Brake Failure

[Alphason]

I know 8-10 other R12GS owners and I haven't heard much complaining regarding quality. It's the other way around really. People are extremely satisfied with their R12GS!

I have to agree. There are loads of 1200 owners out here enjoying these great bikes and having no major problems at all. As is always the case we tend to shout if we have problems but keep quiet if we are happy!

It's interesting to see that some people are still shouting about other peoples problems though. I really couldnt be bothered myself!

 

[Marty Hill]

Coming up on 30k miles on my 12GS. Burned out the dip beam bulb. Quite unhappy about that. :sunshine

 

[ktmmark]

Hope you put in a claim, bloody cheap bulbs i bet

 

[Marty Hill]

Perhaps next time.

 

[Mouse]

Coming up on 30k miles on my 12GS. Burned out the dip beam bulb. Quite unhappy about that. :sunshine

Mine's gone through 2 bulbs in that time!!

 

[Marty Hill]

Mouse,

I'd ask for a replacement 12GS if I were you.

 

[andy1200]

Just picked the bike up new on Saturday - ABS diagnostic all looked fine. On Sunday, the front brake locked solid depositing me on the deck.

The front brake stayed locked solid for nearly 15 minutes. Could not move bike.

Now ABS light shows faulty ABS.

Anyone had a full lock-up?

Brake failure on a brand new bike, with the default as a lock-up of the front. Sounds like front page news for MCN and/or an article in Bike, etc.

how did the DoT (or whoever deal with the Type Approval of new vehicles) pass a vehicle for use in the UK, whose braking system can apparently be effectively disabled by the failure of a single switch?

FWIW mine was bought in Poland, when I was working there, and had to go through SVA, much more thorough than Type Approval. Brakes are tested both with and without servo, ie with the ignition off. Passed both by a considerable margin.

 

[nemezis]

The DBRMan case is one of four known to the (internet)-public:

http://media.de.indymedia.org/media/2007/07//189276.pdf

On 25th of July 2007 there is another case documented, but with the new Integral-ABS from Continental Automotive Systems. The case got the attention of the German authorities. article in German language

Nemezis

 

[wilbjr21]

Nemezis

Oh no Not Dr ABS again

 

[ausgsa12]

Well if having owned 5 BMW Motorcycles including a 1200GS is not trying out the machinery and sour grapes - well I am sorry but you have lost me.

When I look at the build quality of my 1979 R100 RS and compare it to the 1200GS I have to say that the old bike is streets ahead. I realise that time has moved on and that all manufacturers have had ro become far more cost effective or go under. I just think that BMW used to make quality products that were built to last and I now think that due to understandable commercial pressure they have had to become more "mainstream" in order to appeal to a broader and younger type of buyer. The 1200GS under the guise of weight saving is to me a motorcycle that has been built to a price and has some design compromises built into it. This has to be at the request of the accountants as I honestly don't believe that BMW engineers by choice, would design some of the poor items that are to be found on this bike. A prime example of this concept is the Can Bus controller on top of the fuel tank where there is a water trap around the area of the electrical connections to the fuel pump. This area fills with water when washing the bike or riding through a rainstorm. YES I know the connections are waterproofed - BUT I also know that water and electrics don't mix and eventually the water seals will be compromised and cause problems. Surely it would have been much better to design this water trap out of the bike or if that wasn't possible provide a drain for the water to escape. Also the sealed for life bevel box with oil that can't be changed and is in for the life of the unit. Well I want to see a drain plug and a way of replacing the oil as I just don't trust or accept that is how an enduro motorcycle should be.

Maybe I am just old fashioned and wanting something that these days is never going to be - but I also hate the concept that just because it's new and the latest design that it is better than what went before. If though, this is how it has to be in order for BMW to survive making motorcycles then of course I accept it because they are at the end of the day - still great bikes!!

Regards Paul Mac

Hopefully someone will manufacture a cover for the electrics on top of the fuel tank i was considering a surgical glove or condom dont know if the latter will stretch that far........oh hang on wait a minute....

 

[nemezis]

On 13th of January 2008 02:05 pm a 44 years old rider crashed with his BMW R1200GS due to a brake defekt (front wheel blocking) and was seriously injured.

According to the police the cause of the crash was a brake defekt which resulted in a blocking front wheel, that's exactly what the police report says (police station hünfeld/hessen/germany).

Now the interresting part:This bike was a BMW R 1200 GS, production date March/2004 with the Integral-Brakes from FTE automotive.

According to the injured rider and his girlfriend in the german internet forum boxer-forum the brakes blocked during riding while the rider wasn't applying the brakes! There are witnesses.

