2004 BMW R 1150 R 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 2004 BMW R 1150 R, 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
- Fuel system777.8%
- Brakes111.1%
- Transmission111.1%
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
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1150R. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH HE BEGAN TO SMELL FUEL. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE NEAR THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MOTORCYCLE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,500. UPDATED 07/03/14 MA UPDATED 07/08/2014 *JS
I PURCHASED THIS BIKE LAST OCTOBER, AND UPON GETTING IT HOME SMELLED GAS, I DID GET A REPORT FROM THE DEALER WHO ORIGINALLY SOLD THE BIKE WHAT HAD BEEN DONE UNDER WARRANTY, ETC. IT WAS INDICATED THAT THE GAS TANK HAD BEEN REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. I TRIED 3 NEW O RINGS, A USED FUEL PUMP BASE PLATE ASSEMBLY AND WAS STILL EXPERIENCING A LIGHT WEEPING, THERE WAS ALSO INDICATIONS OF LONG TERM WEEPING THAT HAD DISCOLORED THE PAINT. I FINALLY TOOK THE TANK OFF AGAIN AND EXAMINED THE INSIDE WITH A MIRROR AND DISCOVERED 3 SMALL CRACKS ON THE BACK OF WHERE THE THREADED CERTS ARE FORMED INTO THE TANK DURING MANUFACTURER. I HAVE SINCE SCOTCH BRIGHTENED THEM AND APPLIED 3 COATS OF SEAL-ALL WHICH SEEMS TO BE HOLDING SO FAR, IT'S BEEN 5 DAYS. I WAS NOT TOLD WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ORIGINAL TANK BUT PRESUME IT WAS THE SAME DEFECT AND THE DEALER NOT KNOWING INSTALLED ANOTHER DEFECTIVE TANK. THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID SMELL SOME GAS PERIODICALLY BUT DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. I DO HAVE PICTURES OF THE TANK SHOWING THE CRACKS AND STAINING. I AM NOT SEEKING ANY DAMAGES BUT FEEL THERE COULD BE OTHERS WITH SIMILAR CONDITIONS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW R1150(N/A). THE CONTACT TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE IN FOR SERVICE, THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT THE ABS UNIT WAS INOPERABLE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 8,700. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 10/11/2011 *LN *TR
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
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1150 GS ADVENTURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN FIRST GEAR AND WHEN THE SPEED INCREASE TO 40 MPH THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE WHEN HE SHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT TRIED TO SHIFT AND BACK UP, BUT THE GRINDING NOISE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE SPLINE INPUT SHAFT HAD SEVERE WEAR AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CLUTCH PLATE WAS STRIPPED AS WELL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 33,000.
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 .