2005 BMW R 1200 GS Recalls, Complaints & Safety

UPON INSPECTION, I DISCOVERED 4 OF THE 5 WHEEL MOUNTING HOLES IN THE ALUMINUM REAR WHEEL FLANGE ARE CRACKED. I HAVE READ ABOUT MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE. I'VE STOPPED RIDING UNTIL IT IS FIXED BECAUSE IT COULD BREAK CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WHICH COULD LEAD TO INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

AFTER NOTICING A SMALL AMOUNT OF EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT IN THE REAR WHEEL WHEN RIDING THROUGH TURNS, I GOT HOME AND INSPECTED THE AREA AND FOUND CRACKS IN THE ALUMINUM REAR WHEEL FLANGE AT THE WHEEL MOUNTING HOLES. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I DISCOVERED THIS IS A RECALLED PART UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN 15V-141. THE RECALL INSTRUCTS REPLACING THE ALUMINUM FLANGE WITH A NEW STEEL FLANGE. FURTHERMORE, ASSOCIATED SERVICE BULLETINS 3300115(007) AND 3300115(007)R3 DISPLAY IMAGES OF THE RECALLED ALUMINUM FLANGE FOR EASY IDENTIFICATION AND INSTRUCTS DEALERSHIPS TO REPLACE THE ALUMINUM FLANGE WITH A NEW STEEL ONE, EVEN IF NO CRACKS ARE PRESENT. MY FLANGE DOES MATCH THE IMAGES IDENTIFYING IT AS THE ALUMINUM FLANGE IN QUESTION. ALSO, TO BE THOROUGH, I PLACED A MAGNET ON THE FLANGE, AND IT DID NOT STICK. IT WOULD HAVE STUCK TO A STEEL FLANGE. ACCORDING TO THE DETAILS OF THE RECALL ON THE NHTSA SITE, THE RECALL DOES COVER THE YEAR AND MODEL OF MY VEHICLE, BUT, WHEN I RESEARCH MY VIN, THE RECALL DOES NOT SHOW UP.

LEAKING FUEL FLANGED, THE MATERIAL IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND PRONE TO BREAKING THAT CAN CAUSE FUEL TO LEAK TO THE ENGINE THEN IGNITING THE FUEL THAT WILL START ENGINE FIRE.

REPLACED REAR TIRE AND NOTICED CRACKS ON HUB FLANGE. WENT ONLINE TO SEE IF ANY BODY ELSE HAD SAME PROBLEM . FOUND MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS. YEARS 2004-2007. PART WAS REDESIGNED AND REPLACED FROM 2008 THRU PRESENT. WANT TO REPORT BEFORE SOMEBODY DIES OR IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BY BMW. *TR

FUEL IS LEAKING FROM THE HIGH PRESSURE OUTPUT FITTING OF THE GAS TANK. FUEL LEAKS WHEN FUEL PUMP IS ON, VISIBLY DRIPPING. WHEN THE FUEL PUMP IS OFF THERE IS NO LEAK. FUEL LEAKS ACTIVELY AND EXCESSIVELY FROM OUTPUT FITTING, WHICH APPEARS TO BE CRACKED. *TR

REAR WHEEL/BRAKE DISK DRIVE FLANGE HAS MULTIPLE CRACKS, COULD HAVE CAUSED REAR WHEEL OR BRAKE ROTOR TO SEPARATE FROM MOTORCYCLE. BMW KNOWS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, THE REPLACEMENT PART BMW # 33117722831 HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REDESIGNED AND MADE FROM STEEL NOW, THIS ITEM NEEDS TO BE RECALLED, IT COULD EASILY CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND DEATH. *TR

FINAL DRIVE UNIT FAILED AND LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEEL

REAR DRIVE FAILURE WHILE RIDING TWO UP, OIL SOAKED REAR WHEEL, WHEEL WOBBLE. BETWEEN WOBBLE AND OIL CONTROL LOST (AND SLOW SPEED AT THAT POINT). *TR

