2009 BMW F650 GS Recalls & Complaints

Incident: May 1, 2015 · Filed: August 29, 2015

THE GAS TANK ON THESE F-SERIES (F650GS, F800GS) BMW MOTORCYCLES IS A KNOWN (NATIONWIDE, AND WORLDWIDE) PROBLEM. THE GAS TANK DEVELOPS CRACKS ALONG A PARTICULAR AREA ON THE SIDE. THIS HAPPENED TWICE TO THE VEHICLE I OWN, IN APRIL OF 2015, AND NOW IN AUGUST, 2015. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED ON MY MOTORCYCLE, FUEL WAS ACTUALLY LEAKING OUT OF THE TANK. NOW IT IS A DEEP CRACK THAT A PERSON CAN FIT A FINGERNAIL INTO, IT IS THAT WIDE. I EXPECT FUEL TO LEAK OUT OF IT AGAIN SOON. THE LOCAL DEALER WARRANTEES THE TANK, BUT THE ISSUE CONTINUES. THE ISSUE IS WITH THE LACK OF QUALITY IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. BMW MOTORRAD CONTINUES TO WARRANTY THESE TANKS INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING THE DESIGN FLAW AND/OR MANUFACTURING PROCESS THAT CAUSES IT.

Incident: September 19, 2014 · Filed: August 2, 2015

MY MOTORCYCLE WAS PUT INTO THE SHOP BEFORE A TRIP AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE CRACKS ON THE OUTSIDE WALL OF THE FUEL TANK IN THE SEAM AREAS. VICTORY BMW TOLD US THAT IT HAPPENS TO A LOT OF BIKES AND THEY WOULD TRY TO PUT IT IN UNDER WARRANTY AND WE WERE LATER TOLD THAT THE COMPANY WOULD NOT COVER IT. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB UNDER THE BMW 600 - 800 FORUMS. ANY PROBLEM WITH FUEL TANKS IS A SERIOUS DANGEROUS SITUATION. BMW SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL AND REPLACE THE TANKS.

Incident: October 10, 2013 · Filed: May 6, 2014

THE MOTORCYCLE HAS EXTENSIVE HAIRLINE CRACKS ON THE LEFT & RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK. A HIGHLY REPORTED ISSUE ON BMW FORUMS. *TR

Incident: April 29, 2014 · Filed: April 29, 2014

REFLECTIVE COATING ON REFLECTOR OF HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS PEELING/FLAKING OFF EXPOSING THE BLACK PLASTIC UNDERNEATH. THIS DRAMATICALLY REDUCES THE HEADLIGHT'S ABILITY TO ILLUMINATE THE ROAD AHEAD AND RESULTS IN A VERY UNSAFE RIDING SITUATION AFTER DARK. *JS

Incident: April 30, 2010 · Filed: April 29, 2014

REFLECTIVE COATING ON REFLECTOR OF HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY FIRST LOOSES ITS SHEEN THEN BECOMES VERY DARK (BURNED). THIS DRAMATICALLY REDUCES THE HEADLIGHT'S ABILITY TO ILLUMINATE THE ROAD AHEAD AND RESULTS IN A VERY UNSAFE RIDING SITUATION AFTER DARK. NOTE: MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED IN ITS OEM LIGHTING PROFILE, USING THE STANDARD / RECOMMENDED H7 TYPE BULB. *JS

Incident: March 30, 2013 · Filed: March 31, 2013

ENGINE STOPPED (BUT DID NOT SEIZE) AND VEHICLE STARTED RAPID DECELERATION. THE LOSS OF POWER WAS INSTANTANEOUS, BUT APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE EARLIER THE INSTRUMENT DISPLAY HAD GONE BLANK. THERE WERE NO PRIOR INDICATIONS OF TROUBLE. WHEN POWER LOSS OCCURRED, I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH AND COASTED TO A STOP AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SUBSEQUENTLY TESTING SHOWED THAT BATTERY WAS DISCHARGED AND LOSS OF POWER WAS DUE TO FAILURE OF CHARGING SYSTEM, SPECIFICALLY, FAILURE OF GENERATOR STATOR (GENERATOR IN THIS VEHICLE USES PERMANENT MAGNET ROTOR AND WOUND STATOR). *TR

