2001 BMW K1200LT

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

BMW MOTORCYCLE, MODEL K1200LT. RIDING NORMALLY AT 65 MPH ON FREEWAY, OIL LEAKED OUT OF REAR DRIVE UNIT ONTO BRAKES, WHEEL AND TIRE. LOST ALL REAR BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS, TIRE SLIPPED SLIGHTLY ON ROAD. PULLED ONTO SHOULDER, STOPPED BY USING FRONT BRAKE ONLY. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER WHERE REAR DRIVE UNIT WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. OLD PART IS BEING SHIPPED TO MY OFFICE. *NM

WIFE AND I GOING HOME FROM WEEKEND TRIP WHEN OUR MOTORCYCLE STARTED MAKING A GRINDING SOUND FROM THE REAR WHEEL. AFTER GETTING BIKE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD I NOTICED OIL COVERING WHEEL, BRAKE AND TIRE. HAD BIKE TOWED TO DEALER, THEY SAID IT WAS THE REAR DRIVE BEARING. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD A FEW OF THEM GO BAD. WITH 37,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. STILL AT DEALER WAITING REPAIR.