2002 BMW K1200RS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW K1200RS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, FUEL LEAKED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED DAILY. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V028000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

WHILE RIDING THE BIKE A FEW DAYS AGO, THE ABS FAILURE LIGHTS CAME ON. I SHUT THE BIKE OFF, AND RESTARTED TO ATTEMPT TO RESET THE SYSTEM. THIS DID NOT WORK. LATER IN THE DAY, WHEN STARTING THE BIKE UP,...THE ABS WAS FUNCTIONING, FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES, THEN THE FAILURE LIGHTS AGAIN CAME ON AND HAVE CONSTANTLY STAYED ON SINCE. THE BIKE IS A 2002 AND HAS JUST TURNED 33,000 MILES. I HAD THE BRAKE SYSTEM FLUSHED ABOUT A YEAR AGO IN HOPES IT WOULD PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING, AS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON BMW BIKES OF THIS PERIOD,...ESPECIALLY THE BIKES IN THE "K" FAMILY. BMW DEALERS CHARGE $2200 TO REPLACE THE UNIT, WITH ANOTHER IDENTICAL UNIT, WHICH IS KNOWN TO FAIL AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS, AND BMW IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. ISN'T IT TIME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? I RIDE BMW MOTORCYCLES BECAUSE THEY HAVE ABS BRAKES. THIS IS THE SECOND BMW K1200 THAT I HAVE OWNED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS,.....THE ABS FAILED ON THE FIRST ONE AS WELL.

I PUT SHENKO MOTORCYCLE TIRES ON MY 2002 BMW MOTORCYCLE. AFTER ABOUT 3000 MILES THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE BASE. I COMPLAINED TO SHENKO AND THE DEALER I PURCHASED THEM FROM. THIS WAS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION ON A MOTORCYCLE WITH A PASSENGER. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND THIS PROBLEM IS MORE COMMON THAN IT SHOULD BE. SHENKO SHOULD NOT BE SELLING INFERIOR AND LIFE ENDANGERING PRODUCTS IN THE USA. PLEASE RESPOND AND LOOK INTO THE QUALITY OF THIS IMPORTED PRODUCT, THERE WILL BE DEATHS IN THE FUTURE WITH THIS TIRE. I CAN SUPPLY PHOTOS IF YOU LIKE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP TO MY FIRST REPORT OF THIS DATE. BMW APPARENTLY CONDUCTED A RECALL (04V-028) FOR LEAKS WITH THIS COUPLING, HOWEVER THE RECALL ADDRESSED LEAKS FROM THE QUICK DISCONNECT O-RING AND THE HOSE CLAMPS. IN THIS CASE THE BODY OF THE PLASTIC MALE END OF THE COUPLING INITIALLY CRACKS AND THEN SEPARATES ALLOWING FUEL UNDER 100 PSI TO FLOW DOWN THE ENGINE AND THEN TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE BIKE. THERE WAS ONE REPORT OF A FIRE AND AN INJURY FROM THE PREVIOUS RECALL. HERE WE HAVE A LEAK OCCURRING FROM THE SAME FITTING WITH THE SAME POTENTIAL. INITIALLY BMW REPLACED THIS FITTING WITH THE SAME ORIGINAL PART ONLY TO FIND THAT THE FITTING FAILED AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES TO PLAGUE BMW RIDERS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IT APPEARS THAT THE NTSB'S INITIAL INVESTIGATION WAS SUSPENDED WHEN THE MANUFACTURER AGREED TO A RECALL BACK IN THE 2004/5 TIME FRAME, THUS THE PARTICULARS OF THIS PROBLEM WHERE NOT FORTHCOMING, AND THE FULL NATURE OF THE DEFECT NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED. *TR

