2002 BMW K1200LT

THE LINEAR BEARING IN THE REAR DRIVE FAILED - METAL FLAKES AND BEARING MATERIAL APPEARED IN THE REAR DRIVE OIL WHEN THE OIL WAS CHANGED. THE OIL WAS CHANGED EVERY 3000 - 400 MILES AND WITHOUT WARNING THE DRIVE OIL BECAME CONTAMINATED BY A BEARING THAT DETERIORATED. THE BEARING CAGE HAD NOT STARTED TO FAIL AT THIS TIME. THE REAR DRIVE WAS REMOVED FROM THE MOTORCYCLE, TAKEN APART AND UPON INSPECTION THE BEARING WAS IN EARLY STAGES OF COMPLETE FAILURE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION AND MEASUREMENT IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE BEARING WAS INITIALLY OVER SHIMED (GREATER THAN THE MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS CALLED FOR) AT THE FACTORY PLACING UNDUE FORCES ON THIS LINEAR BEARING - THUS CAUSING ITS PREMATURE FAILURE. THE REPLACEMENT BEARING ALONG WITH PROPER SHIMS, AS CALLED FOR IN THE MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS, WERE PLACED BACK INTO THE DRIVE. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW K1200 LT. WHILE TRAVELING AT 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT GASOLINE WAS LEAKING ONTO HIS RIGHT FOOT. THE DEALER AS CONTACTED WHERE HE WAS ADVISED THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST IN SERVICING THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000. UPDATED 08/11/10. *LJ UPDATED 08/17/10

ON AUGUST 28TH, MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING TO EUREAKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS FOR OUR 40TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. ABOUT TEN MILES FROM OUR DESTINATION, THE REAR WHEEL DRIVE BEARINGS WENT OUT ON OUR BMW K12LT MOTORCYCLE FOR THE SECOND TIME. WE WERE TRAVELING DOWN A STEEP, WINDING, MOUNTAIN ROAD AND WERE EXTREMELY WORRIED THAT THE BACK WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP AND SEND US SKIDDING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. GOD WAS WATCHING OVER US AND BROUGHT US SAFELY INTO TOWN WHERE WE WERE THEN STRANDED. THE NEXT DAY, I FOUND A KIND MAN WITH A TRUCK AND TRAILER, WHO HAULED US TO BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS TO THE BMW DEALER. THEY REPAIRED THE BIKE IN ONLY THREE HOURS AND WERE WONDERFULLY KIND AND HELPFUL. SINCE THE BEARINGS HAD ONLY BEEN REPLACED 3000 MILES AND ONE MONTH BEFORE, THEY DIDN'T CHARGE US FOR THE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE BMW HAS A ONE YEAR PARTS WARRANTY. THE LOCAL DEALERS ARE GREAT, BUT BMW IN UNCARING WITH REGARD TO THE SAFETY OF THE MOTORCYCLISTS WHO RIDE THEIR BIKES. THIS REAR WHEEL DRIVE BEARING IS A COMMON PROBLEM AFFECTING MOST OF THE BMW BIKES, BUT BMW HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM. THEY ARE STILL BUILDING THE PROBLEM INTO THE NEW BIKES THEY ARE SELLING. THE FIRST QUESTION THE DEALER ASKED ME WHEN WE ARRIVED IN BENTONVILLE WITH THE BIKE WAS "IS THE BACK WHEEL LOCKED UP?" THAT IS THE MOST FRIGHTENING THING TO ME ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IF YOUR REAR WHEEL LOCKS UP WHILE YOU ARE LEANING INTO A CURVE ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD, THERE WON'T BE ANY WAY TO AVOID A SKID AND CRASH. MY WIFE AND I COULD BOTH BE KILLED IF THIS HAPPENED. WE LOVE BMW BIKES AND WE LOVE RIDING. HOWEVER, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT BMW SHOULD BE FORCED INTO CORRECTING THIS DEFICIENCY BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED, IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ALREADY. TO DATE, BMW IS PRETENDING THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM. THE FACT THAT THERE IS A LARGE PROBLEM CAN CLEARLY BE SEEN ON THE INTERNET AND IN THE MAGAZINE ARTICLES. *TR

