2008 BMW R 1200 Gs Adventure Problems

FUEL LEVEL SENSOR INDICATOR FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THIS HAPPENS ON ALL OF THESE MODELS BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL OR EVEN AN ACCEPTABLE FIX FROM BMW. WE ARE ADVISED TO USE OUR ODOMETER AND IGNORE WARNING LIGHTS ON OUR DASHBOARDS. *TR

FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR SHOWED EMPTY AFTER REFILLING. FLASHING LIGHTS INDICATING PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE. FILLED UP WITH 1/2 GALLON OF 91 OCTANE GASOLINE TO VISIBLE FULL IN TANK. THE TANK WAS NOT EMPTY, FAULTY FUEL LEVEL GAUGE/STRIP. THIS ITEM HAS BEEN REPLACED IN THE PAST WITH NO APPARENT PERMANENT FIX. *TR

MY BMW MOTORCYCLE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME BUT WITH A BRAKE FAILURE WARNING LIGHT INDICATED ON THE DISPLAY PANEL ONCE THE IGNITION WAS TURNED ON AND THE MOTORCYCLE ENGAGED TO BE RIDDEN THE MOTORCYCLE HAS LESS THAN 5,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER DOING SOME INTERNET RESEARCH, THE ABS MODULE IS COMMONLY FAILING AT AN ALARMING RATE THROUGHOUT THE USA AND ABROAD. THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE REPAIR WITH PARTS ALONE IS OVER $2,000 NOT INCLUDING LABOR. THESE UNITS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY THE MFG., BMW YET THERE HAS BEEN NO SUCH RECALL. BMW HAS MADE NO ACCOMMODATION TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY OR PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT DESPITE BEING WELL AWARE OF THE FAILURE RATE OF THESE ABS UNITS. OBVIOUSLY, A FAILURE OF THIS MODULE COULD CAUSE SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH WHILE OPERATING THE MOTORCYCLE.

IN HAVING THE BIKE SERVICE WAS INFORMED THAT THE ABS PUMP UNIT HAS FAILED AND DID SOME TIME AGO. THIS IS HAPPENING ON MANY BMW MOTORCYCLE FROM THE R AND K CLASS OF BIKES AND COULD CAUSE COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH WILL CREATE SERIOUS INJURIES

RIGHT ANGLE TRANSMISSION(FINAL DRIVE) BEARINGS FAILED REQUIRING A $2200 REPAIR. POOR DESIGN. ORIGINAL PART NOT AVAILABLE, FIRST MODIFICATION PART NOT AVAILABLE, SECOND MODIFICATION PART REQUIRED TO REPAIR MOTORCYCLE. BMW IS AWARE OF THE DEFECTIVE INADEQUATE PART DESIGN. FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED WOULD MOST LIKELY BE FATAL. NEW PART NUMBER 01 33 11 7 726 889 RIGHT-ANGLE GEARBOX WITH VENT, *TR

2006 GS 1200 BMW MOTORCYCLES,LT MODELS ALSO. MOTORCYCLES HAVE SEALS THAT ARE FAILING ON FINAL DRIVE (REAR END OF CYCLE WHERE REAR TIRE MOUNTS) THIS CAUSES GEAR LUBE TO ESCAPE ONTO REAR TIRE AND BRAKE ROTOR. BEARINGS IN REAR WHEEL WILL FAIL CAUSING REAR WHEEL TO WOBBLE AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF CONTROL OF CYCLE. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF FIRE. I PERSONALLY HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW WAITING TO GO INTO DEALER FOR REPAIR. BMW CAME OUT WITH A UPDATED FINAL DRIVE ASSY. BUT THEY WILL ONLY PUT IT ON IF THERE IS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE DEALER SAY THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM. FAILURES TYPICALLY OCCUR AROUND 20,000 MILES OR HIGHER, WHEN CYCLE WILL HOPEFULLY BE OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS ISSUE IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS,. THESE BIKES SHOULD ALL BE RECALLED AND FIXED AND OR HAVE THE WARRANTY EXTENDED FOR LIFE. OWNER INCURRED COST OF FIXING THIS COULD GO AS HIGH AS 1,500 DOLLARS. *TR

