2002 BMW Rt Series

RIDING TO A STOP AND MY FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP AT ABOUT 10 MPH. THEY FREED UP AND I GOT A BRAKE FAILURE AND ABS WARNING LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. AFTER A RESTART, IT WENT AWAY. UPON RESTARTING, I TOOK OFF AND FOUND THAT THE WARNINGS CAME BACK AND I HAD NO REAR BRAKE PEDAL AND ALSO NO FRONT BRAKE PRESSURE AT THE LEVER. CHECKING THE MASTER CYLINDER, I FOUND IT DRY. THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE HOSE HAD DEVELOPED A LEAK AT THE FITTING. HOW THIS COULD HAVE AFFECTED THE REAR BRAKES, I AM NOT AWARE. DOING RESEARCH, I FIND THAT IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. THIS IS WRONG. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUED.

1. NORMAL DRIVING ALONG A ROADWAY. 2. SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION WITHOUT ANY WARNING AT ALL. MOTORCYCLE STOPPED DEAD IN ITS TRACKS. PUSHED MOTORCYCLE THROUGH TRAFFIC TO BREAKDOWN LANE.RISKING INJURY AND/OR DEATH IN THE PROCESS. 3. PERSONALLY INVESTIGATED FAILURE. VERY COMMON FAILURE OF THIS PRODUCTION RUN MOTORCYCLE. 2002 BMW R1150 RT. 20%-25% OF MOTORCYCLES IN THIS PRODUCTION RUN EXPERIENCE THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. REPLACE CLUTCH FOR STRIPPED SPLINES AND REPLACED TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT FOR STRIPPED SPLINES. BMW IS WELL AWARE OF THIS WIDESPREAD FAILURE OCCURRING IN 2000 TO 2004 MOTORCYCLES IN THE ENTIRE 1150 MODEL LINE WITH 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION. IS DUE TO A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING OR WORKMANSHIP. IF THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE HAPPENED TO ME WHILE I WAS ON A MULTILANE HIGHWAY, I WOULD'VE BEEN STRANDED IN A MIDDLE LANE WITH THE HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC TRAVELING BY ME AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, TRYING TO PUSH A 600 LB MOTORCYCLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FAILURE THAT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS ISSUE. THEY ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THESE TYPES OF PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE PARTS ON THIS PARTICULAR MODEL RUN. THAT THE FAILURE IS NOT DUE TO NEGLECT, MISUSE, OR LACK OF MAINTENANCE. THAT IT IS STRICTLY A DEFECT IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP. *TR

DROVE VEHICLE 10 MILES AND PARKED IN GARAGE. CAME BACK ONE HOUR LATER AND FUEL FUMES PERMEATED THE GARAGE. POOL OF FUEL OBSERVED UNDER THE RIGHT HAND CYLINDER OF 2002 BMW R1150RT MOTORCYCLE WITH FLOOR AREA OF GARAGE AND STOWED ITEMS SOAKED IN GASOLINE. EXTREME DANGER OF EXPLOSION IN GARAGE HAD WATER HEATER OR GAS FURNACE HAD STARTED TO OPERATE. QUICK DISCONNECT IN PRESSURIZED FUEL SUPPLY LINE HAD FAILED. ITEM HAD BEEN SERVICED UNDER A RECALL NOTICE 04V-028 BY SAN JOSE BMW IN JUNE 2006. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALS THIS IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH BMW MOTORCYCLES DUE TO A 'LATENT DEFECT' IN PLASTIC BEING EMPLOYED IN THE QUICK DISCONNECT AND O RING PRONE TO FAILURE. O RING AND PLASTIC MATERIAL USED IN FUEL LINE QUICK DISCONNECT DOES NOT STAND UP TO GASOLINE, ESPECIALLY ETHANOL BLENDED GASOLINE AS USED IN CALIFORNIA SF BAY AREA. BMW AWARE OF THIS SYSTEMIC PROBLEM BUT HAS FAILED TO ACT RESPONSIBLE AND ISSUE A RECALL SPECIFYING METAL BASED (BRASS, STEEL, OR STAINLESS STEEL) QUICK DISCONNECT CONNECTORS ALONG WITH VITON O-RINGS THAT WILL WITHSTAND ETHANOL BLENDED GASOLINE AND THE 40 PSI LINE PRESSURE IN THE BMW MOTORCYCLES FUEL SUPPLY LINES TO THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. FAILURE COULD RESULT IN FIRE AT SPEED ON A HIGHWAY OR AN EXPLOSION AND FIRE WHEN MOTORCYCLE IS PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED AREA SUCH AS A GARAGE WITH AN IGNITION SOURCE (HEATER/FURNACE) WHEN THESE CRITICAL FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENT(S) FAIL AND LEAK THE CONTENTS OF THE FUEL TANK TO THE FLOOR. BMW RECALL 04V-028 DOES NOT FULLY RESOLVE THIS SERIOUS HAZARD, RESULTING IN A HIGH PROBABILITY OF A MAIN FUEL SYSTEM LEAK AND POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS INJURY AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. *TR

EVENT OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 1, 2006. MOTORCYCLE WAS HEADING NORTHBOUND ON 202 NORTH NEAR THE TOWN OF FLEMINGTON. UPON APPROACHING A YELLOW LIGHT, RIDER ENGAGED BRAKES ONLY TO FIND THAT THEY WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY (DIDN'T SEE FLASHING RED LIGHTS UNTIL AFTER THE FACT). SPED THROUGH THE YELLOW LIGHT AND MADE IT SAFELY THROUGH IT. BRAKES SERVOS ON THE MOTORCYCLE WOULD NOT ENGAGE. TRIED RESTARTING THE MOTORCYCLE TO NO AVAIL. *NM