They are searching for similar cases and similar reports.



The original police report in German language an some more information about the case is printed here: http://de.indymedia.org/2008/01/205704.shtml

 

[Engineer]

On 13th of January 2008 02:05 pm a 44 years old rider crashed with his BMW R1200GS due to a brake defekt (front wheel blocking) and was seriously injured.

According to the police the cause of the crash was a brake defekt which resulted in a blocking front wheel, that's exactly what the police report says (police station hünfeld/hessen/germany).

Now the interresting part:This bike was a BMW R 1200 GS, production date March/2004 with the Integral-Brakes from FTE automotive.

According to the injured rider and his girlfriend in the german internet forum boxer-forum the brakes blocked during riding while the rider wasn't applying the brakes! There are witnesses.

They are searching for similar cases and similar reports.



The original police report in German language an some more information about the case is printed here: http://de.indymedia.org/2008/01/205704.shtml

I do not understand the term "blocking".

Does this mean:
1. The wheel stopped rotating when the brakes were applied?
or
2. The wheel continued to rotate when the brakes were applied?

Without knowing what the term "blocking" means it is impossible to understand what you are saying.

 

[Shep]

Sounds like they locked if you read the line

"According to the injured rider and his girlfriend in the german internet forum boxer-forum the brakes blocked during riding while the rider wasn't applying the brakes! There are witnesses."

Shep

 

[nemezis]

1. The wheel stopped rotating.

According to the police report the front wheel stopped rotating. According to the police report the reason for that was a defect with the brakes. According to the rider he didn't apply the brakes. He crashed and was injured seriously.

In this thread here there is DBRMan describing a similar defect. There is another one at ADVrider.com. LINK

None of the reasons were ever published as far as I know. It's the same with a german report some years ago which caused a lot of trouble in Germay. There is silence.

 

[Pressurized]

I do not understand the term "blocking".

Does this mean:
1. The wheel stopped rotating when the brakes were applied?
or
2. The wheel continued to rotate when the brakes were applied?

Without knowing what the term "blocking" means it is impossible to understand what you are saying.

It's derived from the German for locking - see Antiblockiersystem which is what ABS actually stands for

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Guys

Please don`t think I`m being flippant here but is this a problem we should all be concerned about in reality? Terrible for the guy to have an accident but is it a common problem or will all the worriers appear and start saying that their GS is a pile of crap when in fact there is no issue?

Anything mechanical will have a problem and it`s just on 2 wheels it can be dangerous. I cannot believe BM`, or any other manufacturer would produce anything which is knowingly faulty. Their legal department would simply not allow it. Can you imagime the lawsuit`s in the US

Take that Boeing 777 at Heathrow...perfect safety record and 100% reliable (I know because my mate flies one) and yet he lost all engine power at 2 miles out. Things happen and I`m sure the UKBoeing777er forum isn`t full of people panicking that there pride and joy might fail!! My mate says he`s not concerned at all and will continue to enjoy flying his 777.

The more complicated anything is, statistically the more likely an issue may occur and that is why I specced my GS without ABS! The brakes are awesome!!

 

[Pressurized]

Please don`t think I`m being flippant here but is this a problem we should all be concerned about in reality? Terrible for the guy to have an accident but is it a common problem or will all the worriers appear and start saying that their GS is a pile of crap when in fact there is no issue?

Depends what the cause was. If, for example, it was a degraded seal then this could happen to all bikes in time unless serviced regularly (and probably expensively).

Anything mechanical will have a problem and it`s just on 2 wheels it can be dangerous. I cannot believe BM`, or any other manufacturer would produce anything which is knowingly faulty. Their legal department would simply not allow it. Can you imagime the lawsuit`s in the US

Well, Ford did in the sixties with the Pinto and actually worked out that settling lawsuits from victims' families would be cheaper than re-engineering and recalling their unsafe cars. Who's to say this could not happen today? It would probably be less likely but, really, would you rule it out? Corporations are all about money.

And, with their front engine casings, BMW still do knowingly produce faulty parts (depending on how you define faulty!). Obviously not safety related but they will, you can bet, be doing their sums about how much it would cost to fix it against how much loss of goodwill will result if they don't.

Take that Boeing 777 at Heathrow...perfect safety record and 100% reliable

Sorry, didn't you just say above, 'anything mechanical will have a problem'? And 100% means zero failures which can be approached but never reached. What engineering can do is make a given failure very unlikely - how unlikely depends on how much cost the market will bear.

The more complicated anything is, statistically the more likely an issue may occur and that is why I specced my GS without ABS! The brakes are awesome!!

Exactly - and that's one of the reasons that I bought a KTM