Crash 1 injured

FINAL DRIVE AND DRIVESHAFT FAILED. *TR

A PLASTIC FUEL LINE QUICK DISCONNECT FAILED AS THE FUEL LINE WAS BEING REMOVED FROM THE FUEL TANK TO PERFORM NORMAL MAINTENANCE. AS A RESULT THE BULKHEAD SIDE OF THE FITTING JAMMED OPEN ALLOWING FUEL TO POUR FROM THE FUEL TANK. THIS OCCURRED IN A GARAGE THAT ALSO CONTAINED A GAS FIRED WATER HEATER AND COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED A FIRE. IN THIS CASE I WAS ABLE TO TEMPORARILY BLOCK THE FLOW, VENTILATE THE GARAGE, AND THEN DRAIN THE TANK. CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MAKERS OF THE FUEL LINE FITTING INDICATE THAT BMW RECOMMENDED AGAINST THEIR USE, ESPECIALLY ON CALIFORNIA VEHICLES. THE FITTING MANUFACTURERS OFFER THE SAME FITTINGS IN BRASS, WHICH I USED TO REPLACE THE BMW SUPPLIED FITTINGS. HOWEVER, THE PLASTIC BULKHEAD INTO WHICH THE FEMALE FITTING FITS HAD BEEN EMBRITTLED BY EXPOSURE TO FUEL AND IT ALSO CRACKED. THE BULKHEAD WAS REPLACED BY AN ALUMINUM PART I FABRICATED FOR THAT PURPOSE. I NOTIFIED TWO BMW MOTORCYCLE DEALERS OF THE PROBLEM BUT NEITHER WERE FAMILIAR WITH IT OR ANY SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN. SEARCHES OF VARIOUS INTERNET MOTORCYCLE FORUMS SHOWS THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM NOT JUST ISOLATED TO THE BMW R1200GS. A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF MY EXPERIENCE CAN BE FOUND AT THE URL BELOW: HTTP://GUNSMOKE.COM/MOTORCYCLING/R1200GS/QUICK_CONNECTS/INDEX.HTML *KB

THE FUEL GAUGE STOPPED WORKING BECAUSE OF A FAILURE OF THE "FUEL STRIP" SENDER IN THE GAS TANK. EVEN THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE FAILURES OF THE FUEL STRIPS EVEN ON THE SAME BIKE, BMW REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. *TR

THE FLANGE ON THE FUEL TANK, CRACK, LEAKING FUEL EVERYWHERE, THIS HAPPENS TO OTHERS. *TR

BMW MOTORCYCLE, R1200/GS 2005 MODEL, GAS LEAK PROBLEM. ON PLASTIC QUICK DISCONNECTORS IN THE FUEL LINE, CRACKS CAN FORM IN THE THIN FITTINGS, JUST ABOVE THE FUEL PUMP. CAUSING GAS TO SPRAY, POOL, THEN LEAK DIRECTLY ON TO THE HOTTEST PART OF THE EXHAUST PIPE WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE IS PLACED ON THE SIDESTAND. THIS CREATES A FIRE HAZARD. THESE THIN PLASTIC FITTINGS ARE DESTINED TO FAIL, AND NEED TO BE CHANGED OUT WITH AVAILABLE BRASS FITTINGS TO REMEDY THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD. *TR

BMW R1200GS REAL WHEEL FLANGE THE FLANGE IS A BILLET PART THAT CONNECTS THE REAR WHEEL AND THE REAR BRAKE DISC TO THE MOTORCYCLE. WORLD-WIDE THERE ARE REPORTS FROM USERS OF R1200GS MODELS MANUFACTURED IN 2004 AND 2005 ABOUT CRACKS IN THE FLANGE AROUND EITHER THE MOUNTING HOLES FOR THE BRAKE DISC OR THE MOUNTING HOLES FOR THE REAR WHEEL. SEVERAL INCIDENTS ARE KNOWN WHERE THE REAR BRAKE DISC BROKE OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. ON LAST INSPECTION THE FLANGE ON MY MOTORCYCLE HAD DEVELOPED CRACKS AROUND ALL 5 MOUNTING HOLES FOR THE REAR WHEEL BOLTS. BMW DENIES THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ORIGINAL PART AND REFUSES REPLACEMENT, CLAIMING THAT IN ALL INCIDENTS THE BOLTS MUST HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED WITH TOO HIGH TORQUE. THE REAR WHEEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN MOUNTED BY MYSELF, AND ALWAYS USING A TORQUE WRENCH WITH THE CORRECT SETTING. THE ORIGINAL PARTS ONE THESE MOTORCYCLES APPARENTLY WERE BMW PART-NUMBER 33117694910; AS REPLACEMENT BMW NOW SELLS A RE-DESIGNED PART WITH THE NEW PART-NUMBER 33117699631. THE DANGER FOR A CRASH SHOULD THE REAR WHEEL OR THE REAR BRAKE DISC BREAK OFF WHILE IN MOTION ARE OBVIOUS. BMW HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM, DOESN'T OFFER FREE REPLACEMENTS AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE HAS NOT SENT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN OR ANY OTHER KIND OF WARNING TO DEALERS OR CUSTOMERS. *TR