THE REAR WHEEL DRIVE BEARING ON MY BMW K12LT MOTORCYCLE FAILED WHILE MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A ROAD SIDE PARK NEARBY. WE PULLED IN AND WATCHED THE OIL RUN OUT ON THE GROUND FROM THE DRIVE. WHILE TRYING TO GET THE BIKE ON A TRAILER, THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP. IF THAT HAD HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING, SINCE GOING INTO A SKID ON A MOTORCYCLE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE COST TO HAVE THIS BEARING REPLACED WAS ALMOST $700. GOD WAS WATCHING OVER US AND KEPT US FROM HAVING ANY INJURIES FROM THIS FAILURE. I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM WITH THE K12LT'S. IT HAPPENS TO ALMOST ALL OF BMW'S BIKES. AT EVERY BMW RALLY, ONE OR MORE PEOPLE HAVE THIS BEARING GO OUT EITHER GOING TO OR COMING FROM THE RALLY. BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT CHOOSES TO IGNORE IT AND ACT LIKE IT DOESN'T EXIST. IN FACT, THEY CONTINUE TO MANUFACTURE NEW MOTORCYCLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THEY ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR BOTTOM LINE THAN THEY ARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE MOTORCYCLE RIDING PUBLIC. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS BEEN INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECTIVE DESIGN, BUT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THE BEARING FAILURE CAUSES THE REAR WHEEL TO LOCK UP WHILE SOMEONE IS TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW K1200LT. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE O-RING IN THE FUEL LINE QUICK-DISCONNECT COUPLING FAILED. AS A CONSEQUENCE, FUEL BEGAN LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V028000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS); THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR. SECONDLY, HE BELIEVES THAT THE REMEDY FOR THE REPAIR IS INSUFFICIENT BECAUSE IT ONLY REQUIRES THE TECHNICIANS TO ADJUST ALL CRIMP-TYPE HOSE CLAMPS OR A REPLACEMENT OF THE QUICK-DISCONNECT O-RING USING PLASTIC MATERIALS. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 65,800.

BMW K1200LT-C MOTORCYCLE: HEARD SOME GRINDING FROM FINAL DRIVE, THEN FELT THE VIBRATION AND ABOUT 10 MILES LATER THE REAR WHEEL WAS WOBBLING UNCONTROLLABLY. THE FINAL DRIVE COMPLETELY FAILED WHICH DAMAGES THE ABS SPEED SENSOR AND HAD TO BE U-HAULED AS I WAS 900 MILES FROM HOME AT THE TIME. MY DEALER REPLACED THE FINAL DRIVE AND ABS SPEED SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE AS I WAS STILL COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. *JB

THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION IS A BMW K1200LT MOTORCYCLE. THIS BIKE USES TWO QUICK-DISCONNECT COUPLINGS IN THE FUEL LINES NEAR THE FUEL TANK. THESE CONNECTORS ARE MADE OF A PLASTIC-LIKE MATERIAL THAT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CRACKING. WHEN SUCH A FAILURE OCCURS (THEY ARE COMMON), THE PRESSURIZED FUEL SPRAYS AROUND UNDER THE DECORATIVE COVERS OF THE BIKE WITHOUT ANY WARNING OTHER THAN THE ODOR OF FUEL AND VISUALLY DETECTABLE LEAKS. IF LEFT UNDETECTED, THERE IS A SERIOUS RISK OF FIRE WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS BEING RIDDEN. BMW OFFERS TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE CONNECTORS WITH THE SAME PART INSTEAD OF CHANGING THE DEFECTIVE DESIGN. *JB