2005 BMW R1200 GS Complaints

STOPPED AFTER RIDING TO WORK, NOTICED FUEL SMELL, LOOKED CLOSER, GAS WAS DRIPPING ON HOT EXHAUST PIPE. TURNS OUT THE FUEL LINE PLASTIC QUICK DISCONNECT THREADED BOSS ON THE FUEL TANK WAS CRACKED ENOUGH THAT GAS LEAKS OUT WHEN THE FUEL PUMP IS RUNNING. JUST NOW REPORTING ALTHOUGH IT FIRST HAPPENED YEARS AGO. TRIED VARIOUS REPAIRS THAT WERE ONLY TEMPORARILY EFFECTIVE BEFORE REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUEL PUMP ASSY AND REINFORCING THE BOSS WITH AN AFTERMARKET SPECIALTY CLAMP DESIGNED FOR THIS WELL KNOWN FAILURE. *TR

THE FUEL PUMP FITTING CRACKED WHILE I WAS RIDING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS RESULTED IN FUEL SPRAYING ON ME AND DRIPPING ONTO THE ENGINE WHEN I STOPPED. THE FITTING AND THE FLANGE ARE BOTH MADE OF A PLASTIC MATERIAL. THE THREADS ARE NPT TYPE AND AS THE FITTING IS SCREWED INTO THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE THE FIT GETS TIGHTER. THIS DESIGN WILL EVENTUALLY RESULT IN CRACKING. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLASTIC FITTING WHICH I REPLACED WITH A METAL ONE. THIS WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE FLANGE IS LIKELY TO CRACK BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN RESULTING IN ANOTHER FAILURE. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE CAN EASILY RESULT IN A FIRE. *TR

UPON INSPECTION, I DISCOVERED THAT EACH OF FIVE WHEEL MOUNTING TABS ON THE REAR WHEEL FLANGE IS CRACKED. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN NUMEROUS OTHER BMW R1200GS MOTORCYCLES, IN SOME CASES LEADING TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW R1200GS MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR UNRELATED MAINTENANCE WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT THE REAR WHEEL FINAL DRIVE WAS SEVERELY WORN. THE PART WAS ORDERED AND THE VEHICLE WAS LATER REPAIRED. THE REAR BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED DURING THE REPAIR DUE TO AN EXCESSIVE OIL LEAK FROM THE REAR WHEEL. THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS ALSO DAMAGED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000. UPDATED 06/10/13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FINAL DRIVE SEAL BLEW WHILE DRIVING. THE REAR TIRE WAS COVERED IN OIL. IN ADDITION, THE REAR BRAKE PAD HAD TO BE REPLACE DUE TO OIL DAMAGE. WHILE REPAIRING THE FINAL DRIVE. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS NOTCHY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

DURING SERVICE, TECH NOTICED A CRACK IN THE FUEL PUMP HOUSING. BIKE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO RISK OF FUEL LEAK AND FIRE HAZARD. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED AND COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO LOSS OF LIFE OR SEVERE BURNS. RECOMMEND RECALL ON THIS PART. *TR THE ISSUE IS SO WELL KNOWN, ONLINE PARTS STORES ARE SELLING A PARTS FIX. REQUEST REASON WHY RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED.

AFTER FILLING UP ON FUEL AND DRIVING HOME (LESS THAN FIVE MILES), I PARKED THE MOTORCYCLE. LATER IN THE DAY, I NOTICED FUEL ON THE ASPHALT BENEATH THE BIKE AND LEAKING FROM THE FUEL PUMP, DOWN ONTO THE ENGINE, LEFT EXHAUST PIPE AND OTHER PARTS OF THE FRAME. FURTHER INSPECTING, I FOUND FUEL POOLED ATOP THE FUEL PUMP HOUSING. MOPPING UP THE FUEL, I IDENTIFIED A HAIRLINE CRACK IN THE UPPER PLASTIC HOUSING THAT HOLDS THE FUEL PUMP, FUEL PUMP ELECTRONICS AND FUEL LINE CONNECTION. THE FUEL PUMP ELECTRONICS UNIT WAS DAMAGED BY EXPOSURE TO THE FUEL, CAUSING SILICON INSULATION TO CRUMBLE AND FALL AWAY. (EVIDENCE THAT THE LEAK HAD EXISTED FOR SOME TIME, BUT ONLY CAME TO MY ATTENTION AFTER THIS PARTICULAR FILL-UP.) REPLACEMENT PARTS ESTIMATE FROM BMW: $680.34 (INCLUDING TAX, BUT EXCLUDING INSTALLATION.) *TR

DISCOVERED 12/9/2012. EXTENT OF CRACKING INDICATES THAT THE ISSUE LIKELY BEGAN A NUMBER OF YEARS EARLIER. MY FUEL TANK HAS PLASTIC QUICK DISCONNECT FITTINGS ON LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE. NUMEROUS (8-12) SMALL RADIAL CRACKS HAVE APPEARED IN EACH OF THE QUICK DISCONNECT REINFORCEMENT FLANGES, EXTENDING IN SEVERAL CASES DOWN TO THE TOP OF THE TANK. CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE CRACKS INTO THE THREADED AREA HAVE RESULTED IN FUEL LEAKS ON OTHER BIKES WITH THIS SAME CONFIGURATION (BUT NOT YET ON MY BIKE). BELIEF IS THAT THE COMPOSITE QUICK DISCONNECT EXPANDS DURING PRESSURE CYCLING AND IMPARTS A RADIAL LOAD TO THE PUMP HOUSING QUICK DISCONNECT REINFORCEMENT FLANGE. OVER TIME, THIS PRESSURE CYCLING CAUSES CRACKS TO APPEAR IN THE REINFORCEMENT FLANGE WHICH EVENTUALLY RESULT IN FUEL LEAKS. SEE ODI 10428629 AND CASE [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FUEL STARTED LEAKING FROM TOP OF GAS TANK , LEAKING FROM CRACKS IN FLANGE CONNECTION VERY UNSAFE FIRE HAZARD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW R1200 GS MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY DETECTED THAT THE DRIVE-LINE SEAL WAS LEAKING INTERNALLY. THE CONTACT REFERENCED A CONCURRENT INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: DP12001 (POWER TRAIN:DRIVE LINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT) THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. UPDATED 10/24/12*LJ UPDATED 10/25/12

REAR WHEEL MOVED SIDE TO SIDE (BEARING ABOUT TO FAIL). SECOND R1200GS I OWNED WITH SAME SAFETY FAILURE, REPLACED AND SOLD MOTORCYCLE AT SEVERE LOSS AS TWO R1200GS REAR DRIVE FAILURES ON TWO LOW MILEAGE R1200GS. LOSS OF THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. *TR