2007 BMW R 1200 RT Brakes Problems

WHEN I BEGAN A RIDE THE RED ABS BRAKE FAILURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. A SHOP READ THE CODE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AS ABS PUMP MOTOR FAILURE. I LEARNED THROUGH ON-LINE RESEARCH THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM RELATING TO POOR DESIGN OF THE ABS PUMP MOTOR BRUSHES THAT FAIL TO MAKE GOOD CONTACT RESULTING IN A LOW VOLTAGE SITUATION AND PUMP FAILURE. THE RESULT - THE ABS SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. THE ESTIMATED COST OF REPLACING THE UNIT IS APPROX. $2200. THE MECHANIC TAPPED ON THE MOTOR HOUSING AND FREED UP THE BRUSHES BUT IT WAS A TEMPORARY FIX THAT LASTED ABOUT 200 MILES. IT THEN BECAME AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 400 MILES BEFORE IT WENT BACK TO BEING THE CONSTANT PROBLEM THAT I AM NOW FORCED TO FIX OR RIDE WITHOUT ABS BRAKES. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM BUT BMW HAS NOT ADMITTED ANY PROBLEMS RELATED TO DESIGN OF THE UNIT. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE IN THE WAY THE BRUSHES SLIDE IN A GROOVED GUIDE OR KEY WAY . APPARENTLY THE GROOVES GET DIRTY AND THE BRUSHES HANG UP AND DON'T REACH THE PROPER POSITION FOR GOOD CONTACT WITH THE MOTOR ARMATURE IF I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY. MODULEMASTER IN MOSCOW, IDAHO, REBUILDS THE UNITS AND PROVIDES A 5 YR GUARANTEE. THEY SEEM TO BE QUITE BUSY WITH THESE UNITS. MY MECHANIC ACTUALLY SENT IN 2 OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME. THE SECOND UNIT WAS FROM A GS MODEL. AND THERE ARE OTHER MODELS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT NHTSA NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ISSUE AND CAUSE BMW TO FIX THE POOR DESIGN AND ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM OF ABS FAILURE. DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE OF THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM CAN BE FOUND THROUGH SITES SUCH AS FORUMS.BMWMOA.ORG, WWW.XS-ADVENTURE.COM, WWW.I-BMW.COM.

NHTSA ID

10767426

Incident

Jul 23, 2015

Mileage

48,150 mi

REAR DRIVE ASSEMBLY OIL LEAKING AFFECTING TIRES TRACTION AND BRAKING - LOSS OF REAR BRAKES FROM OIL AND NO ABS ACTIVE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10704833

Incident

Apr 8, 2015

Mileage

29,752 mi

ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO, THE 'BRAKE FAILURE" LIGHT CAME ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY BMW R1200RT MOTORCYCLE. EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKES SEEM TO WORK FINE, I PRETTY MUCH STOPPED USING THE MOTORCYCLE BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF IT. BECAUSE OF INACTIVITY, THE ENGINE WOULDN'T START SO I RENTED A U-HAUL TRAILER AND BROUGHT THE BIKE TO A BMW DEALER SO THEY COULD GET IT RUNNING AGAIN. BECAUSE I HADN'T USED THE BIKE FOR AWHILE, I FORGOT TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT. WHEN THEY TEST RODE MY BIKE, THEY SAW THE LIGHT AND TRIED TO RESET (CLEAR) A CODE TO SEE IF IT WOULD FIX IT. THE CODE WOULD NOT RESET OR CLEAR. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT THIS BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT INDICATES THAT THE ABS SYSTEM IS NO LONGER WORKING. I WAS TOLD THE PART TO FIX IT COST ABOUT $2,500. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT BMW SHOULD REPAIR AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE OUT OF MY CONTROL. IS BMW RESPONSIBLE TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM? *TR

