2000 BMW K1200LT

(1) WE WERE IN A VERY DESOLATE SECTION OF SOUTHERN IDAHO, WITH NO CELL PHONE SERVICE, WHEN OUR REAR DRIVE FAILED ON OUR MOTORCYCLE. WE HAD BEEN CRUISING AT ABOUT 65-70 WHEN WE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A VERY PRONOUNCED RHYTHMIC SENSATION, NOT UNLIKE EXPANSION STRIPS CAUSE, BUT THE ROAD WAS SMOOTH! THIS WAS JUST A FEW MILES BEFORE IT GOT REALLY SHAKY AND NOISY. JUST AS A SIDE NOTE, I DID NOTICE SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT WHEN WE STARTED OUT THAT MORNING, BUT COULD NOT PUT A FINGER ON THE PROBLEM. HINDSIGHT SAYS THAT IT WAS TALKING TO ME ABOUT 150 MILES BEFORE IT FINALLY WENT, BUT I WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS THE REAR DRIVE OR MY PARANOIA ABOUT JUST SUCH A THING HAPPENING ON OUR VACATION! (2) AFTER WE LUCKILY MANAGED TO PULL OVER IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (SOUTHERN IDAHO, 111 MILES SOUTH OF MOUNTAIN HOME ON ID-51) WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THE ONLY SIGN OF CIVILIZATION ON A NEARBY HILLTOP. THANK HEAVENS THEY HAD A PHONE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CELL PHONE SERVICE IN THE AREA! AFTER THE BIKE WAS STOPPED IN A SAFE PLACE OFF THE HIGHWAY, THE REAR DRIVE IMMEDIATELY FINISHED DUMPING THE REMAINDER OF THE GEAR OIL ON THE BRAKE ROTOR AND WHEEL. IF WE HAD NEEDED TO STOP QUICKLY I AM SURE IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC WITH THAT BRAKE ROTOR SOAKED IN OIL! (3) I DO MOST OF MY OWN SERVICE, BUT HAVE UTILIZED PORTLAND AND SALEM BMW DEALERS FOR SERVICE AND PARTS. IN THIS CASE SINCE IT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD (DON'T MOST OF THEM?) IT WAS BIG TWIN CYCLES BMW IN BOISE IDAHO WHO DID THE REPLACEMENT. THE REPLACEMENT BEING THE ENTIRE REAR DRIVE ASSEMBLY WHICH HAD TO BE OVERNIGHTED FROM THE BMW NORTH AMERICAN WAREHOUSE TO BIG TWIN. AS IT WAS THE TOW BILL WAS STILL OUTRAGEOUS BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCES INVOLVED. WHAT IF WE HAD NOT BEEN NEAR (OVER 100 MILES = NEAR!) A BMW DEALER? IT COULD HAVE BEEN ASTRONOMICAL! *JB

I DISCOVERED A BROKEN BALL PIN IN THE GEAR SHIFT LINKAGE OF MY 2000 BMW K1200LT MOTORCYCLE WHICH I HAD PURCHASED USED FROM THE BMW OF DAYTONA DEALERSHIP IN FLORIDA. I HAD READ ON THE BMWLT.NET FORUM THAT THESE LINKAGES HAD BEEN KNOWN FOR FAILING IN SEVERAL WAYS AND WAS ADVISED TO CHECK MINE. WHEN I DID, I FOUND THAT THE SECOND OF FOUR BALL PINS HAD SHEARED INSIDE THE DEFLECTION LEVER AND WAS ONLY BEING HELD IN PLACE BY A THREAD OR TWO. WHEN I LOOSENED THE FOOTPEG PANEL THE GEAR SHIFT WENT LIMP AND THE BALL PIN FELL OUT. UPON INSPECTION, I COULD SEE THAT THE BROKEN EDGES HAD BEEN RUBBING TOGETHER- APPARENTLY FOR SOME TIME. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT ON THE ROAD, WAS ABLE TO REPAIR IT MYSELF, AND NOW CARRY A SPARE SET OF PARTS.*AK

(1) NO PROBLEMS UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES FROM FINAL FAILURE BEGAN HEARING A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TONE TO THE NOISE OF THE MOTORCYCLE. IF YOU WERE NOT EXTREMELY FAMILIAR WITH THE MOTORCYCLE YOU WOULD NOT EVEN NOTICE IT. NOTICED A SLIGHT ROUGHNESS ON DECELERATION ABOUT 10 MILES FROM FAILURE. (2) FINAL DRIVE FAILED. I WAS STRANDED ABOUT 250 MILES FROM NEAREST DEALER AND SPENT MANY HOURS AND $425 GETTING TOWED BACK. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE AS THIS FAILURE SPILLED LUBRICANT ON THE REAR TIRE AND BRAKES OF THE MOTORCYCLE. COULD BE A SETUP FOR A SEVERE CRASH. (3) BMW MOTORAD US REPLACED THE FINAL DRIVE AT NO CHARGE TO ME. I WAS OUT THE TOW BILL.*AK

(1) STOPPED FOR DAY OF TRAVELLING (ABOUT 500 MILES) (2) REAR DRIVE BEARING FAILURE, NOTICED REAR BEARING SEAL LEAK. HAD TO BE TOWED OVER 400 MILES TO NEAREST DEALER FOR REPAIR. REAR DRIVE BEARING HAD FAILED. 5 BALLS FROM THE 19 BALL BEARING HAD DISINTEGRATED, CAUSING THE RACE TO TEAR THE SEAL, AND CAUSING THE LEAK OF REAR END GEAR OIL ALL OVER THE REAR TIRE. (3) DEALER REPAIRED BEARING AND SEAL. OLD BEARING IS AVAILABLE AT THE DEALER. *AK

I HAVE A 2000 BMW K1200LTC MOTORCYCLE. WHILE RIDING YESTERDAY, A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS NOTICED AND CAUSED THE REAR OF THE BIKE TO WOBBLE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED IT. THE REAR DRIVE UNIT HAS FAILED AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY IF IT HAD HAPPENED AT SPEED ON AN INTERSTATE HWY. I AM GOING TO CONTACT THE DEALER FOR OUT-OF-WARRANTY REPLACEMENT OF THE DRIVE SINCE THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON FAILURE ON THIS MODEL. I AM INFORMING NHTSA TO PROVIDE FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM. *JB