1997 BMW BMW Motorcycle Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1997 BMW BMW Motorcycle, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Powertrain (other)150.0%
- Transmission150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
FINAL DRIVE FAILURE ON 1997 K1100 LT BMW MOTORCYCLE. HAPPENED ON INTERSTATE 295 AT 70 MPH, FINAL DRIVE LET GO WITH NO WARNING. WAS ABLE (BARELY) TO KEEP IN CONTROL, AND GET BIKE TO THE SIDE OF THE VERY BUSY INTERSTATE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
THIS IS MY SECOND COMPLAINT WHICH DUPLICATES VOQ #101404137 MY 1997 BMW F650 MORTORCYCLE SLIPS OUT OF FIRST GEAR. IT DID THIS WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. I BOUGHT IT USED FROM A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND TOOK IT TO FRANK'S BMW MOTORCYCLES IN ESSEX JCT VT FOR SERVICE. LESTER PELKEY (OWNER) SAID IT WAS OPERATOR ERROR WHEN IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. HE SAID IT DIDN'T DO IT FOR HIM. I CAN DOWN SHIFT INTO FIRST, LET THE BIKE RUN IN 1ST UP TO A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, STOP, AND SOMETIMES IT SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL, AND SOMETIMES IT WAITS UNTIL I'VE STARTED UP AGAIN TO SLIP OUT (NOT GOOD IN A TURN!), AND SOMETIMES IT STAYS IN FIRST GEAR UNTIL I SHIFT INTO SECOND. IN ALL FAIRNESS, THE BIKE DOESN'T DO THIS FOR MOST PEOPLE. IT SEEMS TO DO IT MORE WHEN WARM, BUT THAT'S NO GUARANTEE. I BELIEVED LESTER PELKEY AS I WAS A NEW RIDER. IN 2004 I BOUGHT A 1999 F650 - BASICALLY THE SAME BIKE). IT DOES NOT SLIP OUT OF GEAR. I'VE SPOKEN TO THE BME REP MARGE CHARNEY, I'VE SPOKEN TO 2ND WIND BMW (WHERE THE BIKE WAS ORIGINALLY BOUGHT BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER) AND OTHERS. NO ONE WILL DO ANYTHING. BESIDES HAVING THE BIKE SLIP OUT OF GEAR WHILE IDLE OR IN A TURN, I CANNOT USE MY FOOT BRAKE AS I HAVE TO HOLD THE SHIFT LEVER DOWN WHEN I TAKE OFF TO ENSURE I DON'T SLIP OUT OF GEAR. THIS IS PARTICULARLY BAD WHEN STOPPED ON A HILL. I HAVE TO DO A DANCE AND HAVE GREAT TIMING TO LET OUT THE CLUTCH, LET OFF THE HAND BRAKE AND ACCELERATE ALL AT THE SAME TIME. THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES SENSE TO THOSE I'VE SPOKEN TO ABOUT THIS SITUATION IS THAT TWO PARTS ARE BARELY WITHIN SPEC. AND BECAUSE BOTH OF THOSE PARTS ARE IN MY BIKE, THEY DON'T ENGAGE PROPERLY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. AND, I DON'T FEEL I CAN SELL THE BIKE TO SOMEONE ELSE WHEN IT MAY CAUSE THEM A PROBLEM. THE DATE BELOW IS PUT IN BECAUSE YOU REQUIRE ONE - I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT DATE EXCEPT IT WAS IN MAY PRIOR TO MY WARRANTY RUNNING OUT. THIS HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY - ALMOST EVERY TIME I RIDE. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .