2006 BMW K1200 S Recalls & Complaints

Incident: June 1, 2016 · Filed: June 9, 2021

ABS computer housing has faulty seal allowing water to enter ,causing abs and speedometer failure,and electronic suspension failure. Its apparently happened to quite a few people in the forums.

Incident: May 1, 2021 · Filed: May 11, 2021

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 85 MPH ON MY 2006 BMW MOTORCYCLE AND ON I-75 SB AROUND THE FLORIDA TOWN OF WESTON, THE RIGHTMOST CYLINDER BROKE THRU THE UPPER CRANKCASE CAUSING AN ENGINE FIRE AND A VERY SUDDEN DECELERATION. MY LOWER RIGHT LEG WAS TEMPORARILY ENGULFED IN FLAMES

Incident: July 29, 2016 · Filed: August 27, 2016

WHILE RIDING MY BMW MOTORCYCLE IN LIGHT TRAFFIC, THE BREAK FAILURE LIGHT CAME UP. AS I APPLIED THE BREKAS, THE MOTORCYCLE PRACTICALLY DID NOT HAVE BRAKES. I MANAGED TO STOP. I BROUGHT THE BIKE TO A BMW MECHANIC AND LEARNED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE (ABS) UNIT HAD FAILED. THIS FAILURE IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THE 2005 AND 2006 BMW MOTORCYCLES. I HAVE ALSO FIND OUT THAT IN 2007 BMW CHANGED THE ABS SYSTEM MODULATOR BECAUSE THE 2005 AND 2006 PERFORMANCE WHEN FAILING, YOU PRACTICALLY LOST ALL BRAKE PERFORMANCE. THE NEW 2007 SYSTEM ALLOWED THE BIKE'S BRAKES TO WORK, MINUS THE ABS FEATURE, IN THE EVENT OF THE ABS FAILURE. I REACHED OUT TO BMW NORTH AMERICA, TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT MY DISAPPOINTMENT, WHILE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, I REALIZED THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE KILLED ME, GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPAIR THE FAILURE, BUT WAS BMW NORTH AMERICA GAVE ME STANDARD REPLIES: "THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED" AND OVER THE PHONE SAID THEY WILL NOT BE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE ABS SYSTEM IS UNSAFE BY DESIGN FOR 2005 AND 2006 K1200S BIKES, BECAUSE WHEN THE ABS SYSTEM FAILS THE BRAKING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE DIMINISHES TO THE POINT OF PRACTICALLY NO BRAKES. I'M LUCKY THIS DID NOT HAPPENED WHILE DOING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WITH 167 HP, THIS BIKE CAN BE DEADLY WHEN THE ABS FAILS. BMW SHOULD FIX THIS ABS MODULATOR FLAW.

Incident: June 10, 2015 · Filed: June 18, 2015

I WAS RIDING MY BMW MOTORCYCLE IN MEDIUM TRAFFIC AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AS I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT. THE MOTORCYCLE PRACTICALLY DID NOT HAVE BRAKES ANY AND I NEARLY CRASHED GOING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION TRYING TO STOP THE MOTORCYCLE. WHEN I FINALLY STOPPED THE MOTORCYCLE I NOTICED THAT THE THE BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. LATER I LEARNED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE (ABS) UNIT HAD FAILED ON THE MOTORCYCLE AND THAT THE ABS FAILURE IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THE 2005 AND 2006 BMW MOTORCYCLES. I ALSO LEARNED FROM THE DEALER THAT IN 2007 BMW CHANGED THE ABS SYSTEM MODULATOR BECAUSE THE 2005 AND 2006 WERE SO PRONE TO FAILURE; THAT WHEN IT FAILED THE BIKE LOST NEARLY ALL BRAKING PERFORMANCE; AND THAT THE NEW 2007 AND LATER SYSTEM PERMITTED THE BIKE TO HAVE NORMAL BRAKES, MINUS THE ABS FEATURE, IN THE EVENT OF THE ABS FAILURE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ABS SYSTEMS ON CARS HAVE A SAFETY FEATURE DESIGNED TO PERMIT NORMAL BRAKING IN THE EVENT THAT THE ABS FAILS, A FEATURE LACKING ON THE 2005 AND 2006 MOTORCYCLE. I ASKED BOTH THE DEALER AND AND BMW NORTH AMERICA TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BUT BOTH ADVISED ME THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND THAT BMW WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO REPAIR MY MOTORCYCLE. I BELIEVE THAT THE 2005 AND 2006 ABS SYSTEM ARE PATENTLY UNSAFE FOR THE ROADS BECAUSE WHEN THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED THE MOTORCYCLES BRAKING SYSTEM BECAME SO COMPROMISED THAT ONLY BY LUCK WAS I ABLE TO AVOID A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I HAVE CONDUCTED SOME RESEARCH AND THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET RELATED TO THE SYSTEM FAILING IN UNDER FOUR YEARS, RIDERS LOOSING MOST BRAKING PERFORMANCE WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILS, AND INCIDENTS WHERE THE THE BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILS. BECAUSE THE MOTORCYCLE CAN BE DEADLY WHEN THE ABS FAILS I BELIEVE THAT BMW SHOULD DO A RECALL ON THE BIKE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART....UPDATED 08/06/15 *BF UPDATED 10/25/2017*CN