NHTSA ID

10683489

Incident

Jan 20, 2014

Mileage

24,080 mi

TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, ABS SYSTEM FAILED, WHICH SHOWED UP AS A "BRAKE FAILURE" LIGHT ON CONSOLE. ABS PUMP CONTROLLER FAILED. AFTER INITIAL FAILURE, THE "BRAKE FAILURE" LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS INDICATED INTERMITTENT FAILURE OR SOMETHING ELSE. FRONT WHEEL OR REAR WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP INSTEAD OF THE ABS SYSTEM OVERRIDING AND CONTROLLING THE BRAKE. ON A BIKE THIS IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ID

10654412

Incident

Sep 10, 2014

Mileage

35,000 mi

ABS PUMP FAILED AFTER ~ 21,000 MILES LEAVING ME WITHOUT ANY ABS. TRIED TO COME TO A STOP ON A HIGHWAY ON-RAMP AND LOCKED THE REAR TIRE UP AND SKIDDED FOR ~ 25 FT BEFORE STOPPING. DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A KEY PIECE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT CAN FAIL WITH SUCH LOW MILES AND THERE IS NO RECALL OR GOODWILL ON BMW'S PART TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

NHTSA ID

10630521

Incident

Sep 1, 2013

Mileage

21,000 mi

AT THAT LOW MILEAGE A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE OF THE MOTORCYCLE I WAS ALERTED TO "BRAKE FAILURE" LAMP ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER (WHO WAS IN NEW JERSEY - BIKE WAS SHIPPED TO CHICAGO) THAT THIS FAULT WOULD PROBABLY DISAPPEAR AFTER SOME MORE USE OF BIKE. I WAS ASSURED THAT BRAKE FUNCTIONS WERE NOT AFFECTED. THE FAULT CODE SUPPLIED BY A LOCAL DEALER WAS AT 232 MILES AND IT WAS 005 DFO PUMP MOTOR VOLTAGE SUPPLY. I HAD THE BIKE STORED FOR SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THAT AND IT NOW HAS LESS THAN 400 MILES ON IT. THE FAULT IS STILL THERE AND I AM TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ABS MODULE ($2000 PLUS FOR THE PART AND $500 FOR THE LABOR) THE LATEST FAULT CODE READING AT 288 MILES WAS "009309 KOMBI UNDER TENSION" DUE TO THE LAPSE OF TIME SINCE PURCHASE I UNDERSTAND BMW'S HESITANCY OF WARRANTY REPAIR, HOWEVER AFTER CONVERSING WITH OTHER BMW R1200RT OWNERS OF BIKES OF 2007-2012 VINTAGE, I SEE THAT VIRTUALLY ALL R1200RT BIKES WERE AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. I AM TOLD, THAT THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS INTERNAL ABS MODULE FAULT IS THE FACT THAT THE BRUSHES INSIDE THE PUMP MOTOR DO NOT HAVE STRONG ENOUGH SPRINGS PUSHING THEM AGAINST THE PUMP ROTOR. THIS CAUSES PITTING ON THE ROTOR, ETC. THIS CLEARLY IS A MANUFACTURER'S FLAW AND SINCE ABS BRAKES ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE RIDING SAFETY OF THIS BIKE, IT IS DEFINITELY A CAUSE OF CONCERN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10627087

Incident

Jun 25, 2008

Mileage

232 mi

ABS MODULATOR FAILED TO OPERATE AT VERY LOW MILEAGE. DEALER SAID UNIT HAS FAILED AND IT VERY COMMON FOR THE BRUSHES TO STICK AND CAUSE THIS FAILURE. THE UNIT IS NOT REPAIRABLE AND MUST BE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10560728

Incident

Oct 1, 2013

Mileage

1,254 mi

THE ABS (ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM) BRAKE MODULE FAILED. FOR SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A VEHICLE WITH SUCH LOW MILES AND DATE OF MANUFACTURE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10426535

Incident

Sep 9, 2011

Mileage

13,800 mi

FINAL DRIVE ON MOTORCYCLE LEAKING OIL ONTO BRAKE ROTOR AND PADS. IF I DID NOT STOP THE REAR DRIVE WOULD HAVE FAILED CAUSING POSSIBLE LOCKUP OF REAR WHEEL AND LOSS OF CONTROL

NHTSA ID

10379234

Incident

Jan 7, 2011

Mileage

48,000 mi