2001 BMW K1200LT

I NOTICED MY BIKE TIRES SEEMED TO BE OUT OF BALANCE, A NOTICEABLE VIBRATION ESPECIALLY AT LOWER SPEEDS. I HAD THE TIRES CHECKED AND ENDED UP REPLACING THEM. THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO MOVE TO THE REAR OF THE BIKE AFTER REPLACING THE TIRES, WITH A VIBRATION IN THE FOOTPEGS AND WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP IT FELT AS IF THE REAR TIRE WAS FLAT. I CHECKED THE SUSPENSION AND SET IT TO THE PROPER PRELOAD ON THE REAR SHOCK BUT THE VIBRATION PERSISTED. I SEARCHED ON THE WEB AND FOUND WHERE OTHER BMW MOTORCYCLE RIDERS WITH SHAFT DRIVE HAD EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WHEN THEIR REAR DRIVE BEARING WENT OUT. I HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A REAR DRIVE FAILURE. *TR

VIBRATION IN FOOTPEGS AND RUMBLING NOISE FROM REAR DRIVE UNIT. CROWN WHEEL BEARING FAILED. CAUGHT IN TIME BEFORE SERIOUS DAMAGE WAS DONE. THIS BEARING IS THE MAIN SUPPORT ELEMENT FOR THE REAR WHEEL ON THIS MOTORCYCLE. PARTS FROM DAMAGED BEARING HAVE TAKEN OUT OIL SEAL WHICH LEADS TO REAR BRAKE AND WHEEL BEING COVERED IN GEAR LUBE. BROKEN BEARING COULD LEAD TO LOCK UP OF REAR WHEEL. GEAR LUBE ON THE REAR BRAKE DISC WOULD LEAD TO LOSS OF BRAKING. GEAR LUBE ON REAR WHEEL WOULD LEAD TO LOSS OF TRACTION. ALL COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITH SUBSEQUENT PROPERTY AND BODILY DAMAGE. BEARING AND SEAL WHERE REPLACED. OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *NM

THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS OF REPORTS OF BMW K1200 LT MOTORCYCLES ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AS WELL AS DIRECTLY TO BMW AND AT THE BMW LT OWNERS WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.BMWLT.NET/UBBTHREADS/SHOWFLAT.PHP?CAT=&BOARD=SURVEYS&NUMBER=17109&PAGE=&VIEW=&SB=&O=&FPART=ALL&VC=1 THE COMMON THREAD IS THAT THE BEARING FAILS, THE SEAL LEAKS DUE TO DEBRIS AND THE REAR END DUMPS IT LUBRICATION OIL ALL OVER THE REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY, TIRE ETC. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION FOR A MOTORCYCLE!!! ONLY TWO WHEELS TO START WITH!!!! IN LIGHT OF THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 04V297000 FOR LUBE LEAKAGE ON THE REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY OF ANOTHER BMW MOTORCYCLE PLEASE REVIEW ANY/ALL COMPLAINTS ALREADY RECEIVED BY NHTSA AND READ THE TEXT TO SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON AND RECURRING PROBLEM THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY CLASSIFIED BY THE PEOPLE MAKING THE REPORT. BOTTOM LINE, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHER BMW MOTORCYCLES OUT THERE, HUNDREDS OF WHICH HAVE (NOT THEORETICALLY) DUMPED REAR END LUBE ALL OVER THE REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY WITH CONSEQUENCES IDENTICAL TO CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 04V297000 . OUR GROUP AT THE WEBSITE ABOVE CAN PRODUCE NAMES, DATES, VIN NUMBERS ETC. TO BACK UP THIS CLAIM. PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFORMATION. I CONSIDER THIS FORMAL NOTIFICATION TO NHTSA OF THE SEVERITY OF THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. STEPHEN M. WHITE LEWISVILLE, TX. *NM