THE INTEGRAL ABS PRESSURE MODULATOR PART# 34517698296. IT IS SO COMMON THAT THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT ADVERTISE REBUILDING THAT PART, AND SCRAP YARDS ACKNOWLEDGE THE HIGH DEMAND FOR THIS PART AND ADVERTISE IT ON THEIR WEBSITES. SEARCHING "K1200 BRAKE FAILURE" YIELDS AN ASTOUNDING NUMBER OF FORUM POSTS WITH OWNERS EXPERIENCE ERRATIC BRAKING PROBLEMS. UNFORTUNATELY, BMW HAS NOT RECALLED OR REDESIGNED THIS PART, SO I HAVE TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART THAT POTENTIAL MIGHT FAIL AGAIN AND CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE SEVERE IMPLICATIONS OF BRAKE FAILURES ON ANY VEHICLE CANNOT BE UNDERMINED. THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE POSSIBLY HAS, AND LIKELY WILL CAUSE SEVERE AND/OR FATAL ACCIDENTS TO NOT ONLY THE MOTORCYCLE RIDER, BUT OTHERS. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT BMW REGARDING THIS MATTER, AND THEY HAVE YET TO COMMENT ON IT. I HAVE AN OPEN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THEM FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW, AND THEY HAVE NOT CONTACTED ME CONCERNING THIS ISSUE. THERE NEEDS TO BE A REDESIGN AND A RECALL OF THESE MOTORCYCLES IMMEDIATELY SO THIS PROBLEM MAY BE ADDRESSED. *TR