2002 BMW K1200LT Problems

RIDING ON RELATIVELY STRAIGHT, TWO LANE STATE ROAD IN RURAL GEORGIA ( WITHOUT HAVING ANY PREVIOUS ISSUES). RIDING APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MILES PER HOUR. BIKE SUDDENLY BEGAN MAKING A CLANKING NOISE FROM THE REAR WHEEL. RODE APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE-TENTH MILE TO STORE PARKING LOT. SHUT DOWN BIKE AND TRANSPORTED TO MY RESIDENCE ON TRAILER.

ODI NO. [XXX], AND CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED UNDER CAMPAIGN DP12001. OIL LEAKED OVER TIRE AND BRAKES. NOTICED THE LEAK WHEN TRIED TO STOP AND DIDN'T STOP AS IT NORMALLY DID. BMW DEALER REPLACED FINAL DRIVE. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I CAN'T GET THE BRAKE WARNING FAILURE LIGHT TO STOP BLINKING. THE BRAKES WORK GREAT07

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW K1200LT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BRAKE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,197. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I STARTED MY BIKE UP AT 8:00 AM ON A WARM MORNING IN MY GARAGE AS I ALWAYS DO, AND BACKED IT OUT WHILE IT WAS IDLING PERFECTLY. SUDDENLY SMOKE BEGAN TO RISE UP FROM THE LEFT FAIRING VENT. I SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND JUMPED OFF THE BIKE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE. TO MY SURPRISE, THE ENGINE BAY WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I GRABBED MY GARDEN HOSE AND MANAGED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE WHOLE EVENT LASTED ABOUT A MINUTE OR TWO. THE DAMAGE WAS DONE, I REMOVED THE FAIRING COVERS TO EXAMINE THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. IT APPEARED TO BE A FUEL RAIL FAILURE. I FOUND WHAT LOOKS LIKE A "T" SHAPED FRACTURE NEAR THE HIGH PRESSURE INPUT SIDE OF THE FUEL RAIL. THE DAMAGE WAS MOSTLY CONFINED TO THIS HIGH PRESSURE SIDE OF THE FUEL RAIL AREA. I SEARCHED THE BMW LUXURY TOURING SITE TO SEE IF THERE MAY BE A PATTERN OF THESE "K" MODEL BIKES CATCHING ON FIRE. TO MY SURPRISE THERE WERE MANY, DESCRIBING MY EXPERIENCE EXACTLY AS MINE HAD OCCURRED. THE PLASTIC GAS TANK IS MOUNTED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE AREA THAT WAS ON FIRE. I HAD A 1/4 TANK OF GAS. THIS COULD HAVE BECOME EXPLOSIVE. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED DURING MY RIDE THAT MORNING. I HAVE BEEN RIDING BIKES MOST OF MY LIFE. I'M 62 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A BIKE FIRE ON ANY BIKE THAT I HAVE OWNED. WHAT STRUCK ME IN THE OTHER ACCOUNTS OF OTHER OWNERS OF THESE BIKES WAS THE EXACTNESS OF THE DESCRIPTION AND THAT THE FIRE WAS SPONTANEOUS.

I WAS RIDING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 75 MPH. I STARTED SMELLING A STRONG ODOR OF GAS. WHEN I GOT HOME I HAD FUEL DRIPPING ON THE GROUND UNDERNEATH THE BIKE. IT WAS ON MY BOOTS, PANTS LEG AND ALL OVER THE SIDE OF MY BIKE. IT MESSED UP MY PAINT IN SOME AREAS AND WILL NEED TO BE REPAINTED. I TOOK THE SIDE COVER OFF AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THE FUEL DRIPPING FROM THE QUICK DISCONNECT ON THE LOWER FUEL LINE. I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I NOTICED LEAKING OIL COMING FROM THE APPROXIMATE CENTER OF MY VEHICLE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE LEAK WAS FROM THE MAIN TRANSMISSION SEAL & THAT IF NOT REPAIRED, WOULD GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE; MEANING EVENTUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THEREFORE, I HAD THE MAIN SEAL REPLACED; AN EXPENSIVE $1300 JOB!

I WAS DRIVING A 2002 BMW K1200LT MOTORCYCLE. I HAS SPENT THE DAY DRIVING AROUND TOWN, LOCALLY AT AVERAGE CITY SPEEDS & IN AVERAGE TRAFFIC. WHILE SLOWING TO INITIATE A TURN I DOWN SHIFTED INTO 1ST GEAR WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT LINKAGE SNAPPED. THIS LEFT THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER DANGLING LOOSELY. WHILE STUCK IN 1ST GEAR, I DROVE MY VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP. THE REPAIR TOOK A WHOLE WEEK SINCE THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO ORDER PARTS. THE PARTS, SUPPOSEDLY COMING FROM GERMANY, DID NOT GET TO THE DEALERSHIP IN TIME. THEY HAD TO TAKE THE PARTS FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE & INSTALL THEM IN MINE.*AK

THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT A BMW K1200LTS: IT IS TOP HEAVY AND WILL GET AWAY FROM THE OPERATOR AND ROLL OVER (STANDING STILL OR DURING A VERY SLOW MANEUVER): IN SHORT IF IT EXCEEDS ITS VIRTICAL BALANCE IT WILL FLOP OVER SLAMING THE OPERATOR ONTO THE PAVEMENT. *AK . I CALLED NORMAND BRODEUR, (MANAGER DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAM, UNDER STATE OF MAINE, SECRETARY OF STATE, BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES) AND ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW ABOUT THIS MOTORCYCLE AND HE TOLD ME HE'D OPERATED ONE AND THAT THEY ARE "TOP-HEAVY". HE KINDLY SENT ME A WORK BOOK THAT COMPLIMENTED ANOTHER BOOK I'D BOUGHT ON MY OWN TO CHECK MYSELF ON OPERATING TECHNIQUE (MOTORCYCLING EXCELLENCE AND HIS A WORKBOOK THAT GOES WITH IT, WITH A MOTORCYCLE SKILL TEST PRACTICE GUIDE ALL PUBLISHED BY THE MOTORCYCLE FOUNDATION). I PERFORMED THE SKILL TEST PRACTICE GUIDE AND HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE OPERATIONS. OF COURSE I WAS MOVING BETWEEN 10 AND 20 MPH. POOR ENGINEERING: THE K1200LTS IS NOT ONLY TOP HEAVY, THE 'V' SHAPED HANDLE BARS, WHICH REACH BACK ABOUT 20 INCHES FROM THE STEERING POST, GIVE THE OPERATOR NO ABILITY TO APPLY FORCE WHICH WOULD HELP TO STABILIZE A SLOW MOVING OR STANDING BIKE WHEN IT STARTS GOING OFF BALANCE; IN FACT THE FRONT WHEEL, ONCE THE BIKE HAS REACHED A CERTAIN POINT IN THE FALL, TURNS DUE TO FRICTION WITH THE ROAD SURFACE AND LITERALLY RIPS THE HANDLE-GRIPS OUT OF THE OPERATORS HANDS. NOT ONLY THAT. THE FRONT WHEEL ALSO ROLLS--NO 'ZIPS' AS IF IT WERE ON ICE-- OUT FROM UNDER THE MOTORCYCLE MAKING THE OPERATOR'S TRIP TO THE PAVEMENT VERY ABRUPT AND POSSIBLY VERY INJURIOUS. . . CONCLUSION: BMW MANUFACTURED A K1200 (LTS) MODEL IN 2002 THAT IT KNEW WAS TOP HEAVY AND DIFFICULT TO HANDLE AT LOW SPEEDS EVEN FOR AN EXPERIENCED OPERATOR. AND, THE K1200LTS IS DESIGNED, SUPPOSIDLY, FOR TRANSPORTING TWO PEOPLE AND SOME TRAVELING GEAR. JOHN R. MILLER

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON A EIGHT HOUR DRIVE THE MUFFLER BURNED A HOLE IN THE SADDLE BAGS. NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK *TC

THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT A BMW K1200LTS: IT IS TOP HEAVY AND WILL GET AWAY FROM THE OPERATOR AND ROLL OVER (STANDING STILL OR DURING A VERY SLOW MANEUVER): IN SHORT IF IT EXCEEDS ITS VIRTICAL BALANCE IT WILL FLOP OVER SLAMING THE OPERATOR ONTO THE PAVEMENT. *AK . I CALLED NORMAND BRODEUR, (MANAGER DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAM, UNDER STATE OF MAINE, SECRETARY OF STATE, BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES) AND ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW ABOUT THIS MOTORCYCLE AND HE TOLD ME HE'D OPERATED ONE AND THAT THEY ARE "TOP-HEAVY". HE KINDLY SENT ME A WORK BOOK THAT COMPLIMENTED ANOTHER BOOK I'D BOUGHT ON MY OWN TO CHECK MYSELF ON OPERATING TECHNIQUE (MOTORCYCLING EXCELLENCE AND HIS A WORKBOOK THAT GOES WITH IT, WITH A MOTORCYCLE SKILL TEST PRACTICE GUIDE ALL PUBLISHED BY THE MOTORCYCLE FOUNDATION). I PERFORMED THE SKILL TEST PRACTICE GUIDE AND HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE OPERATIONS. OF COURSE I WAS MOVING BETWEEN 10 AND 20 MPH. POOR ENGINEERING: THE K1200LTS IS NOT ONLY TOP HEAVY, THE 'V' SHAPED HANDLE BARS, WHICH REACH BACK ABOUT 20 INCHES FROM THE STEERING POST, GIVE THE OPERATOR NO ABILITY TO APPLY FORCE WHICH WOULD HELP TO STABILIZE A SLOW MOVING OR STANDING BIKE WHEN IT STARTS GOING OFF BALANCE; IN FACT THE FRONT WHEEL, ONCE THE BIKE HAS REACHED A CERTAIN POINT IN THE FALL, TURNS DUE TO FRICTION WITH THE ROAD SURFACE AND LITERALLY RIPS THE HANDLE-GRIPS OUT OF THE OPERATORS HANDS. NOT ONLY THAT. THE FRONT WHEEL ALSO ROLLS--NO 'ZIPS' AS IF IT WERE ON ICE-- OUT FROM UNDER THE MOTORCYCLE MAKING THE OPERATOR'S TRIP TO THE PAVEMENT VERY ABRUPT AND POSSIBLY VERY INJURIOUS. . . CONCLUSION: BMW MANUFACTURED A K1200 (LTS) MODEL IN 2002 THAT IT KNEW WAS TOP HEAVY AND DIFFICULT TO HANDLE AT LOW SPEEDS EVEN FOR AN EXPERIENCED OPERATOR. AND, THE K1200LTS IS DESIGNED, SUPPOSIDLY, FOR TRANSPORTING TWO PEOPLE AND SOME TRAVELING GEAR. JOHN R. MILLER