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2012 BMW F650 Gs

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 2 of 2 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

1 reports
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17,800 miles · Aug 25, 2017
Electrical System

THE STATOR AND RECTIFIER ASSEMBLIES WERE FAILING AND WOULD CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION. HEADLIGHTS, BRAKES, TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE...INSTRUMENTS WOULD NOT FUNCTION...THEN THE ENGINE WOULD QUIT RUNNING, LEAVING THE MOTORCYCLE AND MYSELF STRANDED. THE MOTORCYCLE WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL THE BATTERY HAD B…

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THE STATOR AND RECTIFIER ASSEMBLIES WERE FAILING AND WOULD CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION. HEADLIGHTS, BRAKES, TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE...INSTRUMENTS WOULD NOT FUNCTION...THEN THE ENGINE WOULD QUIT RUNNING, LEAVING THE MOTORCYCLE AND MYSELF STRANDED. THE MOTORCYCLE WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL THE BATTERY HAD BEEN CHARGED FOR AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME. THIS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL I COULD NO LONGER TRUST THE MOTORCYCLE AS IT WAS VERY UNSAFE TO RIDE, NEVER KNOWING WHEN IT WOULD HAVE ANOTHER CATASTROPHIC SHUTDOWN OF LIGHTING, INSTRUMENTATION AND THE ENGINE. I CONTACTED TWO BMW DEALERSHIPS AND WAS TOLD TO BRING THE MOTORCYCLE IN, BUT THE REPAIR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND NO RECALL WAS ISSUED. THE REPAIR, I WAS TOLD, WOULD BE OVER $1,200.00 USD IF IT WAS WHAT THEY PERCEIVED IT TO BE. BOTH DEALERS CLAIMED TO HAVE HAD NO ISSUES AS I HAD DESCRIBED, BUT BOTH WERE VERY QUICK TO CLAIM KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXACT ISSUE I HAD EXPERIENCED. I STARTED DOING ONLINE RESEARCH ON BMW MOTORCYCLE FORUMS AND FOUND A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE U.S. AND ABROAD, HAVING THE EXACT ISSUE. MOST HAD BEEN TOLD THE SAME INFORMATION FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE BMW DEALERS. MOST OF THESE PEOPLE BOUGHT REPLACEMENT PARTS, NOT BMW FACTORY ITEMS, THEMSELVES FROM WHOLESALERS. AFTER INSTALLATION THE SHUTDOWN ISSUES CEASED. I CONTACTED SIX DEALERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AFTER I FOUND THIS INFORMATION AND THEY COMPLETELY DENIED ANY SIMILAR KNOWN ISSUES. THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME IDEA OF WHAT THE REPAIR WOULD BE, THE EXACT SAME I HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE FIRST 2 DEALERS I CALLED. THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS IDENTICAL TO MINE, IT IS INDICATIVE OF A LARGE PROBLEM WITH THE MOTORCYCLE'S CHARGING SYSTEM, SHUTDOWNS OF SAFETY LIGHTING/SIGNALING, LOSS OF INSTRUMENTATION, TOTAL SHUTDOWN OF THE ENGINE/COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THIS PLACES THE RIDER AND OTHER MOTORISTS IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION.

NHTSA ODI #11019493

Official recalls

1

17V481000 · Equipment

Jul 28, 2017

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2017 F800R and F800GT motorcycles, 2014-2018 R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure motorcycles, 2016-2017 S1000XR motorcycles and 2015-2017 R1200R and R1200RS, 2008-2012 F650GS, 2008-2018 F800GS, and 2014-2017 F800GS Adventure motorcycles. When equipped with the optional aluminum luggage cases, the rear reflex reflectors may be partially blocked. The aluminum case mounts for the R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure may also partially block the reflectors. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the rear reflex reflectors are obscured from view, it can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install reflectors on the cases or for the case mounts, an additional bracket with rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.