RoadVitals

1998 BMW BMW Motorcycle

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
4
Latest Sep 7, 2013
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 BMW BMW Motorcycle, most frequently naming the powertrain (other), brakes and electrical categories. 11 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Powertrain (other)233.3%
  • Brakes116.7%
  • Electrical116.7%
  • Steering116.7%
  • Suspension116.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

SteeringSuspension
Filed Sep 7, 2013

STRUCK A LARGE POT HOLE ON A CITY STREET. AS EXPECTED THE FRONT SUSPENSION COMPRESSED BUT THE FRONT FENDER (TRAILING SECTION) CAUGHT IN THE ENGINE COWLING AS THE SUSPENSION DECOMPRESSED. THIS MAKES THE STEERING RESTRICTED TO MOVEMENTS OF ABOUT +/- 10 DEGREES WITH SIGNIFICANT FRICTION IN THE STEERING OVER THIS RANGE. THIS MAKES THE BIKE VERY UNSTABLE ON TURNS! THE REPAIR IS TO STOP AND REMOVE THE FRONT TRAILING FENDER FROM THE COWLING BY REMOVING THE BOLTS HOLDING IT TO THE FRONT FORK AND THEN REATTACHING FENDER IN THE CORRECT POSITION. TYPICALLY THE TOP SCREW HOLE IN THE FENDER IS BADLY DEFORMED FROM PRESSURE ON THE FENDER. THE LONG TERM SOLUTION IS TO REMOVE THE FENDER AND SAW OFF APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF MATERIAL FROM THE BOTTOM EDGE. BMW 1998 K1200RS

NHTSA ID
10542418
Incident
Aug 5, 2013
Mileage
83,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 4, 2012

THE FINAL DRIVE ON THE MOTORCYCLE LEAKED OIL OUT OF RING GEAR SEAL, AND BIKE SUDDENLY MADE GRINDING NOISE. AFTER TEAR DOWN AND INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE LARGE RADIAL BEARING HAD FAILED CAUSING THE SEAL TO FAIL, REPLACEMENT OF BEARING AND SEAL WAS DONE. SAME FAILURE AS DESCRIBED IN ODI NO. 10439549, AND CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED UNDER CAMPAIGN DP12001. *KB

NHTSA ID
10446641
Incident
Nov 22, 2006
Mileage
25,876 mi
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed Nov 6, 2007

THREE HUNDRED MILES FROM HOME A GRINDING SOUND STARTED BEING AUDIBLE FROM THE REAR OF THE BIKE. I STOPPED AFTER IT CONTINUED AND FAILED TO SEE ANYTHING WRONG. THE WHEEL AND TIRE WERE DRY AND NO APPARENT LEAKS ANYWHERE. I CONTINUED AND THE GRINDING BECAME LOUDER. I STOPPED AND LOOKED AND THIS TIME SEEN A FEW SPOTS OF OIL ON THE REAR WHEEL. CONTINUED INVESTIGATION SHOWED GEAR OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS STILL VISIBLE. I CONTINUED A SHORT WAY AND THE SOUND BECAME MUCH LOUDER AND THE REAR OF THE BIKE BEGAN TO SWAY SIDE TO SIDE. I MANAGED TO STOP JUST AS THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP. I DISMOUNTED AND LOOKED AT THE REAR WHEEL. IT WAS NOW COVERED IN OIL. I UNLOADED THE LUGGAGE FROM THE CYCLE AND PLACED THE CYCLE ON THE CENTER STAND. THE REAR WHEEL WAS SO LOOSE THAT THE REAR BRAKE ROTOR GOUGED THE BRAKE CALIPER FROM THE SIDEWAYS MOVEMENT OF THE WHEEL. AT THIS POINT I WAS STRANDED. I CALLED THE NEAREST BMW DEALER AND HE STATED HE HAD NO TIME TO HELP ME. IT WAS FRIDAY AND HE TOLD ME TO CALL HIM TUESDAY IF I WAS STILL AROUND. I CALLED AN INDEPENDENT SHOP. AFTER SOME HOURS HE ARRIVED AND WE HAD THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL APART. THE CROWN BEARING CAGE HAD COMPLETELY, AND TOTALLY FAILED. THE RACES WERE DAMAGED, THE REAR BRAKE ROTOR, CALIPER AND PADS AND ABS SENSOR WERE DESTROYED. THE INDEPENDENT SHOP HAD PARTS IN STOCK, EXCEPT THE ABS SENSOR, AS HE HAD REPLACED/REPAIRED MANY OF THESE. HE REBUILT MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL OVER NIGHT AND THE NEXT NOON I WAS ON MY WAY. ALTHOUGH MY CYCLE ONLY HAD 27,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE, THE BIKE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY TIME WISE. THE COST OF THE PARTS AND LABOR WERE PAID BY ME. IT HAS BEEN AWHILE BUT, I THINK I HAVE SOME OF THE DAMAGED PARTS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10208084
Incident
May 20, 2005
Mileage
26,897 mi
Electrical
Filed Sep 16, 2003

ELECTRICAL COMPONENT (HALL IGNITIONS SENSOR ASSEMBLY) FAILURE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10039023
Incident
Aug 30, 2003

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SB-00-021-07

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

BMW MOTORCYCLE: ENGINE FUELS CONTAINING ETHANOL. BMW MOTORRAD HAS NO OBJECTION TO THE USE OF SI ENGINE FUELS CONTAINING UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 10% ETHANOL AND IMPOSES NO WARRANTY RESTRICTIONS. ETHANOL MIXTURES IN PROPORTIONS HIGHER THAN 10% CAN HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE AND CAN RESULT IN DAMAGE TO COMPONENTS THAT COME INTO CONTRACT WITH FUEL. NO WARRANTY CLAIMS WHATSOEVER FOR DAMAGE CAUSED IN THIS WAY WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE

#2861

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

PROBLEM CONCERNING POOR CLUTCH DISENGAGEMENT; GEARSHIFT DIFFICULTIES. *YC

#2855

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

SUBJECT ON SJ ENGINE OIL - NOT APPROVED. *YC

#2851

STRUCTURE:BODY

SUBJECT ON TAMPERING / NON-BMW APPROVED MODIFICATIONS. *YC

#2850

STRUCTURE:BODY

INFORMATION ON MODIFICATION TO FRONT BRAKE AND CLUTCH SYSTEMS. *YC

#2856

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

INFORMATION REGARDING REUSABLE VALVE COVER GASKETS. *YC

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

BMW BMW Motorcycle by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2001101—
2000130247.9
1999130036.2
1998Viewing400—
1997200—
1996300—
1995300—
1994200—
1992100—
1989100—
1988100—
1984000—
1983000—
1982000—
1981000—
1980000—
1979000—
1978000—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.