2009 BMW R 1200 RT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW R 1200 RT. THE CONTACT STATED UPON MERGING INTO TRAFFIC, THE MOTORCYCLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER IN A PARKING LOT AND ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE MOTORCYCLE HIMSELF. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS THEN RIDDEN TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER NOR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW R 1200 RT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE, A ODOR OF FUEL WAS PRESENT. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK HAD CRACKED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V617000 (FUEL SYSTEM) IN 2014. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW R 1200 RT. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE REAR OF THE MOTORCYCLE STARTED TO WOBBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CROWN BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 29,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

ABS SERVO FAILED. COMPLETE LOSS OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FEATURE ON MOTORCYCLE. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE I FEEL THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE FAILURE THAT OCCURRED WITH VERY FEW MILES ON THE MACHINE. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE ENTIRE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP (RECALLED) AND REAR WHEEL HUB (RECALLED). I AM AFRAID OF THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE AND DOUBT THE ADVERTISED "RELIABILITY" TOUTED BY THE MANUFACTURER, BMW MOTRORAD.

STARTED THE BIKE AND FUEL STARTED SPRAYING ALL OVER THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. TOOK OFF THE FUEL TANK AND THERE IS A CRACK IN THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. *TR

BMW MODEL R1200RT YEARS 2005 - 2013 MAY BE SUBJECT TO THROTTLE CABLE ASSEMBLY FAILURE. THE THROTTLE BODY SYSTEM ON THE 2009 YEAR MODEL IS ASSEMBLED BY BING POWER IN NUREMBERG, GERMANY AND UTILIZED BY BMW IN MOTORCYCLES WITH THE 1170 CC BOXER MOTOR. (BING IS A LONGSTANDING COMPANY WHICH IN GENERAL MANUFACTURES FIRST-RATE PRODUCTS.)THE PRIMARY THROTTLE CABLE EXTENDS FROM THE HANDLE BAR TO A SPLITTER FROM WHICH TWO SEPARATE THROTTLE CABLES EXTEND TO LEFT AND RIGHT HAND THROTTLE BODIES WHICH HOUSE THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THOSE TWO CABLES ARE ROUTED OVER AND ANCHORED TO A CABLE PULLEY MADE OF MOLDED PLASTIC. THIS ENTIRE ASSEMBLY IS ATTACHED TO THE THROTTLE BODY. IF OR WHEN THE PLASTIC FAILS, THERE IS NO THROTTLE AND THE ENGINE GOES TO IDLE, THUS CREATING AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD IF ONE IS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND UNABLE TO MAINTAIN SPEED OR ACCELERATE. IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE THE RIDER COULD BE FORTHRIGHTLY IN HARM'S WAY AND ENDANGERED. THIS SHOULD BE AN URGENT RECALL ISSUE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE PLASTIC PART WITH A SOLID CABLE PULLEY WHICH WILL NOT BREAK. PREVIOUS MODELS USED METAL CABLE PULLEYS WHICH DID NOT FAIL. (SEE THIS BLOG FOR DISCUSSION POSTED BY ANOTHER RIDER, AMONG MANY, WITH THE SAME FAILURE ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.ASVRIDER.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=967780&PAGE=3 ) BMW DOES NOT MAKE THE PLASTIC PART AVAILABLE FOR REPLACEMENT. THUS, A PLASTIC PART COSTING BUT A FEW DOLLARS RESULTS IN THE RIDER HAVING TO REPLACE BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT COMPLETE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLIES AT A COST OF MORE THAN $1,000. THE UNDER-DESIGNED PLASTIC CABLE PULLEY IS NOTHING LESS THAN A HAZARD AND CREATES A RISK TO ONE'S LIFE. A POLICE MOTORCYCLE COP RIDING HIS PATROL R1200RT LOOKED AT THE FAILED PART I SHOWED HIM AND HIS FIRST WORDS WERE, "THAT COULD GET YOU KILLED." I HAVE MADE BING AND BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AWARE OF MY EXPERIENCE VIA EMAIL BUT I CONTINUE TO WAIT FOR THEIR REPLY. *TR

ABS FAILURE. KNOWN ISSUE IN THE BMW COMMUNITY, GOT THE STEADY BURN "BRAKE FAILURE" LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD, AND NO MATTER WHAT I DO CAN'T CLEAR. VERIFIED THAT I'VE LOST ALL ABS FRONT AND BACK. ABS MODULATOR FAILURE. *TR

FUEL GAUGE FAILURE DUE TO DEFECTIVE SENDING STRIP. FIRST STRIP FAILED APPROX. 52,000 MILES; SECOND STRIP FAILED WITHIN ONE TANKFUL OF REPLACEMENT. NOW ON THIRD SENDING STRIP. KNOWN PROBLEM ON MULTIPLE YEARS OF BMW MOTORCYCLES WITH NO MANUFACTURER RESPONSE. *TR

FUEL STRIP FAILED, GOING FROM APPROXIMATELY 150 MILES TO EMPTY TO --- MILES TO EMPTY IMMEDIATELY. FUEL STRIP WAS REPLACED 5 TIMES IN TOTAL BEFORE I SOLD THE MOTORCYCLE 6/15/13 WITH ~7,500 MILES ON THE BIKE. *TR

AFTER STARTING THE MOTORCYLE AND ALLOWING FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF WARMING UP, I HEADED TO THE GAS STATION TO FUEL UP IN PREPARATION FOR A LONG RIDE THE NEXT DAY. AS A FORCE OF HABIT I CHECKED MY RANGE AND ODOMETER READINGS AND FOUND THE RANGE WAS NOTICEABLY LOWER THAN IT SHOULD BE DISPLAYING FOR THE MILES USED ON THE TANK. AS I RODE THE COUPLE OF MILES TO THE GAS STATION THE RANGE CONTINUED TO DROP PRECIPITOUSLY, 5-20 MILES AT A TIME EVERY FEW SECONDS UNTIL IT REACHED ZERO AND DISPLAYED "---" FOR A RANGE TO EMPTY AFTER RIDING JUST OVER ONE MILE. AFTER FILLING THE TANK FULLY, THE GAUGE DID NOT RESET OR CHANGE IN ANY WAY. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FUEL STRIP, AKA FUEL LEVEL SENSOR, GONE BAD. I AM NOW AWAITING THE PART TO ARRIVE SO MY 3RD FUEL STRIP REPLACEMENT CAN GO AHEAD. (MY SECOND OCCURRED IN FEBRUARY 2012, THE THIRD IN AUGUST 2013.) MY MOTORCYCLE HAS JUST 24,000 MILES AND IS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD (BY 3 MONTHS). I FIND IT ALMOST UNFATHOMABLE THAT SUCH AN ESSENTIAL PART AS THE FUEL GAUGE CAN CEASE TO FUNCTION FOR NO APPARENT REASON, WITH NO WARNING ON A MODERN VEHICLE. ADD IN THE DENIALS FROM THE MANUFACTURER THAT A PROBLEM EVEN EXISTS AND IT GETS TOTALLY MADDENING.