2002 BMW K1200RS

ON MARCH 6, 2006, I STARTED RIDING MY 2002 BMW K1200RS AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR END OF THE MOTORCYCLE FELT NOT QUITE RIGHT. STOPPING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I CHECKED AIR PRESSURE, LUG NUTS TIGHT AND LOOKED FOR ANY FLUID LEAKS. EVERYTHING APPEARED OK. I ALSO GRABBED THE REAR TIRE TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS ANY PLAY IN THE REAR END. THERE WAS NONE. I CONTINUED ON. A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD, THE MOTORCYCLE BECAME VERY UNSTABLE AND IT FELT LIKE THE REAR WHEEL WAS ABOUT TO COME OFF. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE MOTORCYCLE STOPPED WITHOUT CRASHING. I THEN NOTICED FLUID LEAKING ALL OVER THE REAR END OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND ON THE REAR WHEEL AND REAR BRAKE. THE FLUID WAS CLEARLY LEAKING OUT OF THE REAR DRIVE. THE MILEAGE ON MY MOTORCYCLE WAS JUST OVER 33,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE RIDER BEHIND ME TOLD ME THAT IT LOOKED LIKE MY REAR WHEEL WAS GOING TO FALL OFF. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS PUT ON A TRAILER AND TAKEN TO BMW OF FORT WORTH WHERE THE REAR END WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE REAR BRAKE PADS AND REAR ABS SENSOR. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE FT. WORTH DEALERSHIP HAD A REPLACEMENT REAR IN STOCK. IN FACT THEY TOLD ME THE REAR DRIVE HAD BEEN ORDERED FOR ANOTHER CUSTOMER WITH A REAR DRIVE FAILURE. THE COST OF THE REPAIRS WAS JUST OVER $1,500. BMW HAS SEVERAL MODEL OF MOTORCYCLE THAT USE THE SAME TYPE OF REAR DRIVE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THIS DRIVE ON ALL MODELS OF MOTORCYCLE USING THIS TYPE OF REAR DRIVE. BMW IS WELL AWARE OF THESE FAILURES AND HAS EVEN STUDIED THE PROBLEM. SOME OF THE FAILURES BMW HAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND SOME IT HAS NOT. THE REAL ISSUE HERE IS NOT THE WARRANTY COVERAGE BUT THE SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN A REAR DRIVE FAILURE OCCURS, IT COMES WITHOUT WARNING AND MAKES THE MOTORCYCLE EXTREMELY UNSTABLE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. BMW IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS THUS FAR REFUSED TO RECALL MOTORCYCLES WITH THIS TYPE OF REAR DRIVE. *NM

DATA ATTRIBUTED TO BMW INDICATES THAT THE FAILURE RATE OF FINAL DRIVE ON THIS MOTORCYLE IS ON THE ORDER OF *THREE* (3) PERCENT -- A VERY HIGH RATE CONSIDERING THE CRITICALITY OF THE ASSEMBLY -- THE REAR WHEEL OF THE MOTORCYCLE IS HELD ON *ONLY* BY THE HUB/RING GEAR THAT IS SUPPORTED BY THE LARGE BEARING THAT IS FAILING. FAILURE OF THIS BEARING, AND THEREBY LOSS OF REAR WHEEL STABILITY, CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE AT SPEED, WITH ATTENDANT INJURY AND DEATH POTENTIAL. BMW HAS NOT RELEASED ANY INFORMATION TO OWNERS THAT SUGGESTS THAT THEY HAVE DETERMINED THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE BEARING FAILURES, THAT A REMEDY FOR THE APPARENTLY DEFECTIVE BEARINGS EXISTS, OR THAT THERE WILL BE ANY ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE BEARINGS IN EXISTING MOTORCYCLES (OTHER THAN AFTER A BEARING HAS FAILED, I.E., AFTER THE OWNER HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO A RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY). PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT A NUMBER OF SIMILAR FAILURES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA, BUT UNDER A VARIETY OF CATEGORIES (SHAFT FAILURES, REAR AXLE,ETC.) REVIEW OF THE ENTRIES BY MODEL (BMW K1200LT) SHOULD REVEAL A NUMBER OF RELATED REPORTS NOT LISTED IN THIS CATEGORY.*AK