RoadVitals

2023 BMW R 1250 RT

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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.
1
Latest Jul 21, 2024
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Jan 18, 2023
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
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.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2023 BMW R 1250 RT, most frequently naming the driver assistance category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 7 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Driver assistance1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
23V011000

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:SHAFT:INPUT

Jan 18, 2023
18,534 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2023 R1250GS, R1250GS Adventure, and R1250RTP motorcycles. In certain engine operating and riding conditions, the gearbox input shaft may become damaged or break, possibly resulting in a blocked rear wheel.
The risk: A damaged gearbox input shaft or a blocked rear wheel can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will update the engine control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 22, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistance
Filed Jul 21, 2024

I believe the BMW configuration of the adaptive cruise control following distance selection might result in a rear end collision. I normally set the following distance to the longest setting, which corresponds to a two-second following distance (IMO, the minimum safe distance). I am fairly often caught off-guard by the system because the next time the bike is started, the following distance defaults to the *closest* following distance, and does so WITH NO visual warning in the instrument panel (the following distance is not displayed when cruise is set; it is displayed only after the distance control button on the left grip cluster is pressed). In my case, despite knowing this I still have been surprised to find myself too close to the vehicle in front, and have to rapidly hit the distance setting button to back off. For others without this knowledge, the potential injury concern is someone setting their cruise control with the NOT-DISPLAYED too-short default following distance, and then not having enough reaction time to avoid sudden deceleration of the front vehicle (e.g., set the cruise with the default too-short distance, and shortly thereafter the front driver brakes to avoid an animal before the rider has a chance to figure out why he/she is following closer than he/she intended). This should be easily fixed with a simple software fix: either (i) programming the default cruise following distance to be the longest distance, or better yet, (ii) have the following distance ALWAYS displayed after the cruise on switch is operated (as in my Ford F-150 and Mustang) -- the opposite of BMW's current approach of showing a solid block that HIDES the following distance setting, until the following distance button is manually pressed. IMO, the solid block is both unnecessary and a potential trap for the unwary, and should be removed so that the set distance is ALWAYS visible. I live near DC and can make my motorcycle available for inspection if desired.

NHTSA ID
11603649
Incident
Jul 21, 2024

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

MCS330088

SUSPENSION

Due to a manufacturing fault, the proportional valve within the suspension strut may come loose over its lifetime. As a result, this can lead to a loss of the damping function.

B611305

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle “discharged battery” complaints.

MCAS4023

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

BMW AG has requested the inspection of all dealer stock of the following part number(s) listed below to ensure the spacer is conformed to drawing.

MC160323

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Vehicle goes into emergency operation mode and a warning light illuminates on the instrument cluster.

SIB330222

POWER TRAIN; POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

Multiple factors may cause the driveshaft to become damaged; among them are corrosion in certain parts ofthe driveshaft, and wear and tear exacerbated by certain climatic conditions.

SIB460123

EQUIPMENT; STRUCTURE

Frame and mounting parts

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

BMW R 1250 RT by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2024210—
2023Viewing110—
2022110—
2021420—
2020650—
2019941—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.