NHTSA Complaint #759800 — 1998 BMW R1200C

LEAVING WORKPLACE, ABOUT 200 YARDS @ APPROX 35 MPH, FRONT LEFT TELESCOPE DISENGAGED AND SEPARATED FROM THE CROSSBAR MECHANISM. INSTANTLY THE HANDLEBARS TURNED RIGHT AND THE 'CYCLE COLLAPSED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE, PITCHING ME TO THE GROUND. THE CYCLE AND I SKIDDED TO A STOP, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGES.MOTORCYCLE HAD BEEN RECENTLY SERVICED UNDER BMW MANUFACTURER RECALL FOR A RELATED SUSPENSION COMPONENT THAT REQUIRED THE DISASSEMBLY AND RE-ASSEMBLY OF THE COMPONENT THAT FAILED. AGAINST MY FIRM REQUESTS THAT THE CROSSBAR NOT BE TAKEN APART UNTIL A BMW REPRESENTATIVE WAS PRESENT, THE DEALER (SALE AND SOLE SERVICER) PROCEEDED TO OPEN THE CROSSBAR. THE NUT THAT WAS TO HOLD THE TELESCOPE INTO THE CROSSBAR WAS PRESENT, HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, HE COULD NOT THREAD IT ONTO THE UPPER TELESCOPE BOLT. THE DEALER QUESTIONED THE MECHANIC WHO HAD WORKED ON THE RECALL WORK ORDER, AND SAID, "HE (THE MECHANIC) SAID, 'NO WAY HE DIDN'T TORQUE ALL THREE NUTS'..." (THE SERVICE MANUAL DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THIS NUT IS A "TORQUE COMPONENT" .. IE DOES NOT SPECIFY "TORQUE FORCE" TO BE USED.. (BEGGING THE QUESTION "HOW DOES THIS NUT 'LOCK'?" ... AND NO ONE HAS ANSWERED THIS QUESTION...) BMW DID NOT RESPOND TO CALLS UNTIL I ESCALATED THE ISSUE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE BMW WEST COAST REP WAS SENT DIGITIZED PHOTOS OF THE UNIT, AND APPARENTLY DENIED ANY BMW RESPONSIBILITY TO THE DEALER. WHEN I FINALLY SPOKE WITH THE BMW WEST COAST REP, HE INFORMED ME THAT THE DEALER HAD INSTRUCTED HIM NOT TO SPEAK WITH ME. THIS SITUATION WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN FATAL IF IT HAD OCCURED "PLUS OR MINUS" 1 MILE, AS I USE THIS VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORTATION ON CONGESTED FREEWAYS TO AND FROM WORK. NO EXPLANATION REGARDING THIS FAILURE HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO ME, THE SHOP SERVICE MANUAL DOES NOT INDICATE HOW THE TELESCOPE COMPONENTS "LOCK" IN PLACE. I FEAR THAT THE COMBINATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES, PRODUCT FEATURES, AND LACK OF SERVICE FAILSAFES MIGHT VERY WELL RESULT IN FUTURE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS.*AK