2005 BMW R 1200 Gs Brakes Problems

ABS PUMP FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

11001223

Incident

May 16, 2017

Mileage

59,000 mi

I EXPERIENCED A 100% NO BRAKES SITUATION COMING INTO A SLOW SPEED 90 DEGREE TURN ON A BACK ROAD. LUCKILY I HADN'T BEEN GOING TO FAST AND WAS ABLE TO DOWN SHIFT AND SCRUB A LITTLE SPEED BUT FORCED WITH ONLY ENGINE BRAKING AND A VERY OLD ASPHALT ROAD COVERED IN GRAVEL I HAD TO LAY IT DOWN TO STOP FROM GOING INTO A 60FT+ RAVINE. I'VE PUT 250-300K OF STREET RIDING UNDER MY BUTT AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE LAID A BIKE DOWN. I DID HURT MY LEFT LEG AND I HAVE A HUGE BRUISE THERE NOW AND MY CRASH BARS PREVENTED ANY MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE BIKE BUT IT DID STILL CAUSE ABOUT $500 IN DAMAGES. I'M WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT THE 05-06 SERVO BIKES HAVE HAD WITH BRAKE FAILURE BUT I'VE ALWAYS READ THAT THE RESIDUAL BRAKES ARE STILL THERE IF THE SERVOS FAIL. I CAN ATTEST I HAD ZERO BRAKES! LEVER WENT TO THE BARS AND REAR JUST FELL DOWN AND HAD NOTHING. I'VE ACTUALLY PRACTICE A COUPLE PANIC STOPS WITH THE IGNITION OFF TO EXPERIENCE WHAT JUST THE RESIDUAL BRAKE FEEL LIKE AND I WAS ABLE STOP FAIRLY NORMAL WITH JUST SOME INCREASE EFFORT. THIS WAS NOT THAT! AFTER THE CRASH I TURNED OFF THE BIKE AND ANOTHER RIDER HELPED ME PICK IT UP. UPON TURNING IT BACK ON I STILL HAD ZERO BRAKES THE LEVER JUST WENT TO THE BARS AND REAR HAD NOTHING. WHEN I TURNED THE BIKE BACK ON I HAD THE ABS AND BRAKE FAILURE LIGHTS FLASHING AND THE SERVO NEVER KICKED ON TO DO ITS BIT CYCLE. SO ME AND THE OTHER GUY SAT THERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED AND ABOUT 2 MINUTES OR SO WENT BY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SERVOS KICKED ON AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS WENT OFF AND MY BRAKES WHERE BACK TO NORMAL!!! I TURNED THE BIKE OFF AND NOW I HAD RESIDUAL BRAKES AGAIN! THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE VERY WELL KILLED ME IF IT HAPPENED IN MULTIPLE AREAS EARLIER IN THE RIDE. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO NUMEROUS PEOPLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10717109

Incident

May 17, 2015

Mileage

51,010 mi

UPON REPLACING REAR TIRE AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP, NOTICED A CRACKED REAR WHEEL FLANGE. THESE CRACKS APPEARED ON 4 OF 5 ATTACHMENT POINTS WHERE THE FLANGE BOLTS ONTO THE REAR DRIVE. THIS IS A PART THAT HOLDS THE WHEEL TO THE MOTORCYCLE. SPOKE TO BMW NA AND THEY DO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM AS INHERENT DEFECT, AND HAVE NOT RECALLED DESPITE HAVING REDESIGNED THE REPLACEMENT PART SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS (IMPLIED ADMISSION BY BMW OF THE INHERENT DEFECT DUE TO REDESIGN). THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE RELATED TO AN INHERENT DEFECT OF SAFETY CRITICAL PART - THE REAR WHEEL FLANGE. FAILURE OF THIS PART WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED MAY CAUSE LOSS OF REAR BRAKE FUNCTION, LOSS OF STEERING ABILITY, SUDDEN SEIZURE OF REAR WHEEL, AND/OR POSSIBLE LOSS OF REAR WHEEL. THIS MAY LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY AND EVEN DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10643951

