2001 BMW K1200LT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW K1200 LT MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, HE FELT A SLIGHT VIBRATION. AFTER PULLING OVER HER NOTICED THAT THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK ON THE REAR TIRE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE BEARINGS HAD FAILED AND CAUSED THE SEAL TO FRACTURE, CAUSING THE LEAK. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE BEARINGS AND THE SEAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,151. UPDATED 04/10/12*LJ THE DIFFERENTIAL BEARING AND SEAL HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 04/16/12

2001 BMW K1200LT. REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION INTO BMW MOTORCYCLE FINAL DRIVE FAILURES *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO BRING THE MOTORCYCLE TO A SAFE STOP, HE DISCOVERED THE REAR BRAKES DID NOT WORK, WHICH FORCED HIM TO USE THE FRONT BRAKES ONLY, WHICH EXTENDED HIS STOPPING DISTANCE. HE WAS ABLE TO BRING THE BIKE TO A SAFE STOP WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION, HE REALIZED THE REAR BRAKES FAILED BECAUSE THEY WERE SATURATED IN GEAR OIL, THAT LEAKED FROM THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT AFTER THE FINAL DRIVE BEARING SEAL FAILED. THE FINAL GEAR CROWN GEAR BEARING FAILED, CAUSING METAL PARTS TO BE CRUSHED BETWEEN THE SPINNING GEARS, TEARING THE SEAL AND ALLOWING THE OIL TO LEAK. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS THE SECOND TIME THE FINAL DRIVE BEARING FAILED ON HIS BIKE. *JB UPDATED 12/13/11*JB UPDATED 01/05/12.*JB ...UPDATED 01/31/12 *BF UPDATED 02/03/12

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

I OWN A 2001 BMW K1200LT MOTORCYCLE. I MAINTAIN IT VERY WELL AND CHANGE LUBRICANTS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. MY WIFE AND I WERE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE NOT FAR FROM OUR HOME WHEN WE FELT A ROUGHNESS AND VIBRATION THAT WORSENED AND WORSENED. HEARING THAT THESE BIKES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR A FAILED BEARING IN THE REAR DRIVE, I STOPPED TO CHECK IT AND THERE WAS GEAR OIL ALL OVER THE REAR WHEEL. EVEN MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE GEAR OIL SPILLING ONTO THE TIRE WAS THE FACT THAT IT RAN DOWN ONTO THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER! THANKFULLY, WE WERE CLOSE TO HOME, SO WE "LIMPED" HOME VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE THE TOTAL FAILURE HAPPENED. NUMBERS OF OWNERS ARE REPORTING THIS SAME FAILURE WHERE THE GEAR OIL IS SPILLING FROM THE REAR DRIVE ONTO THE TIRE AND BRAKES. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR