2007 BMW K1200 S — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

FUEL WAS LEAKING EXCESSIVELY AT THE END OF 2.5 HR RIDE. REPAIR WAS COMPLETED BY BMW DEALER 3 DAYS LATER. THEY REPLACED THE PLASTIC PIECE THAT THREADS INTO BOTTOM OF FUEL TANK BECAUSE IT WAS CRACKED. I WAS CHARGED FOR THIS REPAIR BECAUSE IT WASN'T UNDER THE OTHER FUEL SYSTEM RECALL. TO HAVE A PLASTIC PIECE THAT IS PRONE TO BREAKAGE ABOVE SUCH A POWERFUL ENGINE IS NOT SAFE. *TR

I COULD SMELL A VERY SLIGHT HINT OF RAW FUEL, FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS A FOULED SPARK PLUG, SO I DECIDED TO LIMIT USE OF THE BIKE UNTIL I COULD GET THE PLUGS REPLACED. I WAS RIDING THE BIKE TO MY LOCAL STORAGE, LESS THAN 3 MILES WHEN I STOPPED AT THE GATE TO ENTER THE CODE I NOTICED THAT THE SMELL HAD BECOME VERY STRONG, I PULLED UP TO MY UNIT AND NOTICE A LARGE QUANTITY OF FLUID RUNNING OUT FROM INSIDE THE BIKE, AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS COOLANT THEN I REALIZED IT WAS FUEL AND SHUT THE BIKE DOWN. I CALLED THE BMW SERVICE CENTER AND THEY WERE AWARE OF AT LEAST TWO OTHER BIKES WITH A FUEL LEAK ISSUE, I STARTED TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE, I FOUND THAT A FEMALE QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING ONCE INSTALLED STARTS TO CRACK THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE. I HAVE REMOVED THE TANK AND FOUND SEVERE CRACKING AROUND THE QUICK DISCONNECT, AS IT TURNS OUT THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED DEFECT BY OTHER BMW K1200 S&R BIKE OWNERS ALSO IT SEEMS THAT BMW IS POSSIBLY AWARE OF THIS AND HAVE YET TO DO A RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN THAT I KNOW OF, MY REASONING FOR THIS IS THAT THEY (BMW) APPARENTLY HAVE STARTED TO REINFORCE THE OPENING FOR THAT FITTING WITH A METAL GUSSET TO PREVENT THE CRACKING AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THAT'S HOW THE REPLACEMENT PART COMES. I FEEL PRETTY LUCKY THAT THE UNIT DID NOT CATCH FIRE. I HAVE ORDERED NEW PARTS, TO THE TUNE OF $800.00 THAT INCLUDES A NEW HEAT SHIELD BECAUSE THE ONE ON THE BIKE IS SATURATED WITH FUEL. THE TANK SITS DIRECTLY ABOVE THE GENERATOR, THIS LEAK IS NOT STATIC IT HAPPENS WHEN THE UNIT IS UNDER POWER. *TR

I WAS PREPARING TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE AIRBOX, A PROBLEM THAT BMW STILL REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR EVEN THOUGH BMW HAS UPDATED THE PART IN LATER MODEL YEARS, THAT WAS CAUSING ERRATIC AND UNPREDICTABLE THROTTLE CONTROL WHICH MADE THE BIKE UNSAFE TO RIDE WHEN I NOTICED CRACKS IN THE FUEL TANK. THESE CRACKS ARE LEAKING FUEL ONTO THE MOTOR AND ALTERNATOR CREATING A FIRE HAZARD! I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS WOULD OF EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A FIRE THAT MOST LIKELY WOULD OF LEAD TO SEVERE BODILY HARM OR DEATH! IT APPEARS BMW IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM ALSO AS THEY HAVE UPDATED THIS PART AS WELL BUT HAVEN'T ISSUED A RECALL. ALL EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT BMW IS AWARE OF THESE INHERENT DESIGN FLAWS IN THIS MODEL MOTORCYCLE BUT REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL PUTTING THE PUBLIC AS RISK! I BELIEVE THE NHTSA NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION FORCING BMW TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THESE KNOWN ISSUES. *TR

I WAS PREPARING TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE AIRBOX, A PROBLEM THAT BMW STILL REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR EVEN THOUGH BMW HAS UPDATED THE PART IN LATER MODEL YEARS, THAT WAS CAUSING ERRATIC AND UNPREDICTABLE THROTTLE CONTROL WHICH MADE THE BIKE UNSAFE TO RIDE WHEN I NOTICED CRACKS IN THE FUEL TANK. THESE CRACKS ARE LEAKING FUEL ONTO THE MOTOR AND ALTERNATOR CREATING A FIRE HAZARD! I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS WOULD OF EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A FIRE THAT MOST LIKELY WOULD OF LEAD TO SEVERE BODILY HARM OR DEATH! IT APPEARS BMW IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM ALSO AS THEY HAVE UPDATED THIS PART AS WELL BUT HAVEN'T ISSUED A RECALL. ALL EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT BMW IS AWARE OF THESE INHERENT DESIGN FLAWS IN THIS MODEL MOTORCYCLE BUT REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL PUTTING THE PUBLIC AS RISK! I BELIEVE THE NHTSA NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION FORCING BMW TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THESE KNOWN ISSUES. *TR

THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS A STALLING ISSUE THAT OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. I CONSIDER IT VERY DANGEROUS AS THE VEHICLE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO START AFTER STALLING AND LEAVES THE OPERATOR VULNERABLE TO BE RUN DOWN FROM BEHIND. IT USUALLY OCCURS AS YOU PULL IN THE CLUTCH WHEN APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION TO STOP FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. *TR