2006 BMW R1200 RT Power Train Problems

WHILE DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON I-79 NEAR PITTSBURGH AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE REAR UNIVERSAL JOINT LET GO. THIS CAUSED THE MOTORCYCLE REAR WHEEL TO INTERMITTENTLY LOCK UP AND RELEASE. THE UNIVERSAL HAS NO MEANS TO LUBRICATE IT AND NO NOISE OR VIBRATION WAS HEARD OR FELT BEFORE FAILURE.

Mileage: 104,473

AS I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY I FELT MY MOTORCYCLE ALL OF A SUDDEN WOBBLE AND LOST CONTROL. I STRUGGLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND WAS ABLE TO BRING THE MOTORCYCLE TO A STOP BY THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. IT APPEARED MY FINAL DRIVE (TRANSMISSION ) HAD FAILED PREMATURELY. THERE WERE OIL FROM THE FINAL DRIVE SPLATTERED ALL OVER MY REAR WHEEL. THIS WAS A FREIGHTING EXPERIENCE AND COULD HAVE RESULTANT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO ME BECAUSE OF A PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE FINAL DRIVE. *TR

Mileage: 37,700

DURING REAR WHEEL BRAKE REPLACEMENT, FOUND CRACK IN ONE BOLT HOLE THAT SECURES REAR WHEEL TO DRIVE FLANGE. CRACK COULD ALLOW BOLT SECURING THE REAR WHEEL TO LOOSEN WHILE DRIVING. *TR

Mileage: 62,387

FINAL DRIVE BEARING FAILURE IN 2009, REPLACED BEARING THEN HAD FINAL DRIVE HUB FAILURE AT APPROX12K MILES IN 2011, MAY OF 2012 AGAIN HAVE FINAL DRIVE BEARING FAILURE AT JUST OVER 13K MILES. EACH TIME WAS CAUGHT EARLY AND HAD NO OIL LEAKAGE. *TR

Mileage: 6,500

REAR WHEEL FLANGE CRACKS AROUND LUG BOLT HOLES. *KB

I WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY PROBLEMS. I TOOK OF THE REAR TIRE OFF TO CHANGE THE REAR ROTOR. I NOTICED CRACKS ON THE FLANGE. THE FLANGE HOLDS ON THE REAR TIRE. WOW IM GLAD I SAW THE CRACKS. TWO OF THE FIVE BOLTS WERE VERY LOOSE DUE TO THE CRACKS. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE BMW R1200. AND YET BMW WILL NOT RECOGNIZED IT! THERE ARE PHOTO ON THE INTERNET WERE THE BOLT HAVE COME OFF AND THE FLANGE FAILS. I AM VERY LUCK I CAUGHT THIS. IF THE TIRE CAME OF WHILE I WAS MOVING I WOULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR KILL !!!! THE BMW DEALER ACTED AS IF IT WAS NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON ALL BMW R1200 FLANGE. IT ONLY A MATTER OF TIME FOR SOMEONE TO DIES. NO FAULTIES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED. BUT WHO WOULD KNOW TO LOOK AT THE FLANGE TO SEE IF IT FAILED WHEN THERE IS DEATH ON A BMW. THIS IS UNSATISFACTORY!! I AM WAITING ON THE PART. I WILL COST $265.00 AND $80.00 FOR LABOR. *TR

Mileage: 13,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW R1200 RT. APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 5 MONTHS LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE GEAR SELECTION INDICATOR WOULD DISPLAY NEUTRAL WHEN IN FACT IT WAS IN FIRST GEAR. THE VEHICLE'S REAR WHEEL WOULD TURN AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT WAS THROWN FROM THE VEHICLE AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED COSMETIC DAMAGE AND THE PASSENGER WAS UNINJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC LATER STATED THAT THE POTENTIOMETER WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE PART WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN PERSISTENT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO DEFECTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,800.