I WAS RIDING ON THE CENTRAL FREEWAY ON THE BAY BRIDGE APPROACH WHEN I BEGAN TO FEEL HEAT ON MY LEFT INNER THIGH. I ALSO NOTICED A BURNING RUBBER OR PLASTIC SMELL. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN MERGING TO THE RIGHT AS I WAS APPROACHING THE LAST SAN FRANCISCO EXIT BEFORE THE BAY BRIDGE. I FOUGHT MY WAY THROUGH THE HEAVY TRAFFIC ALL WHILE LOOKING DOWN TO SEE WHAT LOOKED LIKE EMBERS DROPPING OFF THE LEFT SIDE. I PULLED INTO A SHELL STATION, JUMPED OFF AND PULLED THE BURNING SEAT OFF OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND PATTED IT OUT. I FOUND THAT THE FRONT SEAT RAIL HAD BECOME DISLODGED (IT IS ONLY HELD IN PLACE BY A RUBBER STRAP THAT IS LOOSENED TO ADJUST THE SEAT HEIGHT) AND RUBBED THROUGH THE PROTECTIVE COVER OF THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL AND ARCED TO THE FRAME. THE SEAT AND THE SEAT BRACKETS WERE MELTED. I WAS ABLE TO COVER UP THE DAMAGED WIRING AND BATTERY ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO SAFELY RESTART THE MOTORCYCLE TO HAVE THE DAMAGE EVALUATED BY A SHOP (BAVARIAN CYCLE WORKS IN SAN FRANCISCO.) THE DAMAGE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED AND I AM AWAITING PARTS TO ARRIVE FROM GERMANY TO CARRY OUT THE REPAIRS. I HAVE LOCATED A MACHINE SHOP THAT SELLS A KIT TO MODIFY THE SEAT TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN. THE KIT ELIMINATES THE SOLID METAL BAR THAT RUNS ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE SEAT. IT USES TWO SHORTER RODS ONLY WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED TO LOCATE THE SEAT IN ITS FRONT HOLDER. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I ORDERED ONE RIGHT AWAY. *TR

ABS SYSTEM FAILED- REQUIRED THE PURCHASE OF $2500 NEW ABS PUMP CONTROL MODULE. *TR

I WAS RIDING ON THE CENTRAL FREEWAY ON THE BAY BRIDGE APPROACH WHEN I BEGAN TO FEEL HEAT ON MY LEFT INNER THIGH. I ALSO NOTICED A BURNING RUBBER OR PLASTIC SMELL. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN MERGING TO THE RIGHT AS I WAS APPROACHING THE LAST SAN FRANCISCO EXIT BEFORE THE BAY BRIDGE. I FOUGHT MY WAY THROUGH THE HEAVY TRAFFIC ALL WHILE LOOKING DOWN TO SEE WHAT LOOKED LIKE EMBERS DROPPING OFF THE LEFT SIDE. I PULLED INTO A SHELL STATION, JUMPED OFF AND PULLED THE BURNING SEAT OFF OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND PATTED IT OUT. I FOUND THAT THE FRONT SEAT RAIL HAD BECOME DISLODGED (IT IS ONLY HELD IN PLACE BY A RUBBER STRAP THAT IS LOOSENED TO ADJUST THE SEAT HEIGHT) AND RUBBED THROUGH THE PROTECTIVE COVER OF THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL AND ARCED TO THE FRAME. THE SEAT AND THE SEAT BRACKETS WERE MELTED. I WAS ABLE TO COVER UP THE DAMAGED WIRING AND BATTERY ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO SAFELY RESTART THE MOTORCYCLE TO HAVE THE DAMAGE EVALUATED BY A SHOP (BAVARIAN CYCLE WORKS IN SAN FRANCISCO.) THE DAMAGE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED AND I AM AWAITING PARTS TO ARRIVE FROM GERMANY TO CARRY OUT THE REPAIRS. I HAVE LOCATED A MACHINE SHOP THAT SELLS A KIT TO MODIFY THE SEAT TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN. THE KIT ELIMINATES THE SOLID METAL BAR THAT RUNS ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE SEAT. IT USES TWO SHORTER RODS ONLY WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED TO LOCATE THE SEAT IN ITS FRONT HOLDER. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I ORDERED ONE RIGHT AWAY. *TR