Incident: July 13, 2012 · Filed: July 13, 2012

I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 95 SOUTH IN MARYLAND NEAR COLUMBIA DOING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND HAD TO SLOW FOR TRAFFIC AHEAD. I SLOWED TO 50 MPH AND DISENGAGED THE CLUTCH TO SHIFT GEARS AND THE ENGINE STALLED. I WAS NOT INITIALLY AWARE THAT IT HAD STALLED DUE TO THE GENERAL TRAFFIC NOISE. WHEN I ENGAGED THE CLUTCH IN THE LOWER GEAR MY REAR TIRE SKIDDED AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE BIKE. THEN I REALIZED THE ENGINE HAD STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO ROLL START THE BIKE BY SHIFTING TO YET A LOWER GEAR AND ENGAGING THE CLUTCH RAPIDLY BUT THE ENGINE STALLED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AGAIN. I ENDED UP HAVING TO DISMOUNT THE BIKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND (VERY QUICKLY) PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAS THEN ABLE TO RESTART IT BUT IT WOULD NOT IDLE AT ALL. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. I'M AWARE THAT THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS MODEL BIKE BUT WHEN I CHECKED WITH THE DEALER ABOUT 2MONTHS AGO THEY TOLD ME THAT THE RECALL SERVICE HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED ON THIS BIKE. *TR

Incident: March 20, 2012 · Filed: March 21, 2012

THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES SOMETIMES AT A STANDSTILL OTHER TIMES WHILE MOVING. THEN ENGINE SHUTS DOWN AND THEN CAN BE RESTARTED A SHORT TIME LATER. THE MOST DANGEROUS SITUATION WAS A STALL WHILE MOVING AT 35 MILES A HOUR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. THE ENGINE APPEARS TO BE GAS STARVED. TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE AT TIME OF INCIDENT WAS 80 DEGREES. AFTER SEVERAL STALLS I HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED. *JS

Incident: July 25, 2010 · Filed: September 4, 2011

THIS COMPONENT HAD FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES ON THIS VEHICLE (ABOUT TWICE PER YEAR) SINCE NEW. THE COMPONENT THAT IS REPLACED EACH TIME HAS BEEN THE FUEL PUMP CONTROLLER (SMALL ELECTRONIC DEVICE MOUNTED ON TOP OF THE FUEL TANK). I AM ABOUT TO PURCHASE MY FOURTH ONE. THE UNIT TYPICALLY FAILS WHEN AMBIENT TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE 90F. WHEN THIS FAILS, THE FUEL PUMP WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LOW SPEEDS ON GRAVEL ROADS, CAUSING GREAT DIFFICULTY KEEPING THE BIKE UPRIGHT AS IT COMES TO A STOP. OTHER TIMES HAS BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER, ALMOST AS IF THE KEY WAS TURNED OFF (HOWEVER ALL THE BIKE ELECTRONICS STAY ACTIVE). IN SOME CASES THE CONTROLLER BEGINS TO WORK AGAIN BEFORE THE BIKE HAS COME TO A STOP. ONCE THE PROBLEM SURFACES, IT GETS WORSE QUICKLY. MOST RECENTLY I WAS ABOUT 30 MILES FROM HOME WHEN IT FIRST DISPLAYED SYMPTOMS. IT WAS ALL HIGHWAY MILES. IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE BIKE HOME, THE ENGINE STALLED MORE THAN 20 TIMES. ONCE THE BIKE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR SEVERAL HOURS OR OVERNIGHT, THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY UNTIL THE COMPONENT GETS HOT AGAIN (USUALLY AFTER AN HOUR OR SO OF RIDING). FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT HAS LEFT THE BIKE STRANDED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.

Incident: August 1, 2010 · Filed: August 4, 2010

BMW F650GS GAS TANK CRACKING ON GAS FILL SIDE. WIFE AND I EACH HAVE F650GS 2009, BOTH ARE SPLITTING IN THE SAME SPOT, WIFE'S IS MUCH WORSE. *TR