RoadVitals

2004 BMW R 1150 RT Powertrain (other) Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) reportsComplaints 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.
10
Latest Jul 18, 2012
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
56%
of 18 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 BMW R 1150 RT submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming powertrain

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 18, 2012

THE REAR TIRE BECAME OIL COVERED AND SLICK BECAUSE OF A FAILED OIL SEAL IN THE FINAL DRIVE. THE OIL SEAL HAD FAILED AS RESULTS OF THE FINAL DRIVE BEARING FAILURE. THESE FAILURES CAUSED AN UNSAFE CONDITION AS THERE WAS EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT IN THE REAR WHEEL AND THE REAR TIRE WAS OIL SOAKED FROM THE SEAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE GAVE LITTLE ADVANCED WARNING AS ROAD AND TIRE NOISE CHANGES AND SOUND SIMILAR. I HAVE HAD TWO FINAL DRIVE FAILURES ON THE SAME MOTORCYCLE, THE FIRST 06/04/2006 AT 33,095 MILES AT 25 MPH AND THE SECOND 07/13/2012 AT 74,341 MILES AT 65 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM.

NHTSA ID
10467341
Incident
Jun 4, 2006
Mileage
33,095 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 10, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1150RT MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FINAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE REAR END TO SEVERELY KNOCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL SPILLED OUT FROM THE VEHICLE AS WELL. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A 3-6 MONTH BACK ORDER ON THE PART THAT WAS NEEDED TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

NHTSA ID
10465080
Incident
Apr 28, 2012
Mileage
17,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 4, 2012
Crash reported

FINAL DRIVE, CROWN GEAR BEARING FAILED. NO EARLY WARNING OF OIL LEAKAGE, JUST WENT SUDDENLY WHEN ON CROSS COUNTRY TRIP WHILE IN CO. FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL TO WOBBLE SIGNIFICANTLY, THE OIL SEAL TO FAIL AND REAR LUBE OIL LEAKED ALL OVER REAR WHEEL. (HAVE PICTURE) SAME FAILURE AS DESCRIBED IN ODI NO. 10439549, AND CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED UNDER CAMPAIGN DP12001. *KB

NHTSA ID
10446674
Incident
Aug 29, 2009
Mileage
100,500 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 3, 2012

FAILURE OF FINAL DRIVE CROWN GEAR BEARING. THE BEARING SHATTERED CAUSING THE SEAL TO BE DAMAGED WITH OIL LOSS. *KB

NHTSA ID
10446408
Incident
Sep 15, 2009
Mileage
42,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 3, 2012

MOTORCYCLE FINAL DRIVE GEAR BEARING FAILURE. GEAR OIL LEAKING FROM FINAL DRIVE. *KB

NHTSA ID
10446382
Incident
Jun 29, 2011
Mileage
66,126 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 8, 2012

ON I-5 SOUTHBOUND IN BELLINGHAM WA, LEFT LANE AT 60MPH. UP SHIFTED TRANSMISSION AND HEARD GRINDING NOISE, ON CLUTCH RELEASE. MANAGED TO GET TO RIGHT ROAD SHOULDER AND PUSH BIKE TO NEXT EXIT. FOUND CLUTCH DISK SPLINES STRIPPED AND TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT SPLINES VERY WORN. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF PROBLEM UNTIL THE SPLINES STRIPPED. UPON RESEARCH OF THIS PROBLEM, FOUND IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM OF THE BMW R1150RT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10442853
Incident
Dec 18, 2011
Mileage
35,680 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 25, 2011

LOST TRANSMISSION SPLINES AND CLUTCH DISK SPLINES GOING DOWN THE ROAD SHIFTING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. LOST ALL DRIVE TO REAR WHEEL AND HAD TO COAST TO SIDE OF ROAD, THANKFULLY TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10437234
Incident
Jul 25, 2008
Mileage
16,491 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 3, 2010

FINAL DRIVE FAILED ON MY 2004 BMW R1150RT. MOTORCYCLE HAS 31,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10297919
Incident
Dec 28, 2009
Mileage
31,050 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Dec 21, 2009

THE WAS NO WARNING THAT A FAILURE WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR. I WAS TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED ON A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA GA WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. HAD I BEEN IN A MIDDLE LANE, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A LIFE ENDANGERING SITUATION. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE FAR LEFT LANE AND COASTED TO A STOP ON THE LEFT SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CLUTCH SPLINES OF DRIVE SYSTEM STRIPPED OUT AT 50,000 MILES. ACCORDING TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE, THESE FAILURES CAN OCCUR AS OFTEN AS EVERY 10-15K MILES BUT MOST FREQUENTLY AROUND 20-25K. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE WITH ABOUT 28K MILES AND SUSPECT THE PREVIOUS OWNER MAY HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. I DISASSEMBLED THE VEHICLE AND REPLACED THE CLUTCH PARTS AND THE TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS A COSTLY REPAIR EVEN THOUGH I DID MOST OF THE LABOR. TOTAL COST FOR ME WAS JUST OVER $1200. THE ONLY PART I HAVE IS THE INPUT SHAFT THAT I USED AS A CLUTCH CENTERING TOOL TO INSTALL THE NEW CLUTCH. *TR

NHTSA ID
10296529
Incident
Sep 23, 2009
Mileage
50,720 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 21, 2008

2004 BMW R1150RT FAILURE OF FINAL DRIVE BEARING. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, DENIED BY BMW, AND COULD CAUSE A POTENTIALLY FATAL CRASH IF IT LOCKED UP AT SPEED. OUT RACE FAILS, EVENTUALLY THE BEARING RETAINERS FAIL, AND BEARING COLLAPSES, POTENTIALLY LOCKING UP THE REAR WHEEL. *TR

NHTSA ID
10235119
Incident
Jul 15, 2007
Mileage
38,612 mi

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

Data on this page last refreshed .