2009 BMW F 800 GS Complaints

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK ON THIS MOTORCYCLE IS KNOWN TO HAVE A MATERIAL OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE FORM OF A LATERAL CRACK ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TANK. THE FUEL TANK IS POSITIONED DIRECTLY OVER THE EXHAUST SYSTEM UNDER THE SEAT. I DISCOVERED THIS DEFECT ON MY MACHINE AFTER SMELLING GAS DURING A CASUAL RIDE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE FOR "F800GS FUEL TANK CRACK" IMMEDIATELY RETURNED SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS AND OWNERS' DOCUMENTATION OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUE, INCLUDING SOME DISCOVERED BIKES STILL ON THE SHOWROOM FLOOR. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN RIDERS BEING BURNED AND POSSIBLY KILLED. I ALSO HAVE A WALK AROUND VIDEO THAT SHOWS THE PROBLEM VERY WELL, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I CAN GET THAT TO YOU. THANK YOU

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH WHEN TRAFFIC STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. AS I ROLLED OFF THE THROTTLE TO SLOW DOWN THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED. I HAD TO COAST THROUGH MULTIPLE LANES OF HIGH SPEED FREEWAY TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. I SAW THAT NO WARNING/ CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS HAD COME ON, THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED THAT IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF A TANK, THE KILL SWITCH WAS IN THE RUN POSITION, AND THE KICK STAND WAS SECURELY UP. WHILE COASTING TO THE SHOULDER I NOTICED THAT THE TACHOMETER SHOWED ABOUT 1,000 RPM EVEN THOUGH THE CLUTCH WAS IN AND THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. THE TACHOMETER JUMPED TO ZERO ONCE I INCREASED THE THROTTLE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD TO BE FULLY CYCLED FROM OFF TO ON USING THE KEY BEFORE IT WOULD START. AFTER RESTARTING IT IN FIRST GEAR, I BEGAN ACCELERATING, WHEN I REACHED APPROXIMATELY 35-45 MPH THE ENGINE DIED AGAIN. I NOTICED THAT THE LONGER I KEPT THE BIKE OFF THE LONGER IT WOULD LET ME RIDE BEFORE DYING. THE INFO DISPLAY INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS IN THE NHTSA DATABASE AS WELL AS ON OWNER WEBSITES, THAT MULTIPLE OTHER RIDERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS EXACT SAME SCENARIO. I BOUGHT THE MOTORCYCLE USED WITH APPROXIMATELY 9,600 MILES. I CONTACTED BMW WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS SAME SCENARIO, AT 108 MILES AND 8,995 MILES. BOTH TIMES BMW REPORTED REPAIRING AND/OR REPLACING COMPONENTS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE SITUATION AFTER THE REPAIR. *TR

STATOR / FLYWHEEL NO LONGER CHARGING BATTERY. RAN ON BATTERY POWER UNTIL ENGINE QUIT ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH. COASTED TO SHOULDER AND WAITED FOR TOW. 2ND TIME THIS HAPPENED. FIRST TIME AT 28,000 MILES. *TR

THE STATOR OF THE ALTERNATOR FRIED, SO THE BATTERY STARTED DISCHARGING AND WHEN EMPTY THE COMPUTER AND THE ENGINE STALLED. I HAD THE STATOR REWINDED AND THE SAME PROBLEM REPEATED 5000 MILES LATER. I HAD IT REWINDED A SENCOND TIME AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I AM INTO MY 3RD REWIND AND JUST EXPECTING THE PROBLEM TO REAPPEAR...

THROTTLE RESPONSE IS TOO SHARP AND TAKES YOU BY SURPRISE WITHOUT WARNING DURING NORMAL OPERATION. THIS RESPONSE CAN BE RAPID ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION WHEN A DEFORMITY IN THE ROAD IS DRIVEN OVER. THE RAPID RESPONSE IS EVEN MORE EXACERBATED AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN TRYING TO MANEUVER RESIDENTIAL SURFACE ROADS. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WITH NO KNOWN REPAIRS. I HAVE HAD A COMPUTER SOFTWARE UPGRADE TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE SEARCHED MANY ADVENTURE TYPE FORUMS WHERE MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH NO KNOWN REPAIR FROM THE FACTORY. I HAVE HAD ONE CLOSE CALL WHERE THE VEHICLE THROTTLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED WHILE COMMITTED IN A TURN WHERE I LOST MY LINE AND WENT INTO THE ONCOMING LANE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW F800 GS MOTORCYCLE. WHILE TRAVELING 75 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DOWNSHIFT FROM SIXTH TO FIFTH GEAR AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE COMPUTER WAS UPDATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOLLOWING REPAIRS. THE DEALER THEN PERFORMED A SECOND COMPUTER SOFTWARE UPDATE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,200.

WHEEL BEARING ON CHAINRING SIDE OF REAR HUB WORE OUT PREMATURELY AT 9,000 MILES. OTHER BEARINGS ON FRONT AND REAR HUBS WERE FUNCTIONING WELL. HAD I NOT CHECKED THIS BEARING, AFTER READING ABOUT MULTIPLE SUCH INCIDENTS, CATASTROPHIC FAILURE COULD HAVE OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING AT FREEWAY SPEED LEADING TO PERSONAL INJURY AND POTENTIALLY INJURY TO OTHERS. *TR

FAILURE OF CHAIN AND REAR WHEEL BEARING AT 7139 MILES ON A 8 MONTH OLD BMW F800GS. BIKE WAS TAKEN INTO BMW DEALER FOR NEW CHAIN AS OLD CHAIN WAS LOSING 'O' RINGS REAR WHEEL WAS REMOVED AND AT MY REQUEST BEARINGS CHECKED AS I HAD HEARD OF FAILURES ON FROM THE INTERNET. REAR BEARING WAS FOUND TO BE HIGHLY WORN AND 'GRITTY' FEELING. DEALER REPLACED BEARING UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

AFTER 9000 MILES THE CLUTCH ON MY 2009 F800GS SUDDENLY STARTED TO SLIP ON THE FREEWAY WHEN DOWNSHIFTING AND ACCELERATING. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS SYMPTOMS OF ANY PROBLEMS IN THE DRIVE TRAIN/CLUTCH APART THAT THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE CLUTCH WAS TO THE LAST LIMIT (ALL SERVICE DONE BY BMW DEALER). SINCE THEN ANY ACCELERATION MAKES THE RPM JUMP 1000+ RPM BEFORE GRADUALLY COMING DOWN AND ACTUAL ACCELERATION OCCURRING. THIS CAN BE A SAFETY PROBLEM AS A LOSS OF ACCELERATION CAN LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT OR DEATH ON A MOTORCYCLE. *TR

NOTICED A CRACK ON THE SIDE OF THE GAS TANK. THE GAS TANK IS SPLIT OPEN. THIS SEEMS TO GREATLY INCREASE THE RISK OF EXPLOSION DUE TO GAS FUMES IF ANY HEAT SOURCE/SPARK MADE GETS CLOSE. *TR