DRIVING IN THE RAIN CAUSE WATER TO PENETRATE INTO AN AREA WHERE A FPC (FUEL PRESSURE CONTROLLER) ON THE VEHICLE IS POSITIONED. THE ENGINE DIES SUDDENLY AS FUEL PRESSURE IS INTERRUPTED AND THE VEHICLE. A LARGE NUMBER OF THIS FAILURE IS REPORTED BY OTHER INDIVIDUALS ONLINE IN WEB BOARD DISCUSSIONS MAKING IT APPEAR A DESIGN FLAW. THE CONSEQUENCE FOR ME WAS THAT I HAD TO CROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC ON A DISABLED MOTORCYCLE AND WAS STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AS THE PROBLEM FIXED ITSELF TEMPORARILY AND THE DEALER SIMPLY CLEARED THE FAULT CODE FROM THE COMPUTER AND CLAIMED TO NOT BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS RIDING ON THE CENTRAL FREEWAY ON THE BAY BRIDGE APPROACH WHEN I BEGAN TO FEEL HEAT ON MY LEFT INNER THIGH. I ALSO NOTICED A BURNING RUBBER OR PLASTIC SMELL. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN MERGING TO THE RIGHT AS I WAS APPROACHING THE LAST SAN FRANCISCO EXIT BEFORE THE BAY BRIDGE. I FOUGHT MY WAY THROUGH THE HEAVY TRAFFIC ALL WHILE LOOKING DOWN TO SEE WHAT LOOKED LIKE EMBERS DROPPING OFF THE LEFT SIDE. I PULLED INTO A SHELL STATION, JUMPED OFF AND PULLED THE BURNING SEAT OFF OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND PATTED IT OUT. I FOUND THAT THE FRONT SEAT RAIL HAD BECOME DISLODGED (IT IS ONLY HELD IN PLACE BY A RUBBER STRAP THAT IS LOOSENED TO ADJUST THE SEAT HEIGHT) AND RUBBED THROUGH THE PROTECTIVE COVER OF THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL AND ARCED TO THE FRAME. THE SEAT AND THE SEAT BRACKETS WERE MELTED. I WAS ABLE TO COVER UP THE DAMAGED WIRING AND BATTERY ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO SAFELY RESTART THE MOTORCYCLE TO HAVE THE DAMAGE EVALUATED BY A SHOP (BAVARIAN CYCLE WORKS IN SAN FRANCISCO.) THE DAMAGE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED AND I AM AWAITING PARTS TO ARRIVE FROM GERMANY TO CARRY OUT THE REPAIRS. I HAVE LOCATED A MACHINE SHOP THAT SELLS A KIT TO MODIFY THE SEAT TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN. THE KIT ELIMINATES THE SOLID METAL BAR THAT RUNS ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE SEAT. IT USES TWO SHORTER RODS ONLY WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED TO LOCATE THE SEAT IN ITS FRONT HOLDER. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I ORDERED ONE RIGHT AWAY. *TR

ABS SYSTEM FAILED- REQUIRED THE PURCHASE OF $2500 NEW ABS PUMP CONTROL MODULE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW R1200 GS ADVENTURE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT NOTICED AN ENGINE OIL LEAKAGE FROM THE REAR DISK THAT LEAKED ONTO THE REAR TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,591.