STARTED MY BMW K1200RS AND BACKED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE. NOTICED A SPRAY EMANATING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE ABOVE THE VALVE COVE. SHUT THE BIKE DOWN AND CHECKED FOR THE LEAK. FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC FUEL LINE QUICK DISCONNECT COUPLING WAS CRACKED ALLOWING FUEL TO SPRAY OUT IN A FINE MIST. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUGHT FIRE IF THE BIKE HAD BEEN HOT. CHECKED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS FAILURE IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON BMW MOTORCYCLES AND IS NOT LIMITED TO MY MODEL OR YEAR. BMW HAS NOT SEEN FIT TO RECALL THE AFFECTED MOTORCYCLES EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE REDESIGNED THE COUPLING. THE FUEL LINE IS PRESSURIZED AT 100PSI SO THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CATASTROPHIC EVENT IS HIGH. *TR

THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE IS WITHIN A FUEL LINE COUPLING SYSTEM. THE O-RINGS WITHIN THE COUPLING SYSTEM, WHICH HELP TO SEAL THE COUPLING, WERE EATEN AWAY AND GASOLINE SPRAYS OUT OF THE COUPLING. THIS LEAKING SPRAY OCCURS WHENEVER THE MACHINE IS TURNED ON, OR RUNNING, AS THE FUEL PUMP JUST KEEPS PUMPING FUEL OUT OF THE LEAK. CONSEQUENCES COULD BE A FIRE IF THE LEAK HAPPENS AT SPEED OUT ON THE ROAD, AND THE OPERATOR IS UNAWARE THAT THE GASOLINE IS BEING SPRAYED ALL OVER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE AS OF YET-I AM RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM FOR A COMPETENT FIX. *TR

MALE END OF FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT BROKE, SPRAYING FUEL. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER, THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS COMMON, AND THAT MINE HAD A PLASTIC MALE END, AND THAT A REPLACEMENT MALE END WAS AVAILABLE FOR TWENTY SOMETHING DOLLARS AND WAS BEING USED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON LATER MODEL BIKES.. FOR ME THIS ENDED WELL. I NOTICED IT AS I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE GARAGE. THERE ARE TWO QUICK DISCONNECTS AND I PLAN ON REPLACING BOTH MALE ENDS WITH THE NEW IMPROVED MODELS. MINE ALSO DID NOT BREAK OFF ENTIRELY, BUT CRACKED AND SPRAYED A THIN STREAM OF FUEL THROUGH HOLE IN THE BODY WORK. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER HOWEVER, SINCE BOTH CONNECTORS ARE BEHIND BODY WORK. AND ARE LIKELY TO FILL THE BELLY PAN WITH FUEL WITH AN ENSUING FIRE, PARTICULARLY IF THE END BREAKS OFF ENTIRELY. MY BIKE HAS ALWAYS BEEN RIDDEN CONSERVATIVELY ON PAVED ROADS: I DON'T THINK THAT THE DISCONNECTS WERE SUBMITTED TO ANY UNUSUAL STRESS. I SUSPECT FATIGUE AND AGING OF THE PLASTIC CONTRIBUTED TO ITS FAILURE. I THINK THAT FROM READING THE SHOP MANUAL, THAT THE QUICK DISCONNECTS ARE A FEATURE ADDED IN AROUND THE YEAR 2000. OLDER MODELS DID NOT HAVE THEM. THERE IS A RECALL ON THESE BIKES FOR BAD O RINGS IN THE QUICK DISCONNECTS. I SUSPECT THAT THE PLASTIC DISCONNECTS ARE A BAD BIT OF WORK, AND FAIRLY DANGEROUS, UNDERENGINEERED.. *TR

2002 BMW K1200RS MOTORCYCLE FUEL LINE QUICK DISCONNECT COUPLING FAILED WHILE IN USE CAUSING FUEL UNDER HIGH PRESSURE TO LEAK OUT ONTO HOT ENGINE & RIDER'S RIGHT LEG, RISKING FIRE, CRASH AND SERIOUS INJURY OR POSSIBLE DEATH. OWNER AT OWN EXPENSE AND TIME REPLACED ALL FOUR COUPLINGS AND CLAMPS, TWO MALE AND TWO FEMALE. OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR