NHTSA Complaint #10901918 — 2006 BMW K1200 S

WHILE RIDING MY BMW MOTORCYCLE IN LIGHT TRAFFIC, THE BREAK FAILURE LIGHT CAME UP. AS I APPLIED THE BREKAS, THE MOTORCYCLE PRACTICALLY DID NOT HAVE BRAKES. I MANAGED TO STOP. I BROUGHT THE BIKE TO A BMW MECHANIC AND LEARNED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE (ABS) UNIT HAD FAILED. THIS FAILURE IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THE 2005 AND 2006 BMW MOTORCYCLES. I HAVE ALSO FIND OUT THAT IN 2007 BMW CHANGED THE ABS SYSTEM MODULATOR BECAUSE THE 2005 AND 2006 PERFORMANCE WHEN FAILING, YOU PRACTICALLY LOST ALL BRAKE PERFORMANCE. THE NEW 2007 SYSTEM ALLOWED THE BIKE'S BRAKES TO WORK, MINUS THE ABS FEATURE, IN THE EVENT OF THE ABS FAILURE. I REACHED OUT TO BMW NORTH AMERICA, TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT MY DISAPPOINTMENT, WHILE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, I REALIZED THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE KILLED ME, GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPAIR THE FAILURE, BUT WAS BMW NORTH AMERICA GAVE ME STANDARD REPLIES: "THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED" AND OVER THE PHONE SAID THEY WILL NOT BE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE ABS SYSTEM IS UNSAFE BY DESIGN FOR 2005 AND 2006 K1200S BIKES, BECAUSE WHEN THE ABS SYSTEM FAILS THE BRAKING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE DIMINISHES TO THE POINT OF PRACTICALLY NO BRAKES. I'M LUCKY THIS DID NOT HAPPENED WHILE DOING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WITH 167 HP, THIS BIKE CAN BE DEADLY WHEN THE ABS FAILS. BMW SHOULD FIX THIS ABS MODULATOR FLAW.