2014 BMW R1200 GS

FRONT FORKS OR STAUNCHIONS BEGAN TO SEPARATE AT THE TOP WHERE FORKS CONNECT TO HANDLEBARS. MY DEALER, BMW OF DENVER, WAS SERVICING THE BIKE IN FEB 2017 AND INFORMED ME OF THE ISSUE. THE STAUNCHIONS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY OR RISK THEM COMING APART AND POSSIBLY CRASH. BMW DID NOT WARRANTY ALTHOUGH THE BIKE WAS STILL COVERED UNDER THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY. I'M HEARING OF MANY OTHER STORIES OF THESE FORKS COMING APART.

THE POOR DESIGN OF THE FORK STANCHIONS CAUSES THE FORK TUBE TO SEPARATE FROM THE FORK CAP. OVER TIME, THE FORK CAP WILL WORK ITS WAY OUT OF THE FORK TUBE CAUSING THE FORK TO SEPARATE FROM THE CAP WHERE IT MOUNTS TO THE TRIPLE TREE. AS IT WEARS, THE STEERING BECOMES IMPRECISE. A COMPLETE FAILURE WOULD RESULT IN COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE FOLLOWING THREAD: HTTP://ADVRIDER.COM/INDEX.PHP?THREADS/BOTH-INNER-FORK-TUBE-BROKEN-AT-FIRST-DAY-OF-RIDE-150-MILLE-OF-USE.1185036/ IN MY CASE, THE DEALER CAUGHT THE ISSUE BEFORE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND REPLACED THE PARTS, BUT I AM CONCERNED AS THE REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE THE SAME FAULTY DESIGN AND COULD POTENTIALLY FAIL AGAIN.

THE POOR DESIGN OF THE FORK STANCHIONS CAUSES THE FORK TUBE TO SEPARATE FROM THE FORK CAP. OVER TIME, THE FORK CAP WILL WORK ITS WAY OUT OF THE FORK TUBE CAUSING THE FORK TO SEPARATE FROM THE CAP WHERE IT MOUNTS TO THE TRIPLE TREE. AS IT WEARS, THE STEERING BECOMES IMPRECISE. A COMPLETE FAILURE WOULD RESULT IN COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE FOLLOWING THREAD: HTTP://ADVRIDER.COM/INDEX.PHP?THREADS/BOTH-INNER-FORK-TUBE-BROKEN-AT-FIRST-DAY-OF-RIDE-150-MILLE-OF-USE.1185036/ IN MY CASE, THE DEALER CAUGHT THE ISSUE BEFORE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND REPLACED THE PARTS, BUT I AM CONCERNED AS THE REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE THE SAME FAULTY DESIGN AND COULD POTENTIALLY FAIL AGAIN.

WHILE RIDING FORK OIL BEGIN TO LEAK OUT OF THE TOP OF THE LEFT FORK. ONCE REMOVING THE RUBBER COVER I NOTICED THAT THE FORK TUBE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE HEAD ENOUGH TO CAUSE LEAKAGE AND LOSS OF OIL. I REMOVED THE RIGHT COVER AS WELL AND NOTICED THE FORKS WERE STARTING TO SEPARATE ALSO. THIS CAUSED PLAY IN MY STEERING AS WELL AS THE END OF MY TRIP. I RETURNED THE BIKE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE FORKS UNDER WARRANTY. THIS WAS AUGUST OF 2016. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE HEARD OF NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THIS INCIDENT HAPPENING. A FELLOW MOTORCYCLE IS CREATED CLAMPS THAT WOOD CLAMP AROUND THE FORK TUBE TO SECURE IT BETTER AND FOR SAFETY REASONS. I INVESTED THE$140 AND RECEIVED A PAIR OF STANCHION SUPPORT. ON THIS DAY MAY 5TH 2017 I WAS GOING TO PUT THE SUPPORT ON MY 2014 GS AND ONCE I REMOVED THE RUBBER COVERING I NOTICED THAT ONCE AGAIN MY RIGHT FORK IS STARTING TO SEPARATE. THIS IS LESS THAN A YEAR AND LESS THAN 1500 MILES OF MOSTLY HIGHWAY TRAVEL. THIS IS NOW A KNOWN PROBLEM AMONGST THE GS COMMUNITY AND WRITERS OR PURCHASING THE SUPPORT EVERYWHERE. BMW SHOULD REALIZE THAT THERE IS A CHALLENGE HERE. I WILL RETURN MY BIKE TO THE DEALERSHIP IN HOPES OF THEM REPLACING THE FORKS ONCE AGAIN UNDER WARRANTY. THIS REPORT IS ON THE BEHALF OF MY SAFETY AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF OTHERS THAT MAY EXPERIENCE THIS SAME DEFECT. I HEARD YOU TO TAKE THIS SERIOUS AS AT THIS TIME THERE HAS BEEN NO FATALITIES THAT I KNOW. IN THE PHOTOS THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT IS THE ORIGINAL AUGUST 2016 AND THE RIGHT IS MAY 5TH 2017

