2004 BMW R1150 RT Power Train Problems

THE REAR TIRE BECAME OIL COVERED AND SLICK BECAUSE OF A FAILED OIL SEAL IN THE FINAL DRIVE. THE OIL SEAL HAD FAILED AS RESULTS OF THE FINAL DRIVE BEARING FAILURE. THESE FAILURES CAUSED AN UNSAFE CONDITION AS THERE WAS EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT IN THE REAR WHEEL AND THE REAR TIRE WAS OIL SOAKED FROM THE SEAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE GAVE LITTLE ADVANCED WARNING AS ROAD AND TIRE NOISE CHANGES AND SOUND SIMILAR. I HAVE HAD TWO FINAL DRIVE FAILURES ON THE SAME MOTORCYCLE, THE FIRST 06/04/2006 AT 33,095 MILES AT 25 MPH AND THE SECOND 07/13/2012 AT 74,341 MILES AT 65 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1150RT MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FINAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE REAR END TO SEVERELY KNOCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL SPILLED OUT FROM THE VEHICLE AS WELL. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A 3-6 MONTH BACK ORDER ON THE PART THAT WAS NEEDED TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

FINAL DRIVE, CROWN GEAR BEARING FAILED. NO EARLY WARNING OF OIL LEAKAGE, JUST WENT SUDDENLY WHEN ON CROSS COUNTRY TRIP WHILE IN CO. FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL TO WOBBLE SIGNIFICANTLY, THE OIL SEAL TO FAIL AND REAR LUBE OIL LEAKED ALL OVER REAR WHEEL. (HAVE PICTURE) SAME FAILURE AS DESCRIBED IN ODI NO. 10439549, AND CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED UNDER CAMPAIGN DP12001. *KB

MOTORCYCLE FINAL DRIVE GEAR BEARING FAILURE. GEAR OIL LEAKING FROM FINAL DRIVE. *KB

FAILURE OF FINAL DRIVE CROWN GEAR BEARING. THE BEARING SHATTERED CAUSING THE SEAL TO BE DAMAGED WITH OIL LOSS. *KB

ON I-5 SOUTHBOUND IN BELLINGHAM WA, LEFT LANE AT 60MPH. UP SHIFTED TRANSMISSION AND HEARD GRINDING NOISE, ON CLUTCH RELEASE. MANAGED TO GET TO RIGHT ROAD SHOULDER AND PUSH BIKE TO NEXT EXIT. FOUND CLUTCH DISK SPLINES STRIPPED AND TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT SPLINES VERY WORN. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF PROBLEM UNTIL THE SPLINES STRIPPED. UPON RESEARCH OF THIS PROBLEM, FOUND IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM OF THE BMW R1150RT. *TR

LOST TRANSMISSION SPLINES AND CLUTCH DISK SPLINES GOING DOWN THE ROAD SHIFTING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. LOST ALL DRIVE TO REAR WHEEL AND HAD TO COAST TO SIDE OF ROAD, THANKFULLY TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT. *TR

THE WAS NO WARNING THAT A FAILURE WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR. I WAS TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED ON A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA GA WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. HAD I BEEN IN A MIDDLE LANE, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A LIFE ENDANGERING SITUATION. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE FAR LEFT LANE AND COASTED TO A STOP ON THE LEFT SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CLUTCH SPLINES OF DRIVE SYSTEM STRIPPED OUT AT 50,000 MILES. ACCORDING TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE, THESE FAILURES CAN OCCUR AS OFTEN AS EVERY 10-15K MILES BUT MOST FREQUENTLY AROUND 20-25K. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE WITH ABOUT 28K MILES AND SUSPECT THE PREVIOUS OWNER MAY HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. I DISASSEMBLED THE VEHICLE AND REPLACED THE CLUTCH PARTS AND THE TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS A COSTLY REPAIR EVEN THOUGH I DID MOST OF THE LABOR. TOTAL...

2004 BMW R1150RT FAILURE OF FINAL DRIVE BEARING. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, DENIED BY BMW, AND COULD CAUSE A POTENTIALLY FATAL CRASH IF IT LOCKED UP AT SPEED. OUT RACE FAILS, EVENTUALLY THE BEARING RETAINERS FAIL, AND BEARING COLLAPSES, POTENTIALLY LOCKING UP THE REAR WHEEL. *TR