2006 BMW R1200 RT Power Train Problems

WHILE DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON I-79 NEAR PITTSBURGH AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE REAR UNIVERSAL JOINT LET GO. THIS CAUSED THE MOTORCYCLE REAR WHEEL TO INTERMITTENTLY LOCK UP AND RELEASE. THE UNIVERSAL HAS NO MEANS TO LUBRICATE IT AND NO NOISE OR VIBRATION WAS HEARD OR FELT BEFORE FAILURE.

AS I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY I FELT MY MOTORCYCLE ALL OF A SUDDEN WOBBLE AND LOST CONTROL. I STRUGGLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND WAS ABLE TO BRING THE MOTORCYCLE TO A STOP BY THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. IT APPEARED MY FINAL DRIVE (TRANSMISSION ) HAD FAILED PREMATURELY. THERE WERE OIL FROM THE FINAL DRIVE SPLATTERED ALL OVER MY REAR WHEEL. THIS WAS A FREIGHTING EXPERIENCE AND COULD HAVE RESULTANT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO ME BECAUSE OF A PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE FINAL DRIVE. *TR

DURING REAR WHEEL BRAKE REPLACEMENT, FOUND CRACK IN ONE BOLT HOLE THAT SECURES REAR WHEEL TO DRIVE FLANGE. CRACK COULD ALLOW BOLT SECURING THE REAR WHEEL TO LOOSEN WHILE DRIVING. *TR

FINAL DRIVE BEARING FAILURE IN 2009, REPLACED BEARING THEN HAD FINAL DRIVE HUB FAILURE AT APPROX12K MILES IN 2011, MAY OF 2012 AGAIN HAVE FINAL DRIVE BEARING FAILURE AT JUST OVER 13K MILES. EACH TIME WAS CAUGHT EARLY AND HAD NO OIL LEAKAGE. *TR

REAR WHEEL FLANGE CRACKS AROUND LUG BOLT HOLES. *KB

I WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY PROBLEMS. I TOOK OF THE REAR TIRE OFF TO CHANGE THE REAR ROTOR. I NOTICED CRACKS ON THE FLANGE. THE FLANGE HOLDS ON THE REAR TIRE. WOW IM GLAD I SAW THE CRACKS. TWO OF THE FIVE BOLTS WERE VERY LOOSE DUE TO THE CRACKS. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE BMW R1200. AND YET BMW WILL NOT RECOGNIZED IT! THERE ARE PHOTO ON THE INTERNET WERE THE BOLT HAVE COME OFF AND THE FLANGE FAILS. I AM VERY LUCK I CAUGHT THIS. IF THE TIRE CAME OF WHILE I WAS MOVING I WOULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR KILL !!!! THE BMW DEALER ACTED AS IF IT WAS NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON ALL BMW R1200 FLANGE. IT ONLY A MATTER OF TIME FOR SOMEONE TO DIES. NO FAULTIES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED. BUT WHO WOULD KNOW TO LOOK...

IN JULY 2007 I EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT PLAY IN THE REAR WHEEL OF MY 2006 BMW R1200RT MOTORCYCLE. THE REAR WHEEL BOLTS TO A FLANGE WHICH IS PRESSED ONTO THE AXLE TUBE OF THE FINAL DRIVE. THIS IS A COMPRESSION FIT, TOGETHER WITH A CIRCLIP. WHEN I DETECTED THE PROBLEM, AFTER REMOVING THE CIRCLIP, I COULD REMOVE THE REAR WHEEL WITH NO RESISTANCE WHATSOEVER, I.E., THERE WAS NO RESISTANCE AS THE SPLINED SURFACE OF THE FLANGE, AND THE SPLINED SURFACE OF THE AXLE TUBE, HAD WORN AWAY TO SUCH AN EXTENT. I TRUCKED THE BIKE TO SALT LAKE CITY WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY (REPLACEMENT OF THE FINAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY, WHICH INCLUDES THE FLANGE), REAR BRAKE ROTOR AND ALL LUG NUTS. I CHECK THE PLAY IN THE REAR WHEEL REGULARLY, AND IT DETERIORATED TO THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION IN VERY SHORT ORDER. FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE WAS A BLACK METALLIC RESIDUE...