2009 BMW F 650 GS Complaints

APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR AND 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE OF A BMW F650GS MOTORCYCLE SEVERE IGNITION FAILURES OCCUR ON A ROUTINE BASIS RENDERING THE MOTORCYCLE UNUSABLE. PROBLEM DEVELOPED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WITH TRIP COMPUTER REPORTING IGNITION MALFUNCTION DUE TO UNAUTHORIZED KEY IN THE IGNITION, AFTER 40 MINUTES INTO A RIDE. MOTORCYCLE WILL NO LONGER START AND TRIP COMPUTER WILL NOT DISPLAY FURTHER INFORMATION. RE-SYNCHRONIZING THE MOTORCYCLES ANTI-THEFT ALARM ALLOWS THE MOTORCYCLE CLEAN OPERATION FOR A FURTHER 10 MINUTES, AND THEN RESULTS IN THE SAME AFOREMENTIONED IGNITION PROBLEM. THE IGNITION FAILURE OCCURS ON A ROUTINE BASIS, EVEN AFTER A RE-SYNCHRONIZATION TO THE MOTORCYCLE'S ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. THE PROBLEM HAS YET TO BE RESOLVED BY THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW F 650 GS MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 30 MPH, HE PULLED THE CLUTCH AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN RESTARTED AND WAS OPERATING NORMAL UNTIL HE ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE CLUTCH AGAIN. THE VEHICLE STALLED A SECOND TIME. THE FAILURE HAPPENED ONCE MORE WHEN PULLING THE CLUTCH. THE DEALER HAD NOT YET BEEN CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,750. UPDATED 05/18/10. *LJ UPDATED 01/20/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE BIKE WOULD STALL WHILE COMING TO A STOP OR STARTING FROM A FULL STOP. UPDATED 03/25/11

THE FIRST TIME I RODE MY 2009 BMW F650GS MOTORCYCLE IN THE RAIN, THE ENGINE SIMPLY CUT OFF WHILE I WAS RIDING. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON A SIDE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE BIKE RESTARTED ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE WHY IT FAILED AND SUGGESTED IT MAY HAVE BEEN A LOOSE BATTERY CABLE. THE BIKE HAS SINCE SPUTTERED IN THE RAIN, LEADING ME TO FEAR ANOTHER ENGINE CUTOFF WHILE RIDING. THERE IS AN NHTSA CAMPAIGN #09V499000 REGARDING THIS EXACT ISSUE WITH MY MAKE AND MODEL BUT MY DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF IT AND THE BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE I JUST SPOKE WITH INDICATED THAT MY BIKE IS NOT IN THE RECALL. THE INCIDENT DATE AND MILEAGE THAT I LISTED ARE APPROXIMATE. I JUST REMEMBER IT WAS LAST SUMMER. *TR

2009 BMW F650GS MOTORCYCLE-CRACKS IN PLASTIC HOLDING GAS TANK-MANY OTHERS ON FORUMS REPORTING THIS ALSO. *TR

1. RIDING MOTORCYCLE ON CLEAR WARM DAY. 2009 BMWF650GS 2. AFTER ABOUT 100 MILES, AND UPON DOWN-SHIFTING THE ENGINE DIED. THIS LEADING TO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF IN A TURN OR THERE IS NO SAFE AREA TO PULL OVER OR ON A MULTI-LANE FREEWAY. 3. I PULLED OVER, TURNED THE BIKE OFF AND THEN ON. THE BIKE STALLED ABOUT 5 MORE TIMES IN AN HOUR, REPEATING THE PROCESS, BEFORE I HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALER. THEY ADDED A GAS CLEANER (ASSUMING IT HAD BAD GAS). *TR

