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2017 BMW R 1200 Gs Adventure Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
7
Latest May 24, 2025
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2017 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

  • Brakes466.7%
  • Fuel system116.7%
  • Powertrain (other)116.7%

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

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

It is not clear which rear brake component is failing. It seems to be either the master cylinder or the ABS control module, but nothing seems to be conclusive. The failure alters the power of, and force required to apply, the rear brakes, changing the riding characteristics of the motorcycle that could lead to serious injury or miscalculations in application of the rear brake to minimize stopping distance. Apparently the component has been inspected by the manufacturer, however there has been no concrete solution that would guarantee a permanent fix. There are no warning lamps or visual indicators to prepare riders that the rear brakes may be compromised or dysfunctional. There have been multiple incidents of this failure from new. After 7 years and over 800 posts (in this thread alone), owners and BMW dealers have not been able correct the defects with 100% certainty. [XXX] This impacts owners of this motorcycle with a Production Date Range of Sept 1, 2012 through to Aug 31, 2020. BMW knows of the problem and released a Technical Service Bulletin SIB 34 01 21 to Dealers [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11662904 · filed May 24, 2025

I bought a 2017 BMW R 1200 GS used from a dealer with 554 miles on it. Basically new. I put 1100 miles on the bike before I had a work related accident. The Bike has 1687 miles on it now. Bike has been sitting for 3+ years in a garage. The rear brake goes all the way to the bump stop with no resistance. With the bike on the center stand and the rear brake lever all the way down to the bump stop, the rear wheel spins freely. I rode this bike 2 days before my accident in July of 2020 and the rear brake worked fine. I have not rode the bike in 3+ years and the rear brake went flat. This is unacceptable. I think BMW knows there is a problem. I want you to know there is a problem so maybe the problem get fixed. I've read post on BMW forums, explaining the rear master cylinder sucks in air. Air in brake lines is no good. That means the rear brake master cylinder could suck in air and render the rear brake useless. I think Brakes are an especially important part of vehicle safety.

NHTSA ID 11550245 · filed Oct 16, 2023

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

I EXPERIENCED THREE INSTANCES OF THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON AND THE ENGINE LOSING POWER AND THROTTLE CONTROL. THE MOTOR CONTINUED TO RUN BUT WAS RESTRICTED TO A FAST IDLE OF APPROX. 2000RPM AND NO THROTTLE. SPEED WAS THEREFORE RESTRICTED TO 2000 RPM DEPENDING ON WHAT GEAR WHICH WAS ABOUT 5-10 MPH.. ONE EVENT HAPPENED AT SLOW SPEED AND TWO WERE AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 55 MPH ALL HAPPENING IN A SPAN OF ABOUT 30 MILES. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ON A RURAL HIGHWAY WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC AS THERE WAS NO WARNING AND NO POSSIBILITY TO LOOK FOR A SAFE PULL OFF SPOT. EACH TIME I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE MOTOR AND RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE IGNITION FOR A SHORT TIME AND RESTARTING, MOTOR RAN FINE WITH WARNING LIGHTS. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO A BMW REPAIR FACILITY AND HAD THE ENGINE CODES DOWNLOADED BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE A CAUSE. I WAS TOLD TO CONTINUE RIDING IT AND IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN TO NOT START IT BUT HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. I FEEL THIS IS A BIT DANGEROUS AS IF IT WAS TO HAPPEN IN THE CENTER LANE OF A BUSY INTERSTATE THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RIDE IT SINCE RETURNING FROM THE REPAIR FACILITY BUT THE DEALER PUT ABOUT 50 MILES ON IT WITHOUT IT REOCCURRING. I DON'T FEEL REAL CONFIDENT OR SAFE AS NOTHING WAS DONE TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

NHTSA ID 11280930 · filed Nov 18, 2019

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2017 BMW R1200 GS Adventure. The contact stated while riding at approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal "clunking" sound coming from the rear of the motorcycle. The contact stated that immediately the motorcycle started to lose motive power. While attempting to accelerate, the motorcycle started to vibrate without accelerating properly. The contact stated there was no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he coasted to the side of the road and turned off the motorcycle. The contact noticed that a rubber grommet that covered the universal joint connection to the final drive was torn. The contact had the motorcycle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the universal joint and driveshaft needed to be replaced. The motorcycle had been repaired. The contact also noticed an oil leak and had to return the motorcycle to the same dealer to have additional bearings and seals replaced. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA ID Number: 10218351 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

NHTSA ID 11511858 · filed Mar 14, 2023

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

Data on this page last refreshed .