1998 BMW K1200RS — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

(NOTE THAT THE INCIDENT DATE AND FAILURE MILEAGE REPORTED ARE APPROXIMATE.) WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE TWO ABS WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH PANEL FLASHED ALTERNATELY AS THEY NORMALLY DO UPON ENGINE START-UP, BUT DID NOT STOP FLASHING ONCE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS UNDERWAY AS THEY NORMALLY SHOULD DO, WHICH INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAVE MY MOTORCYCLE SERVICED, A TECHNICIAN RAN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND IDENTIFIED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED ABS MODULATOR. I WAS QUOTED $2200 FOR A REPLACEMENT ABS MODULATOR AND ABOUT $2300 IN LABOR FOR THE REPAIR, TOGETHER TOTALING THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT VALUE OF THE MOTORCYCLE! VIA HARD APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES I FOUND THAT I COULD LOCK EITHER THE FRONT OR BACK WHEEL, THUS CONFIRMING THAT THE ABS SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE. SINCE THE ONSET OF THE ABS FAILURE I'VE BEEN RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE BUT I'M MINDFUL THAT THE BRAKES NO LONGER HAVE THE ANTILOCK FUNCTION. SEVERAL BMW MOTORCYCLE-RELATED ONLINE FORUMS REPORT INSTANCES OF ABS MODULATOR FAILURES OCCURRING ON THE SAME MODEL AND ON DIFFERENT MODELS OF BMW MOTORCYCLES. I'M FILING THIS REPORT BECAUSE APPARENTLY MINE IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM AND BECAUSE THE COST TO THE OWNER OF REPAIRING AN IMPORTANT SAFETY-RELATED SYSTEM IS UNREASONABLE. *TR

RECALL 14401 FROM OCT. 14, 1988. THIS VEHICLE WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY IN 2001 UNDER THIS RECALL. IT FAILED AGAIN RECENTLY AND FUEL STARTED LEAKING. THE PARTS TO DO THE REMEDY ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE PER MY DEALER. THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE IS TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK AND RELATED COMPONENTS WITH A STYLE THAT BMW DEVELOPED TO SOLVE THIS SAFETY ISSUE. MY DEALER CALLED BMW NA SERVICE TWICE AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NO LONGER SUPPORT FOR SOLVING THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND GOT THE SAME REPLY...NO CURRENT RECALL. BMW NA IS NOT WILLING TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY TO SOLVE A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED WITH A TRANSMISSION THAT REFUSED, AT TIMES TO SHIFT UPWARDS TO HIGHER GEARS. USUALLY THIS OCCURED IN COLDER WEATHER AND AFTER BEING RIDDEN FOR SOME DISTANCE BEFORE A BRIEF PERIOD OF COOLING OCCURRED TRIGGERING THE PROBLEM. WARRANTEE REPLACEMENT WAS DENIED BECAUSE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY COULDN'T CAUSE IT TO HAPPEN AS I'VE DESCRIBED. CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER OWNERS CONVINCES ME THIS HAS BEEN COMMON AND LIKEWISE DENIED TO THESE OTHER OWNERS. MOMENTARY LOSS OF ATTENTION DURING A STICKING EPISODE COULD PROVE FATAL, AND I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT FRAN CRANE ANDREWS WHO DIED EARLIER THIS YEAR IN SALT LAKE CITY MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED SUCH A PROBLEM CAUSING HER TO RUN OFF THE ROAD AND RECEIVE INJURIES LEADING TO HER DEATH. I HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT THE COST STATED ABOVE BUT BELIEVE REIMBURSEMENT IS WARRANTED. *AK

MOTORCYCLE HAD THE ORIGINAL AND REPLACED GAS TANKS DEVELOP LEAKS. ABOUT ONE GALLON PER HOUR. NO ACCIDENT, BUT CLOSE. ALMOST CAUGHT FIRE.

MOTORCYCLE PARKED IN 90 DEGREE GARARE AFTER RIDE. ONE HALF HOUR LATER GAS PUDDLE 3' IN DIAMETER UNDER BIKE DRIPPING FROM TANK ONTO HOT ENGINE THEN HOT EXHAUST AND GARAGE FILLED WITH VAPORS. NO SMELL OF FUEL WHEN PARKING, SUDDEN FAILURE.