MY 2009 BMW F650 GS TWIN STALLS WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN. THE STALL HAPPENS 100% OF TIME WHEN PERFORMING THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONS: SLOWING TO A STOP; SHIFTING GEAR; COASTING WITH CLUTCH ENGAGED AND DISENGAGED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF THE DRIVER IS NOT AWARE OF ENGINE STALL - AT HIGH SPEED IT WILL CAUSE THE REAR TIRE TO SKID, RESULTING IN A DEFINITE FALL OR LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE BIKE. BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT NO DEFINITIVE FIX HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED. MY BMW DEALER IS WAITING FOR ANNOUNCEMENT OF FIX FROM BMW NORTH AMERICA WHILE THE ONLY SOLUTION THEY HAVE IS THAT I AM TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE MOTORCYCLE IN THE RAIN. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

A 2009 BMW F650GS STALLS WHEN DRIVEN IN THE RAIN. THE STALLING HAPPENS VERY ERRATICALLY AND IS VERY DANGEROUS. GOOGLING FOR "F650GS STALLING IN RAIN" WILL PROVIDE PAGES OF OTHERS WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I'VE SPOKEN TO THE DEALER AND BMW HAS AN OFFICIAL "FIX" BUT HAS NOT EVEN WRITTEN A TECH SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THE PROBLEM LET ALONE PERFORMED A SAFETY RECALL. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE DOCUMENTED ON THE WEB SINCE SEPT 2008. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW F 650 GS US MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLS AND PERFORMS POORLY IN RAINY CONDITIONS. AFTER STOPPING TO PLACE FUEL IN THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT RESTART DUE TO THE RAIN. AS A RESULT, HE HAD TO RENT A VEHICLE IN ORDER TO GET HOME. THE CONTACT WILL CALL THE BMW MANUFACTURER REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000. UPDATED 08/27/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE BIKE CAN STALL WHEN THE CLUTCH IS DISENGAGED TO SHIFT DOWN TO A LOWER GEAR. THIS CAN CAUSE A REAR WHEEL SKID IN WET CONDITIONS CAUSING THE RIDER TO LOOSES CONTROL. ALSO THE ERRATIC RESPONSE CAN CAUSED THE BIKE TO NOT ACCELERATE OR STALL WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. UPDATED 08/31/09.*JB

1. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: RIDING IN THE RAIN EVENTUALLY CAUSE MY 2009 BMW F650 MOTORCYCLE ENGINE TO STALL. CLOSE EXAMINATION FOUND: AIRBOX WITH A LOT OF WATER INSIDE AND CHARCOAL CANISTER IS SOAKED WITH WATER. 2. THE FAILURE, HOW OFTEN IT OCCURS, ITS CONSEQUENCES AFTER RIDING IN THE POURING RAIN FOR A MORE THAN AN HOUR. THE STALL CAN HAPPEN 100% OF TIME WHEN PERFORMING FOLLOWING OPERATIONS: A) COME TO A STOP. B) SHIFTING GEAR. C) COASTING WITH CLUTCH DISENGAGED. ALL ABOVE OPERATIONS INVOLVED: CLUTCH DISENGAGED AND THROTTLE CLOSED COMPLETELY. THE DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES: IF BIKE IS STILL MOVING WHEN ENGINE STALL AND THE RIDE ISN'T AWARE. THEN WHEN CLUTCH IS RE-ENGAGED AGAIN, IT WILL CAUSE REAR TIRE TO SKID, THE RIDER WOULD EASILY FALL ESPECIALLY WHEN CORNERING. 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E, PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED (AND IF OLD PART IS AVAILABLE) NO KNOWN CORRECTION EXIST YET AS BMW WASN'T AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE BIKE IS A NEW MODEL THAT HAS STARTED SELLING FROM 2009 MODEL YE. *TR

MY 2009 F650GS STALLS WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN, WHEN RPMS GO BELOW 3000, BUT BECAUSE ROADWAY IS WET, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIRE TRACTION TO OVERCOME DEAD MOTOR AND REAR TIRE SLIDES. ENGINE STAYS RUNNING AT PART TO FULL THROTTLE, 3000 PLUS RPMS, BUT THAT IS HARD TO DO WHEN TRYING TO SLOW FOR INTERSECTIONS AND TRAFFIC. VERY DANGEROUS! I DISCOVERED WATER POOLING IN BOTTOM OF AIRBOX AND CHOKING OFF IDLE CONTROL AIRWAY. *TR