2002 BMW R1150RA 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 2002 BMW R1150RA, 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
- Brakes240.0%
- Fuel system120.0%
- Powertrain (other)120.0%
- Transmission120.0%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW R1150RA MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. WHEN THE BRAKE WAS ENGAGED THERE WAS NO POWER RESPONSE. IMMEDIATELY, THE CONTACT BEGAN DOWNSHIFTING AND THEN TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO STOP, AND THEN TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM CONTROL UNIT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,900. UPDATED 11/03/10.LJ
THIRD TIME IN 6 YEARS. ABS FAILURE LEAVES MOTORCYCLE WITH RESIDUAL POWER ONLY AND IS DANGEROUS IF NOT NOTICED BY WAY OF WARNING LIGHT .FIRST TIME WAS DUE TO FAULTY ABS PUMP WHICH WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND TIME WAS DUE TO LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE AND THIRDLY DUE TO FAULTY REAR BRAKE SWITCH. VERY FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT HAPPENED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW R1150RA MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED AN OVERPOWERING GASOLINE FUEL ODOR AS THE FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR BEGAN TO DECREASE AT AN ABNORMALLY RAPID PACE. THE CONTACT THEN DISCOVERED GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE HOSE CONNECTED TO THE FUEL TANK. THE CONTACT STATED THIS WAS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THE FAILURE WHERE THE HOSE WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS FOR THE MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE CRUISING ON A LEVEL HIGHWAY AT A CONSTANT 65 MPH IN FIFTH GEAR MY 2002 BMW 1150RT MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE SPEED BEGAN TO INCREASE AND THE MOTORCYCLE BEGAN TO LOOSE SPEED. I STEERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT GRINDING SOUND WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN ANY GEAR EXCEPT NEUTRAL AND NO FORWARD MOTION IN ANY GEAR WITH THE CLUTCH ENGAGED. I HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TRANSPORTED BY TRUCK TO THE NEAREST AUTHORIZED BMW MOTORCYCLE DEALER. ON DISASSEMBLY, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SPLINES CONNECTING THE CLUTCH HUB TO THE TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT HAD STRIPPED PREVENTING THE TRANSMISSION TO BE POWERED BY THE ENGINE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD 35,769 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND HAD NEVER EXHIBITED ANY INDICATION OF A PENDING PROBLEM. THE DEALER INSTALLED A NEW CLUTCH DISK AND HUB AND A NEW TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT. I HAVE IN MY POSSESSION THE FAILED PARTS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE CRUISING ON A LEVEL HIGHWAY AT A CONSTANT 65 MPH IN FIFTH GEAR MY 2002 BMW 1150RT MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE SPEED BEGAN TO INCREASE AND THE MOTORCYCLE BEGAN TO LOOSE SPEED. I STEERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT GRINDING SOUND WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN ANY GEAR EXCEPT NEUTRAL AND NO FORWARD MOTION IN ANY GEAR WITH THE CLUTCH ENGAGED. I HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TRANSPORTED BY TRUCK TO THE NEAREST AUTHORIZED BMW MOTORCYCLE DEALER. ON DISASSEMBLY, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SPLINES CONNECTING THE CLUTCH HUB TO THE TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT HAD STRIPPED PREVENTING THE TRANSMISSION TO BE POWERED BY THE ENGINE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD 35,769 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND HAD NEVER EXHIBITED ANY INDICATION OF A PENDING PROBLEM. THE DEALER INSTALLED A NEW CLUTCH DISK AND HUB AND A NEW TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT. I HAVE IN MY POSSESSION THE FAILED PARTS. *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 .