Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 BMW R1150GS submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
THIS MOTORCYCLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A LINKED ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. THE REAR WHEEL AND FRONT WHEEL WORK TOGETHER. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS WITHOUT BRAKES FOR AN UNDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME. *AK *NM
FINAL DRIVE FAILURE ON BMW R1150GS MOTORCYCLE AT 28,200 MILES RESULTING IN LOSS OF OIL AND REQUIRING COMPLETE FINAL DRIVE AND ABS SENSOR REPLACEMENT.*AK
THE BRAKES FAILED ON THE MOTORCYCLE.*AK *JB
BMWNA HAS ISSUED A TSB. THEY HAVE MADE A CORRECTION FOR MODELS AFTER A CERTAIN VIN. THEY ARE NOT REPAIRING EARLIER MODELS AFFECTED BY THE PART. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK
BRAKES OCCASIONALLY COMPLETELY RELEASE WITHOUT WARNING
THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES ARE LINKED ON THIS MOTORCYCLE. WHEN BRAKING HARD ON ROUGH ROAD CONDITIONS, THE EXCESS FORCE APPLIED TO THE REAR BRAKE BY THE LINKED SYSTEM CAN CAUSE THE ABS TO MODULATE UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH HAS THE EFFECT OF ELIMINATING BRAKING AT A CRITICAL MOMENT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS EFFECT MAY CAUSE ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE. I AM AWARE THAT BMW REDESIGNED THE BRAKES TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE FOR MODELS MANUFACTURED AFTER MINE WAS MANUFACTURED. REFERE TO BMW MOTORCYCLES SERVICE BULLETIN NO: 34 001 02 (012). *AK
REAR DISC BRAKE IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MODULATE. GOES FROM OFF TO FULL APPLICATION WITHIN A 3/8" OF PEDAL MOVEMENT
BMW-NA KNOW OF UNSAFE OPERATION PROBLEMS IN THE ABS ON MODELS WITH VIN <ZE87455. THEY HAVE MODIFIED THE SYSTEM ON MORE RECENT VINS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS, BUT REFUSE TO CORRECT THE SYSTEM UNDER WARRANTY WITHOUT MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN OF UNIT.*AK
REFERENCE BMW SERVICE BULLETIN, DATED MARCH 2002, BULLETIN NO: 34 001002 (012). MY MOTORCYCLE IS EARLY VIN WHICH HAS THE ABS BRAKE MODULATOR THAT IS TO BE REPLACED PER THIS SERVICE BULLETIN. I WANT BMW TO UPDATE MY MOTORCYCLE'S BRAKE SYSTEM PER THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN, COST TO BE COVERED BY EXISTING MFG. WARRANTEE.
ABS ACTIVATES UNDER NORMAL BRAKING ON ROUGH SURFACE- THE MODULATOR SENSES INCORRECT INFORMATION. POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION ON A MOTORCYCLE. BMW HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN IN MARCH 2002 #34-001-02(012) BUT WILL NOT REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL.
WHILE GOING OVER A SERIES OF BUMPS, THE ABS SYSTEM IS CAUSING THE BRAKES TO RELEASE. THIS CAUSES AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATION. BMW HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THIS BRAKING SYSTEM, BUT REFUSED TO REPLACE THE ABS COMPONENTS UNTIL THEY FAIL. BY THEN I COULD BE KILLED. PLEASE HELP FORCE THE MANUFACTURER TO REPLACE THESE FAULTY BRAKE COMPONENTS FOR ALL AFFECTED R1150RT OWNERS.*AK
TWO PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE INTEGRAL ABS SYSTEM: 1) THE REAR PEDAL IS TOO SENSITIVE AND GRABS THE FRONT BRAKES HARD, CAUSING UNEXPECTED STOPS AND CAUSED ME TO DROP MY BIKE ONCE ON THE LEFT SIDE. SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD TO REFRAIN FROM USING THE REAR PEDAL COMPLETELY. 2) WHEN BRAKING HARD, ESPECIALLY ON DOWNHILL BUMPY ROADS, THE WEIGHT IS TRANSFERRED OFF THE REAR WHEEL, CAUSING THE REAR ABS TO CYCLE. OCCASIONALLY, WHEN BRAKING VERY HARD, WHEN THE REAR ABS CYCLES, THE FRONT ABS ALSO CYCLES CAUSING A COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED OUT-OF-CONTROL CONDITION. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT TEN TIMES TO ME. I HAVE NOT YET CRASHED THE BIKE BECAUSE OF THIS, BUT I FEEL IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME. I HAVE RUN WIDE OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND ONCE RAN WIDE OVER THE CENTERLINE INTO THE ONCOMING LANE AND WAS WITHIN A FOOT OF COLLIDING HEAD-ON INTO AN SUV. BMW HAS PUBLISHED A TSB (34-001-02 (012)) THAT IMPLEMENTS A REVISED REAR ABS MODULATOR AND CALIPER AND ALL NEW PRODUCTION BIKES GET THIS FIX. HOWEVER BMW HAS REFUSED TO UPGRADE ANY OLDER BIKES FOR SOME REASON. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL, AS IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS DESIGN DEFECT. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT BMWNA TREATS THIS TSB AS A SECRET AND HAS THREATENED TO SUE SOMEONE FOR POSTING A COPY ON HIS WEBSITE. I AM CURRENTLY AWARE OF AT LEAST ELEVEN OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE COMPLAINED TO THEIR DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN TOLD "SORRY, BUT WE WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM UNLESS THE PART FAILS". I HAVE A COPY OF THE TSB IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT.*AK
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.
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