NHTSA Complaint #10725881 — 2006 BMW K1200 S

I WAS RIDING MY BMW MOTORCYCLE IN MEDIUM TRAFFIC AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AS I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT. THE MOTORCYCLE PRACTICALLY DID NOT HAVE BRAKES ANY AND I NEARLY CRASHED GOING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION TRYING TO STOP THE MOTORCYCLE. WHEN I FINALLY STOPPED THE MOTORCYCLE I NOTICED THAT THE THE BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. LATER I LEARNED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE (ABS) UNIT HAD FAILED ON THE MOTORCYCLE AND THAT THE ABS FAILURE IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THE 2005 AND 2006 BMW MOTORCYCLES. I ALSO LEARNED FROM THE DEALER THAT IN 2007 BMW CHANGED THE ABS SYSTEM MODULATOR BECAUSE THE 2005 AND 2006 WERE SO PRONE TO FAILURE; THAT WHEN IT FAILED THE BIKE LOST NEARLY ALL BRAKING PERFORMANCE; AND THAT THE NEW 2007 AND LATER SYSTEM PERMITTED THE BIKE TO HAVE NORMAL BRAKES, MINUS THE ABS FEATURE, IN THE EVENT OF THE ABS FAILURE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ABS SYSTEMS ON CARS HAVE A SAFETY FEATURE DESIGNED TO PERMIT NORMAL BRAKING IN THE EVENT THAT THE ABS FAILS, A FEATURE LACKING ON THE 2005 AND 2006 MOTORCYCLE. I ASKED BOTH THE DEALER AND AND BMW NORTH AMERICA TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BUT BOTH ADVISED ME THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND THAT BMW WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO REPAIR MY MOTORCYCLE. I BELIEVE THAT THE 2005 AND 2006 ABS SYSTEM ARE PATENTLY UNSAFE FOR THE ROADS BECAUSE WHEN THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED THE MOTORCYCLES BRAKING SYSTEM BECAME SO COMPROMISED THAT ONLY BY LUCK WAS I ABLE TO AVOID A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I HAVE CONDUCTED SOME RESEARCH AND THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET RELATED TO THE SYSTEM FAILING IN UNDER FOUR YEARS, RIDERS LOOSING MOST BRAKING PERFORMANCE WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILS, AND INCIDENTS WHERE THE THE BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILS. BECAUSE THE MOTORCYCLE CAN BE DEADLY WHEN THE ABS FAILS I BELIEVE THAT BMW SHOULD DO A RECALL ON THE BIKE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART....UPDATED 08/06/15 *BF UPDATED 10/25/2017*CN