Incident: September 17, 2014 · Filed: October 15, 2014

THE ABOVE BIKES ABS SERVO PUMP FAILED AND THIS IS COMMON AMONGST K1200S OWNERS. BMW NEEDS TO FIX THIS SAFETY ISSUE. THE ABOVE PROBLEM HAS BEEN A RECALL IN GERMANY. *TR

Incident: April 1, 2014 · Filed: April 1, 2014

APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW THE MOTORCYCLE AND THERE WAS NO DECREASE IN SPEED. THE SERVO ASSISTED BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. *TR

Incident: August 17, 2013 · Filed: August 29, 2013

MY MOTORCYCLE STARTED LEAKING GAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A DAY RIDE AND PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE, SO THAT BY THE END OF THE DAY, GAS WAS POURING OUT ONTO THE SIDE OF MY ENGINE AND ONTO MY BOOT, PANT LEG AND FORMING A GOOD SIZE PUDDLE ON THE ASPHALT WHERE PARKED. I ENDED UP HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY ($550 FOR THE PART, $850 TOTAL COST INSTALLED). I WANT BMW USA TO RECALL THIS PART AND STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THERE ARE MULTIPLE INTERNET THREADS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. MANY BMW OWNER'S LIVES ARE AT RISK OF CATCHING ON FIRE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH MECHANICS AND THEY AGREE, THIS IS A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING. *TT

Incident: August 12, 2013 · Filed: August 14, 2013

FUEL LEAK FROM FUEL TANK FLANGE. THIS COMPLAINT IS THE SAME AS THE OTHERS, NAMELY THE FUEL TANK FLANGE CRACKS AND ALLOWS FUEL LEAKAGE UNDER PRESSURE WHICH ALLOWS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL TO SPRAY AND SUBSEQUENTLY DRAIN DOWN ONTO THE ALTERNATOR AND THEN DOWN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE AND OUT THE BOTTOM. THERE IS A HEAT SHIELD GLUED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK WHICH BECOMES UNGLUED WHEN SATURATED WITH GASOLINE. THIS SHIELD THEN FALLS ONTO THE TOP OF THE ALTERNATOR, THEREBY MAKING CONTACT WITH THE FOIL-SIDE OF THE HEAT SHIELD TO THE ALTERNATOR. IN THE EVENT OF A SPARK FROM THE TWO MATERIALS MAKING CONTACT, THERE WOULD BE A HIGH PROBABILITY OF A FIRE STARTING UNDER THE FUEL TANK. *TR

Incident: January 9, 2013 · Filed: January 30, 2013

THE GAS TANK STARTED LEAKING FUEL. THERE ARE SMALL CRACKS AROUND A PLASTIC FITTING THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL TANK. THE FITTING IS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL PUMP THAT SITS DIRECTLY ABOVE THE ALTERNATOR. *TR

Incident: May 15, 2010 · Filed: January 3, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW K1200 S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, HE NOTICED A STRONG GASOLINE FUEL ODOR AND LEAKING GASOLINE ON THE GROUND. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL ASSEMBLY FACE PLATE WAS FRACTURED AND WAS LEAKING FUEL ONTO THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT APPLIED A PLASTIC WELD TO THE FUEL ASSEMBLY FACE PLATE AND AFTER SOME TIME THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE FUEL ASSEMBLY FACE PLATE AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.