2012 BMW K 1600 Gtl

I WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON A BUSY INTERSTATE, WHEN I WENT TO PASS A CAR. I TWISTED THE THROTTLE AND THE BIKE BEGAN TO GAIN SPEED NORMALLY, AND THEN SUDDENLY IT LOST ALL POWER. I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF OTHER TRAFFIC AND COAST ONTO THE SHOULDER, WHERE I DISCOVERED THE ENGINE WAS ACTUALLY STILL RUNNING, BUT THE THROTTLE CONTROL WAS COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE. AN INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASH WAS ILLUMINATED, WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL, MEANT THE ENGINE HAD GONE INTO "EMERGENCY OPERATION MODE." AFTER SHUTTING THE BIKE OFF AND RESTARTING A FEW TIMES, IT RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CHECKED OUT, THEY SAID THE HISTORY CONFIRMED THAT THE BIKE HAD LOST ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL FOR THE FLY-BY-WIRE SYSTEM, BUT WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY NOW. THEY WERE UNABLE TO SUGGEST ANY POSSIBLE CAUSES OR FIXES FOR THE PROBLEM, OR PREDICT WHEN, OR IF, IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. THE SERVICE TECH LITERALLY SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS AT ME AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. I KNOW MOTORCYCLES ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS, BUT THIS IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING FLAW. *JB

UNABLE TO LOWER WIND SCREEN. LEFT HAND SWITCH FAILED, SCREEN STUCK IN LOWER POSITION SUBJECTING RIDER AND PASSENGER TO HEAVY RAIN AND WIND DURING CROSS COUNTRY TRIP. THE SWITCHES ON THE BMW K1600 MOTORCYCLES OFTEN FAIL, E.G. BIKE TURNS OFF, CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T WORK, TURN SIGNAL INOPERABLE. DEALER, MORTON'S BMW TELLS ME THESE SWITCHES CONTINUE TO FAIL ON NUMEROUS K1600S. SWITCHES ARE NOT AVAILABLE AFTER 6 WEEKS OF BEING "ON ORDER" *JB

TURN SIGNALS WILL NOT TURN OFF BY SWITCH ONCE ACTIVATED. THIS CAUSES AN UNSAFE CONDITION, AS TRAFFIC COULD ENTER FROM THE RIGHT OR LEFT ASSUMING THE MOTORCYCLE OPERATOR INTENDS TO TURN, CAUSING THE POTENTIAL FOR A BROADSIDE COLLISION WHICH WOULD LIKELY CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH TO THE MOTORCYCLE OPERATOR. THE TURN SIGNAL FIRST PRESENTED THIS DEFECT DURING A RELATIVELY HOT DAY (90 DEGREE) AND DURING COOLER WEATHER WORKED NORMALLY. NOW THE CONDITION IS MORE RECURRING EVEN AT LOWER TEMPERATURES. THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH IS PART OF THE LEFT MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH HOUSING. *JS

MY BMW K1600GTL HAS EXPERIENCED 3 FAILURES OF THE MULTI-PURPOSE ELECTRICAL CONTROL SWITCH ON THE LEFT HANDLEBAR AND 1 FAILURE OF THE MULTI-PURPOSE SWITCH ON THE RIGHT HANDLEBAR. THE LEFT HANDLEBAR FAILURES WERE THE HIGH/LOW BEAM SWITCH 2 TIMES AND THE MENU BUTTON 1 TIME. THE RIGHT HANDLEBAR FAILURE WAS THE MODE SWITCH THAT CONTROLS ENGINE MAPPING FOR ROAD, DYNAMIC AND RAIN. I WAS TOLD BY TWO BMW MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEES THAT THESE FAILURES ARE VERY COMMON AND BMW DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM. THE ISSUE WITH THESE SWITCHES ARE SAFETY RELATED BECAUSE FAILURE OF THE FUNCTIONS THEY PROVIDE CAN LEAD TO AN UNSAFE CONDITION, E.G., TURN SIGNAL, HIGH/LOW BEAM, HORN, WIND SCREEN HEIGHT, ENGINE MAPPING, ENGINE KILL SWITCH, ETC.

MY BMW K1600GTL HAS EXPERIENCED FOUR (4) FAILURES OF THE ELECTRICAL CONTROL SWITCHES ON THE HANDLEBARS. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE CAUSING THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL TO NOT FUNCTION. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS OF THE REPLACED LEFT HANDLEBAR CLUSTER CAUSING THE HIGH BEAM (HEADLIGHTS) TO NOT FUNCTION. THE THIRD SWITCH FAILURE WAS AGAIN ON THE LEFT SWITCH CLUSTER ON THE TURN SIGNAL CANCEL SWITCH CAUSING THE TURN SIGNALS TO FUNCTION FOR 0.2 MILES UNTIL THEY SELF CANCELED. THIS WAS THE MOST HAZARDOUS SITUATION AS OTHER VEHICLES WOULD ATTEMPT TO PULL IN FRONT OF ME THINKING I WAS SIGNALING FOR A TURN. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE HAS BEEN THE RIGHT HANDLEBAR SWITCH CLUSTER AND FAILURE OF THE CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM. THIS FAILURE IS NOT SIGNIFICANT, BUT THIS SWITCH CLUSTER ALSO CONTROLS THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT MODES AS WELL AS THE START/ENGINE KILL SWITCHES. FAILURE OF EITHER ONE OF THOSE SWITCHES COULD BE DETRIMENTAL. 5 SWITCHES (SOME SAFETY RELATED) IN 2 YEARS IS EXCESSIVE. *TR

