2006 BMW R 1200 Gs 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 2006 BMW R 1200 Gs, 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 system660.0%
- Other / unspecified220.0%
- Brakes110.0%
- Suspension110.0%
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW R-1200 GS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON START OF THE MOTORCYCLE, HE NOTICED THAT FUEL BEGAN TO SPEW OUT OF HIS MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT CALLED WAGNER MOTORSPORTS (700 PLANTATION ST, WORCESTER, MA 01605) WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO BRING IN THE MOTORCYCLE FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THEY INFORMED HIM TO TAKE THE MOTORCYCLE TO A DEALER TO BE SERVICED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V617000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) WHICH HE LINKED TO HIS FAILURE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED THE CONTACT WHETHER HIS MOTORCYCLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VIN TOOL SHOWED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000.
WITH TURNING ON THE KEY, FUEL LEAKED OUT OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE LEAK COMES FROM THE FUEL LINE ATTACHMENT TO THE FUEL PUMP MOUNT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL SPRAYS OUT OF THE PLASTIC FUEL PUMP MOUNT WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED ON. THE PLASTIC CONNECTION IN THE FUEL LINE HAS CRACKED. THIS SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW R 1200 GS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WHEEL CARRIER WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FLANGE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
THE REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY/SWINGARM IS DESCRIBED BY BMW AS "MAINTENANCE FREE," MEANING THAT THE OIL LEVEL IN THE REAR SWING-ARM CANNOT BE CHECKED OR REFILLED. MY MOTORCYCLE HAS DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK FROM SAID ASSEMBLY, AND HAS BEEN SLOWLY LEAKING FOR THE LAST 10,000+ MILES. IF THE OIL LEVEL DROPS LOW ENOUGH, I FEAR THE REAR WHEEL COULD LOCK WHILE RIDING, RESULTING IN A CRASH. *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
HAND GUARD ROTATED INTO A POSITION THAT RESTRICTED THE BRAKE LEVER FROM FULLY DISENGAGING THE BRAKES. THIS CAUSED THE BRAKES TO OPERATE WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS IN MOTION. THE OPERATOR NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE SLIGHTLY ENGAGED (DUE TO THE NOISE OF THE BRAKE SERVOS) EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKE LEVER AND PEDAL WERE NOT BEING ENGAGED BY THE OPERATOR. THE PROBLEM WAS RECTIFIED BY TWISTING THE HAND GUARD BACK INTO POSITION. HAD THE PROBLEM NOT BEEN RECTIFIED IN A TIMELY MANNER, OVERHEATING OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM COULD HAVE OCCURRED LEADING TO THE BREAKS LOCKING. BMW IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT ON THESE MOTORCYCLES AND HAS APPARENTLY STOPPED MAKING THE REPLACEMENT PART. THEY HAVE DESIGNED A PART THAT CAN NOT INTERFERE WITH THE BRAKE OPERATION. RATHER THAN REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE HAND GUARDS, THEY HAVE RECENTLY (IN THE PAST WEEK) NOTIFIED OWNERS BY MAIL WITH A WARNING ABOUT THIS SITUATION, AND SOME STICKERS THAT CAN BE PLACED INSIDE THE HAND GUARDS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY/SWINGARM IS DESCRIBED BY BMW AS "MAINTENANCE FREE," MEANING THAT THE OIL LEVEL IN THE REAR SWING-ARM CANNOT BE CHECKED OR REFILLED. MY MOTORCYCLE HAS DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK FROM SAID ASSEMBLY, AND HAS BEEN SLOWLY LEAKING FOR THE LAST 10,000+ MILES. IF THE OIL LEVEL DROPS LOW ENOUGH, I FEAR THE REAR WHEEL COULD LOCK WHILE RIDING, RESULTING IN A CRASH. *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 .