NHTSA Complaint #11310014 — 2008 BMW F 800 ST

WHILE RIDING MY BMW F800ST ON A LONG ROAD TRIP, I NOTICED A LOUD SQUEAKING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR WHEEL. MY DRIVE BELT ALSO SEEMED TO BE SHIFTING OUT FROM THE WHEEL. AT THE TIME I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT WHEN I RETURNED HOME FROM MY TRIP, I RESEARCHED TO FIND THERE WAS A REAR BEARING RECALL 13V-549 FOR 2007-2009 BMW F800ST. MY MECHANIC VERIFIED THE PROBLEM WAS THE REAR WHEEL BEARING PREMATURELY WEARING OUT. I ONLY HAVE 22K MILES ON THIS MOTORCYCLE, SO IT'S OBVIOUSLY PREMATURE WEAR. THE BEARING COSTED ME $965 FROM BMW DEALER PLUS $480 LABOR COST AND $82 IN TAX. I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS WHO TOLD ME MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T PART OF THE RECALL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE BEARING WORE OUT PREMATURELY, AND HOW THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE CERTAIN MODELS WHERE THEY USED DIFFERENT BEARINGS, OR INSTALLED IT DIFFERENTLY THAT IT WOULD NOT PREMATURELY WEAR. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CONSIDER MY REQUEST FOR RE-REVIEW. THAT WAS 3 MONTHS AGO, AND I DIDN'T HEAR BACK FROM BMW AT ALL. WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, I COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT HAD IT FAILED ON MY RIDE HOME.