THREE (3) K1600 GTL SUDDEN ENGINE CUTOFF EVENTS THAT I EXPERIENCED ON JUNE 14, AND JUNE 16, 2013. THIS DOCUMENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN ON MY 2012 BMW K1600GTL. IN THREE SEPARATE EVENTS, MY K1600GTL ENGINE SHUTDOWN AT FULL SPEED (75 MPH, 55 MPH) WHILE ON THE THROTTLE WITH NO ADVANCE NOTICE. ALL THREE EVENTS WERE 'ON THE THROTTLE' EVENTS - NOT COASTING. THE BIKE ENGINE SHUTDOWN ABRUPTLY AND THE BIKE JOLTED FORWARD. I HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION DURING ALL THREE EVENTS TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I CONSIDER THEM TO BE SIGNIFICANT NEAR MISSES THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. IMMEDIATELY UPON GETTING THE BIKE OFF THE ROAD, THE BIKE WOULD NOT START IMMEDIATELY. HOWEVER, AS SOON AS I SWITCHED THE IGNITION KEY TO OFF, THEN ON, THE BIKE STARTED RIGHT UP AND I WAS ABLE TO RIDE. THE DEALER INDICATED THE FIX WAS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE, TO ELIMINATE A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE VALVE CONTROL SOFTWARE OR PROGRAM. I HAD ASKED IF THIS WAS A KNOWN UPGRADE, HE WAS SURE. I POSED THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO THE DEALER AND AM AWAITING A REPLY: 1. FIVE (5) SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE BIKE ARE NOTED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. ARE THERE ACTUALLY FIVE SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE BIKE? HAVE ALL FIVE OF THESE SERVICE BULLETINS BEEN APPLIED TO MY BIKE? 2.DID THE THROTTLE VALVE SOFTWARE HAVE A KNOWN PROBLEM? WAS THERE ACTUALLY A SOFTWARE OR FIRMWARE UPGRADE YOU APPLIED TO THE MOTORCYCLE COMPUTER OR WAS THE ORIGINAL REVISION NUMBER OF THE SOFTWARE SIMPLY RELOADED INTO THE BIKE COMPUTER AS THERE WAS A BUG SHOWN ON THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER? 3.REPORTS OF THIS TYPE OF EVENT FOR BMW K1600 GTL/GT OWNERS. I ACKNOWLEDGE OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AS NOTED ON THE FORUM, AND HERE IS A VIDEO OF ONE OTHER RIDER - MY SITUATION WAS IDENTICAL TO THIS. HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/ALL_COMMENTS?V=WRYFI9EBU8W. *TR

LEFT AND RIGHT HANDLEBAR CONTROLLER QUITS FUNCTIONING. THE LEFT CONTROLLER HOUSES THE HORN, TURN SIGNALS, CRUISE CONTROL, BRIGHT LIGHTS, FOG LAMPS, TRACTION CONTROL, HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS, AND THE DAMPING ON THE MOTORCYCLE AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT SO HAZARDOUS SUCH AS RADIO VOLUME AND WIND SHIELD HEIGHT. RIGHT HANDLEBAR CONTROLLER HOUSES THE ENGINE CUTOFF SWITCH, RIDING MODE (RAIN, DRY, DYNAMIC) WHICH CONTROLS THE RESPONSIVE OF THE BIKE, AND LESS CRITICAL ITEMS SUCH AS THE POWER LOCKS FOR LUGGAGE COMPARTMENTS. THESE HAVE BEEN REPLACED FIVE TIMES ON MY BIKE SINCE BEING PUT SERVICE JULY 2012 AND TRAVELING 13K MILES -- GOT TO GIVE THE CREDIT FOR TRYING BUT ENGINE CUTTING OUT, HORN QUITTING, BLINKERS QUITTING, ETC IS PROBABLY A HIGHWAY SAFETY ISSUE. BELOW ARE TWO LINKS, ONE IS A VIDEO OF THE BIKE STALLING ON A MAJOR AND CROWDED INTERSTATE -- ILLUSTRATES THE DANGER. 2D IS ANOTHER LINK SHOWING COMPLAINTS BY OTHERS AND LACK RESOLUTION AFTER MULTIPLE REPLACEMENT SWITCHES. HTTP://WWW.K1600FORUM.COM/FORUM/BMW-K1600-GENERAL-DISCUSSIONS/18657-ENGINE-QUIT-ME-FREEWAY.HTML HTTP://WWW.K1600FORUM.COM/FORUM/BMW-K1600-GENERAL-DISCUSSIONS/5614-SWITCHES-HANDLE-BARS.HTML I ASSUME YOU CAN ASK BMW MOTORCYCLES HOW MANY OF THESE SWITCHES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND GET THE REAL DATA AND MAYBE AN ANSWER AS TO A SOLUTION TO MAKE THESE BIKES SAFER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW K1600 GTL MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH, HE ENGAGED THE HORN AND ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES, BUT THE DRIVER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO HEAR THE HORN, ALMOST RESULTING IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN OUTPUT WAS NOT LOUD ENOUGH TO BE HEARD BY OTHER DRIVERS WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HORN WAS OPERATING ADEQUATELY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH A THIRD BRAKE LIGHT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 520.