Mileage: 4,800

THE MOTORCYCLE WAS IN NORMAL USE. I WAS ACTUALLY RETURNING HOME FROM A 3300 MILE TRIP WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. AT FIRST I DETECTED A REAR WHEEL "WOBBLE" WHICH I ATTRIBUTED TO A TIRE PROBLEM. AFTER PULLING OFF THE ROAD AND INSPECTING THE REAR WHEEL I DISCOVERED THAT THE TIRE WAS FINE BUT THE WHEEL ITSELF WAS LOOSE AND COULD BE MOVED NEARLY AN INCH SIDE TO SIDE. THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE OF THE REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY ON THIS BIKE. I REPORTED THE FIRST OCCURRENCE IN 2006 AS WELL. AT THE SHOP THE MECHANICS WERE ABLE TO REMOVE THE WHEEL BY SIMPLY PULLING ON IT. AT THAT TIME I REALIZED HOW LUCK I WAS TO HAVE PULLED OFF BEFORE THE WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. THE MANUFACTURER, BMW NA, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND AUTHORIZED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE FINAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THE BRAKES (WHICH WERE DAMAGED BY THE WHEEL MOVEMENT). *TR

Mileage: 14,000

IN JULY 2007 I EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT PLAY IN THE REAR WHEEL OF MY 2006 BMW R1200RT MOTORCYCLE. THE REAR WHEEL BOLTS TO A FLANGE WHICH IS PRESSED ONTO THE AXLE TUBE OF THE FINAL DRIVE. THIS IS A COMPRESSION FIT, TOGETHER WITH A CIRCLIP. WHEN I DETECTED THE PROBLEM, AFTER REMOVING THE CIRCLIP, I COULD REMOVE THE REAR WHEEL WITH NO RESISTANCE WHATSOEVER, I.E., THERE WAS NO RESISTANCE AS THE SPLINED SURFACE OF THE FLANGE, AND THE SPLINED SURFACE OF THE AXLE TUBE, HAD WORN AWAY TO SUCH AN EXTENT. I TRUCKED THE BIKE TO SALT LAKE CITY WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY (REPLACEMENT OF THE FINAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY, WHICH INCLUDES THE FLANGE), REAR BRAKE ROTOR AND ALL LUG NUTS. I CHECK THE PLAY IN THE REAR WHEEL REGULARLY, AND IT DETERIORATED TO THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION IN VERY SHORT ORDER. FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE WAS A BLACK METALLIC RESIDUE ON THE REAR WHEEL,AND THE PLAY IN THE REAR WHEEL. *TR

Mileage: 23,500

2006 BMW R1200RT WITH REAR END FAILURE. CUSTOMER STATES THAT BMW WON'T GIVE HIM ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. HE STATES THAT THE SEALS ARE LEAKING CAUSING THE FINAL DRIVE TO FAIL. CUSTOMER WOULD LIKE INFORMATION. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN BMW INTRODUCED A NEW MAINTENANCE FREE FINAL DRIVE. WHICH MEANT THE DIFFERENTIAL OIL DIDN'T NOT NEED TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE THE REAR END WAS SEALED. YET, A NUMBER OF REAR ENDS HAVE LEAKED AND CAUSED DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE. *JB

FAILURE OF THE REAR DRIVE ON A 2006 BMW MOTORCYCLE (R1200RT). FAILURE CAUSED BY A BAD BEARING AFTER ONLY 2,600 MILES. *TR

Mileage: 2,600

BMW R1200RT FINAL DRIVE. *JB

Mileage: 3,610

AFTER 3500 MILES OF NORMAL USE MY 2006 BMW R1200RT'S REAR WHEEL BEGAN TO COME OFF THE REAR DRIVE ASSEMBLY POSING A SAFETY THREAT TO ME. THE MECHANICAL LINK BETWEEN THE WHEEL AND FINAL DRIVE APPARENTLY FAILED CAUSING EXCESS PLAY IN THE REAR WHEEL AND RESULTING IN ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR, POOR HANDLING, AND WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. *JB

Mileage: 3,500

AFTER 3500 MILES OF NORMAL USE MY 2006 BMW R1200RT'S REAR WHEEL BEGAN TO COME OFF THE REAR DRIVE ASSEMBLY POSING A SAFETY THREAT TO ME. THE MECHANICAL LINK BETWEEN THE WHEEL AND FINAL DRIVE APPARENTLY FAILED CAUSING EXCESS PLAY IN THE REAR WHEEL AND RESULTING IN ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR, POOR HANDLING, AND WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. *JB

Mileage: 3,500