WHILE RIDING FORK OIL BEGIN TO LEAK OUT OF THE TOP OF THE LEFT FORK. ONCE REMOVING THE RUBBER COVER I NOTICED THAT THE FORK TUBE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE HEAD ENOUGH TO CAUSE LEAKAGE AND LOSS OF OIL. I REMOVED THE RIGHT COVER AS WELL AND NOTICED THE FORKS WERE STARTING TO SEPARATE ALSO. THIS CAUSED PLAY IN MY STEERING AS WELL AS THE END OF MY TRIP. I RETURNED THE BIKE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE FORKS UNDER WARRANTY. THIS WAS AUGUST OF 2016. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE HEARD OF NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THIS INCIDENT HAPPENING. A FELLOW MOTORCYCLE IS CREATED CLAMPS THAT WOOD CLAMP AROUND THE FORK TUBE TO SECURE IT BETTER AND FOR SAFETY REASONS. I INVESTED THE$140 AND RECEIVED A PAIR OF STANCHION SUPPORT. ON THIS DAY MAY 5TH 2017 I WAS GOING TO PUT THE SUPPORT ON MY 2014 GS AND ONCE I REMOVED THE RUBBER COVERING I NOTICED THAT ONCE AGAIN MY RIGHT FORK IS STARTING TO SEPARATE. THIS IS LESS THAN A YEAR AND LESS THAN 1500 MILES OF MOSTLY HIGHWAY TRAVEL. THIS IS NOW A KNOWN PROBLEM AMONGST THE GS COMMUNITY AND WRITERS OR PURCHASING THE SUPPORT EVERYWHERE. BMW SHOULD REALIZE THAT THERE IS A CHALLENGE HERE. I WILL RETURN MY BIKE TO THE DEALERSHIP IN HOPES OF THEM REPLACING THE FORKS ONCE AGAIN UNDER WARRANTY. THIS REPORT IS ON THE BEHALF OF MY SAFETY AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF OTHERS THAT MAY EXPERIENCE THIS SAME DEFECT. I HEARD YOU TO TAKE THIS SERIOUS AS AT THIS TIME THERE HAS BEEN NO FATALITIES THAT I KNOW. IN THE PHOTOS THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT IS THE ORIGINAL AUGUST 2016 AND THE RIGHT IS MAY 5TH 2017

ENGINE CUTS OUT, WHILE TRAVELING, STALLS COMPLETELY, AS IF THE KILL SWITCH HAS BEEN DEPRESSED/ENGAGED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN THE LAST 2500MILES. THE TWO MOST RECENT TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED PRESENTED A HAZARD TO MYSELF AND TO OTHER ROAD USERS. I HAVE TAKEN THE BIKE TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER, THEY OPENED A PUMA CASE AS THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, NOR WERE THEY ABLE TO FIND A SOLUTION. I DID CONTACT BMW DIRECTLY WHO TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT THEY WERE SORRY BUT HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE. THE 1ST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS IN 5TH GEAR, TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 58 MPH, THE TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE LOW 50'S FAHRENHEIT, I WAS TRAVELING UP A SLIGHT UPHILL PAVED HIGHWAY ROAD AT AROUND 9PM, WITH A 7-10% GRADIENT, WHEN THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STALLED, LIGHTS STAYED ON, DISPLAY SHOWED "TURN OFF OR CANCEL." I TURNED THE BIKE OFF, THEN BACK ON AND MADE MY WAY HOME. I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY. THEY RAN A LOAD TEST ON THE BATTERY AND SAID THAT WAS MOST LIKELY THE CAUSE. I REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH A NEW BMW BATTERY. I THEN WENT ON ANOTHER TRIP. THE BIKE STALLED AGAIN, ENGINE DIED OUT COMPLETELY, I WAS LANE SPLITTING ON A VERY LARGE AND BUSY FREEWAY. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. I WAS IN 2ND GEAR TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20-30 MPH WHEN IT DIED. THE TEMPERATURE WAS HIGH 90'S, AROUND 2PM. IT HAPPENED AGAIN IN PHOENIX, I WAS IN 3RD GEAR, LATE AFTERNOON, 105 FAHRENHEIT WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OUT COMPLETELY. THE HIGHWAY CUT OUT AND THE MOST RECENT CUT OUT IN PHOENIX WERE DANGEROUS SCENARIOS AND I FELT THE ENGINE CUTTING OUT WITHOUT WARNING IS A DEFINITE HAZARD TO MYSELF AND TO OTHER ROAD USERS. THERE ARE REPORTS OF OTHER RIDERS HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. BMW DOES NOT CARE, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD REPORT THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION TO THE NHTSA. THANK YOU. *TR

UNDER NORMAL USE, THE MOTORCYCLE'S FRAME STARTED RUSTING/CORRODING AT JUST EIGHT (8) MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. SEVERAL OF THE WELDS AND JOINTS, AND THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE FRAME, ARE NOW COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE CORROSION STARTED WITH WHAT SEEMED TO BE JUST THE PAINT/COATING, BUT HAS NOW INVADED THE UNDERLYING STEEL. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS NEVER BEEN DROPPED OR DAMAGED, OR USED IN ANY WAY INCONSISTENT WITH BMW'S WARRANTY OR USER'S MANUAL.