RoadVitals

1997 BMW R1100 RT Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
3
Latest Jan 14, 2011
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
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Feb 14, 2001

What this page shows

Our database holds 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 BMW R1100 RT. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

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

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–3 of 3

Engine
Filed Jan 14, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BMW R1100 RT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL POPPING NOISE AND HE NOTICED A LEAK OF UNKNOWN FLUIDS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND INFORMED HIM THAT THE VUE PORT HAD FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE OIL TO LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR A REDESIGNED VUE PORT OF THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 56,000.

NHTSA ID
10376685
Incident
Nov 20, 2010
Mileage
56,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 5, 2007

I HAVE HAD 2 FAILURES OF THE FINAL DRIVE BEARING ON MY 1997 BMW R100RT. FIRST WAS AT 36K MILES,BEARING FAILED AND POURED OIL ALL OVER REAR WHEEL WHEN SEAL DESTRUCTED BECAUSE PIECES OF THE BEARING ATE IT UP. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL,AS WHEEL WAS COVERED WITH 80W90 GEAR OIL,ALSO WHEEL WAS WOBBLY. I HAD A SECOND FAILURE AT 60K MILES. O WAS RIDING THE BIKE AND FELT A VIBRATION. I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING A FLAT TIRE,SO I PULLED OVER TO CHECK IT. I COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG SO I KEPT RIDING. THE VIBRAATION KEPT GETTING WORSE TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD NO LONGER RIDE THE BIKE,FEARING FOR MY SAFETY.I CALLED FOR A TOW,BROUGHT THE BIKE HOME WHERE I FOUND THE FINAL DRIVE BEARING FAILED,BUT DIDN`T HARM THE SEAL YRT. BOTH TIMES I REPLACED THE FINAL DRIVE BEARING AND OIL SEAL.IF I WAS A LESS EXPERIENCED RIDER,I FEEL THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR CRASH WITH SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH. UPDATED 01-16-08. *KB UPDATED

NHTSA ID
10201908
Incident
Jun 16, 2006
Mileage
36,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Feb 14, 2001

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM CAUSES DANGEROUS SURGING OF SPEED WHILE RIDING MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM RELATED TO THIS MODEL AND THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ADDRESS IT. UNANTICIPATED CHANGES IN SPEED CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID
740881
Incident
Dec 2, 1999

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .