2005 BMW R1200 RT Power Train Problems

DRIVE SHAFT U-JOINT FAILURE RIDING ON INTERSTATE 5. BIKE STARTED TO VIBRATE AND WHEN CLUTCH WAS DEPRESSED, VIBRATION STOPPED. RELEASED CLUTCH AND VIBRATION STARTED AGAIN. DEPRESSED CLUTCH AGAIN AND PULLED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE DRIVE SHAFT LOCKED UP. PULLED BACK REAR BOOT ON FINAL DRIVE AND THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE SWING ARM SHAFT. BMW DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILED U-JOINT BUT COULD NOT REPAIR UNLESS THEY REMOVED TRANSMISSION TO REMOVE U-JOINT STUCK ON TRANSMISSION SPLINE. PRICE FOR DRIVE SHAFT ALONE WAS $1,100 DOLLARS PLUS LABOR TO REMOVE TRANSMISSION.

UPON RETURNING HOME FROM A RIDE ON MY 2005 BMW R1200RT MOTORCYCLE, I ATTEMPTED TO LOWER MY SIDE STAND AND NOTICED THAT THE CENTER STAND ASSEMBLY WAS DANGLING BY MERELY A RETRACTION SPRING. FORTUNATELY, IT HAD NOT COME COMPLETELY UNDONE AND BECOME ENTANGLED IN THE REAR WHEEL, WHICH WOULD MOST CERTAINLY HAVE CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE CRASH. BOTH BOLTS THAT HOLD THIS ITEM TO THE BIKE'S UNDERCARRIAGE HAS SHEARED OFF MID-WAY. I CONTACTED BMW NA ABOUT THIS, AND RECEIVED ONLY A BRIEF APOLOGY, BUT NO ADMISSION OF FAULT OR COMPENSATION. I INVESTED APPROX. $45 IN OEM REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM A BMW DEALER TO REPAIR THE UNIT, WHICH THE DEALER STATES IS NOW PERMANENTLY 'BENT.' SIMILAR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE (SKID MARKS ON PAVEMENT CONSISTENT WITH WIDTH OF CENTER STAND LEGS) IMPLICATED IN TWO DEATHS (10/05/08 - MONROE CO., PA - DETAILS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST). I HAVE RETAINED THE DEFECTIVE BOLTS. *TR THE CONSUMER...