NHTSA Complaint #10924990 — 2005 BMW K1200 S

ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 7TH I WAS RIDING MY 2005 BMW K1200S ON A ROUNDTRIP FROM LITTLE ROCK, AR TO PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN STATE PARK. APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES FROM HOME ON HWY 300 NEAR THE LITTLE ITALY TOWNSHIP I EXPERIENCED COMPLETE BRAKE/ABS FAILURE WHILE TRAIL BRAKING THROUGH A TURN. THIS IS A ROAD WITH SEVERAL STEEP AND TIGHT HAIRPIN TURNS AND VERY LIMITED/NON-EXISTENT RUNOFF ROOM. I RAN WIDE ON THE NEXT CORNER AND ENDED UP CROSSING THE DOUBLE YELLOW AND WAS NEARLY HIT BY AN ONCOMING CAR. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO USE THE GEARBOX TO DOWNSHIFT AND USED ENGINE BRAKING TO SLOW MY MOTORCYCLE DOWN TO A SAFE (ALREADY BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT) SPEED. I PULLED OVER ONCE I CAME TO A SHORT STRAIGHT SECTION OF HWY 300 THAT HAD A SHOULDER. I TURNED MY MOTORCYCLE OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON, BUT BRAKING POWER WAS NOT RESTORED. I CALLED A CLOSE FRIEND TO BRING A TRAILER AND WE TOWED MY MOTORCYCLE BACK TO MY GARAGE. I HAVE BEEN A RIDER FOR 30 YEARS AND HAVE OWNED MANY TYPES/BRANDS OF MOTORCYCLES. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER LOST BRAKING POWER ON ANY MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS UNSAFE AND UNACCEPTABLE. IT IS ALSO A SHAME BECAUSE THIS IS A HIGH-PERFORMANCE MOTORCYCLE SADDLED WITH AN INCREDIBLY UNSAFE BRAKING/ABS SYSTEM. I COULD NOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE SELL THIS MOTORCYCLE TO SOMEONE ELSE AT THIS POINT WITH THIS DESIGN FLAW IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I SHOULD NOTE THAT MY 2005 BMW K1200S WAS BOUGHT AT A BMW MOTORCYCLE DEALER IN BENTONVILLE, AR IN MARCH, 2016. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD 4,300 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. IT WAS SOLD ORIGINALLY/SERVICED BY THE SAME DEALER. THE MOTORCYCLE CURRENTLY HAS A TOTAL OF 5,800 MILES ON IT. I HAVE INCLUDED BELOW A PICTURE OF THE MOTORCYCLE IN THE CONDITION I BOUGHT IT BACK IN MARCH, 2016. AS YOU CAN SEE THIS WAS/IS NOT AN ABUSED MOTORCYCLE. I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHY BMW MOTORRAD USA HAS NOT INSTITUTED SOME SORT OF RECALL/BUY-BACK PROGRAM FOR THESE MOTORCYCLES.