2009 BMW R 1200 Gs Adventure 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 2009 BMW R 1200 Gs Adventure, 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 system571.4%
- Brakes114.3%
- Tires & wheels114.3%
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
THE GAS TANK HAS QUICK DISCONNECT FITTINGS THAT SCREW INTO A PLASTIC FLANGE ON EACH SIDE OF THE TANK. THE FITTING THREADS ARE SIMILAR TO NPT PIPE THREADS WHICH OVER STRESS THE PLASTIC AND RESULT IN CRACKING, FUEL THEN LEAKS FROM THE TANK UNDER THE FAIRING ASSEMBLY ON TO ELECTRICAL WIRING, ENGINE PARTS AND HOT EXHAUST COMPONENTS. THIS COULD RESULT IN FIRE OR UNEXPECTED STOPPAGE CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR FATALITY FROM A WRECK IN TRAFFIC. *TR
FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING. HAVE HAD SEVERAL FUEL LEVEL STRIPS REPLACED. BMW DEALER TELLS ME THERE IS NO FIX. *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
I WAS RIDING MY 2009 BMW R1200GS ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH IN THE CARPOOL LANE. IT BEGAN TO RAIN SO I WENT TO PULL ONTO THE SHOULDER TO DON MY RAIN GEAR. I PULLED THE BRAKE LEVER TO SLOW, ONLY TO FIND I HAD NO BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY SLOW THE VEHICLE USING THE REAR BRAKE. INSPECTION OF THE FRONT BRAKES SHOWED THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER WAS HANGING FREELY, ONLY CONNECTED BY THE HYDRAULIC LINE. THE TWO BOLTS THAT HOLD THE CALIPER TO THE FORK MOUNTS WERE MISSING. INSPECTION OF THE TWO BOLT HOLES ON THE FORK SHOWED THAT THEY WERE COMPLETELY STRIPPED. NOTE THE VEHICLE HAD BOTH FRONT BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED BY THE DEALER TWO DAYS EARLIER. THIS REQUIRED REMOVAL OF THE BRAKE CALIPERS. THE BIKE HAD BEEN RIDDEN LESS THAN 50 MILES SINCE THE SERVICE. THIS IS THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR ME ON THIS VEHICLE. THE DAMAGE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
SHINKO E705 REAR TIRE, SIZE 150/70/17,APPROXIMATELY 4K MILES (ALL HIGHWAY) MOUNTED ON OEM WHEEL OF A 2009 BMW R1200GS ADVENTURE, TIRE TREAD BLOCKS ARE SEVERELY CRACKED AND SOME CRACKS WITH NOTED BULGING/SWELLING WHILE TIRE IS INFLATED TO 33PSI AS PER THE SIDEWALL INFORMATION PANEL. *TR
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 .