Incident

Oct 8, 2014

Mileage

62,000 mi

I WAS REPLACING MY REAR BRAKE ROTOR. THE ROTOR IS BOLTED TO A PIECE CALLED A FLANGE (PART NUMBER 33117722831) USING 5 BOLTS. I FOUND THAT EACH OF THE 5 BOLT HOLES IN THE FLANGE ARE CRACKED. IF THIS PART WERE TO COME APART WHILE RIDING I THINK IT WOULD CAUSE THE REAR WHEEL TO LOCK UP AND SKID OR POSSIBLY WORSE. THE FLANGE (PART NUMBER 33117722831) IS ALSO PART OF THE POWER TRAIN AND REAR WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM (ALSO KNOWN AS THE FINAL DRIVE SYSTEM) FOR THE BMW R1200GS MOTORCYCLE. THE BMW MUST KNOW THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE REDESIGNED THE PART. SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR "BMW R1200GS FLANGE CRACK" RETURNS MANY PAGES OF INFORMATION ON THIS PROBLEM. HERE IS A GOOD SUMMARY: HTTP://WWW.MTS1200.INFO/MOTORCYCLEINFO/INDEXE65D.HTML?FA=CONTENTGENERIC.NKYQIUKEVRYEUZUT&PAGEID=360814. *TR

NHTSA ID

10596090

Incident

Jun 3, 2014

Mileage

32,390 mi

REAR WHEEL/BRAKE DISK DRIVE FLANGE HAS MULTIPLE CRACKS, COULD HAVE CAUSED REAR WHEEL OR BRAKE ROTOR TO SEPARATE FROM MOTORCYCLE. BMW KNOWS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, THE REPLACEMENT PART BMW # 33117722831 HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REDESIGNED AND MADE FROM STEEL NOW, THIS ITEM NEEDS TO BE RECALLED, IT COULD EASILY CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10522135

Incident

Jun 27, 2013

Mileage

42,398 mi

ABS BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. HARD TO STOP BIKE AND A NEAR MISS WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. SEEMS TO BE A FAULTY FRONT BRAKE SWITCH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10291417

Incident

Nov 8, 2009

Mileage

42,000 mi

REAR BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT PREMATURELY, TYPICALLY IN 6000 MILES, AS OPPOSED TO TYPICAL PAD LIFE WHICH IS ~18-24000 MILES. NO SYMPTOMS WERE NOTED PREVIOUS TO THE BRAKE PADS WEARING OUT. WHEN REAR BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT, THERE IS LOSS OF REAR BRAKING ABILITY. THIS DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT FOR ME, BUT COULD EASILY CATCH A RIDER BY SURPRISE AND CAUSE A CRASH AS A RESULT OF LOSS OF REAR BRAKE. BMW CLAIMS THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR THESE BIKES, AND THEREFORE NOTHING WAS DONE TO FIX THE ACTUAL PROBLEM, ASIDE FROM HAVING THE OWNER PAY AND HAVE NEW BRAKE PADS INSTALLED. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY THE LINKED BRAKE SYSTEM EMPLOYED ON THE R12GS / ABS MODEL. WITH THIS SYSTEM, USING THE FRONT BRAKE ALSO CAUSES THE REAR BRAKES TO BE ACTUATED. SOMEHOW THE SYSTEM IN AT LEAST SOME CASES CAUSES THE BREAKING FORCE APPLIED TO FRONT AND REAR BRAKES TO BE BIASED TO USE THE REAR BRAKE VERY HEAVILY. A SYMPTOM OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE REAR BRAKE ROTOR IS VERY HOT (INDICATING THAT THE REAR BRAKE HAS BEEN ACTUATED) EVEN WHEN NEITHER BRAKE LEVERS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED BY THE RIDER. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED VERY OFTEN. AT LEAST TO ME ONCE, PERSONALLY. I'VE ALSO READ MANY MANY FIRSTHAND STORIES ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON VARIOUS WEB FORUMS SUCH AS ADVRIDER.COM, UKGSER.COM AND BMWMOA.ORG. I AM UNSURE OF THE EXACT TIME THAT THIS OCCURRED TO ME BUT CAN FIND RECORDS TO PINPOINT THE EXACT DATE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10202317

Incident

Nov 1, 2006

Mileage

6,000 mi

2005 BMW R1200GS. ABS OFF, BLINKING BRAKE FAILURE, ONLY RESIDUAL BRAKING. DEALER RESET THE ABS COMPUTER, BUT CAME BACK AFTER ONE WEEK, ONLY RESIDUAL BRAKING NOW, (REQUIRE EXTRA ORDINARY LEVER GRIP TO STOP) THIS IF NOT PREPARED TO STOP COULD CAUSE A CRASH, WHAT IS CAUSING THE ABS TO DEACTIVATE. NOW THE BRAKE LIGHT IS STUCK ON BRIGHT, NO ABS, RESIDUAL BRAKING, DEALER TOLD ME TO DRIVE IT IN, IS THAT SAFE? NO WORKING BRAKE LIGHT? BMW SHOULD INVESTIGATE PROBLEM AND CORRECT PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID

10161346

Incident

Jun 26, 2006

Mileage

2,900 mi