Recall of BMW Integrated Brakes in Germany

[nemezis]

RECALL OF BMW INTEGRATED BRAKES IN GERMANY

Date: 03/24/06

As you know they said that the ABS only fails on motorcycle trainings. But now they fix this issue - at least in Germany.

Original German Text:

 

[bustupbiker]

RECALL OF BMW INTEGRATED BRAKES IN GERMANY

Date: 03/24/06

As you know they said that the ABS only fails on motorcycle trainings. But now they fix this issue - at least in Germany.

Original German Text:

Very good nemezis but what does it say and how is it worded is what matters.
Cheers. Lyn.

 

[namtinker]

Basically mentions the (possible) ABS failure during high/frequent/hard braking and that BMW in their "quest for improving their product" have revised a bolt in the braking system that should prevent it from happening - even during extreme braking.

Sounds simple.

Let's hope it makes it way around the world quickly!

 

[Gaulois]

Rough Translation I'm not a translator so take this as approximate.

According to our records you are the owner of the above mentioned BMW motorcyle. Thank you for the trust you have placed in our company and brand by buying this motorcyle.We want to ensure that this trust is maintained after the actual purchase.

... BMW Motorrad has since mid 2005 informed people that repeated short severe (enough to engage the ABS) applications of the brakes during training runs could lead to a failure of the ABS system. The failure is only possible in the case of hard and fast applications of the brakes, situations that only occur in the specific situation of a training run. In road traffic or on circuit runs the situation does not occur. This knowledge is further underpinned by the fact that BMW Motorrad has yet to hear of such a situation occuring (in the real world).

Thus BMW Motorrad has, with the aim of continuously improving itself, an technical alteration to the (I need help with Hohlschraube - best I can do is hollow screw) and the handbrake armature (sorry again - I'm not technical - best I can do is the front brake). This alteration needs to be made to your vehicle. Once it is installed the described ABS failure in particular circumstances is prevented.

 

[Deleted account 190209001]

In other words; we have a problem only under certain circumstances (yeah right!) but we still like to fix something that isn't wrong with the bike, just so we can cover our butts.
Any other problems are operator error as usual....... and zyou vill like zhat Ja?!?!

 

[Mouse]

According to my dealer, my bike needs a recall to have the bolt that holds the front brake line to the master cylinder replaced. Probably the same thing?

And how can BMW fixing a potential problem for free be a bad thing? I still have complete confidence in my bike, after all I've put it through, there have been no problems with the brakes.

 

[nemezis]

And how can BMW fixing a potential problem for free be a bad thing?

Did anyone mention that it is a bad thing to fix "a potential problem for free"?

The accident with a badly injured rider happened in May 2005 in Germany. It caused media attention in Germany (TV, newspapers, newsmagazines). According to the media this accident wasn't unique. Threre have been more.

The recall was initiated in March 2006 because the whole brake issue was subject of an investigation by our KBA (Federal Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Drivers) since May 2005!

nemezis

 

[Bigtwin]

According to the media this accident wasn't unique. Threre have been more.

nemezis

Christ! Why didn't you say! The MEDIA!!!! Now we KNOW it's for real!!!

 

[nemezis]

addendum:


The fix will reduce the maximum pressure, and it will lengthen the time to build up pressure.

 

[STUBBS]

Christ! Why didn't you say! The MEDIA!!!! Now we KNOW it's for real!!!

it wasn't reported in the sun so it can't be real havent we been here before

 

[Tobers]

Bla bla bla as usual.

However, now some useful news...

According to Vines, UK bikes will be recalled shortly (next 3 weeks) to have a valve thingy fitted which reduces the severity of the ABS cut-in & pulsing.

On ABS-fitted cars, the pulsing of ABS is really rapid. On the GS though, the time between pulses is quite long, and the period of brake release before reapplication (the buttock-clenching bit!) is also quite long.

As it was explained to me by a very nice Vines chap who knows these things, this doo-dah will apparently change the pulsing frequency so make it pulse more quickly. Therefore, less possibility of you crapping yourself as you brake hard down that motorway slip road with rumble strips across it.

Andy

 

[Mouse]

Yeah that's the bit I referred to earlier, I think, Tobers. The bolt that holds the brake line onto the master cylinder apparently contains some sort of pressure release valve. Until you posted though I didn't realise this was concerned with the ABS.

 

[Cestria]

Thanks for the info Tobers. If I had a job that would be another day off work!

 

[nemezis]

As I said before, the fix will only reduce the maximum pressure, and it will lengthen the time to build up pressure. This will prevent the ABS failure under certain circumstances. It will also affect the feeling for the brakes in general.

For R12GS owners there will be additional work, they will re-route the sensor cable again.

According to my information there is no fix for the poor residual brakes, i.e. a pressure reservoir. That is very bad because the poor residual brakes caused accidents, but they are legal.

nemezis

 

[dave hendy]

recall

Thanks for the info Tobers. I had my bike booked in for its 6K/year service on Friday at Vines. I rang them yesterday to see if they would be doing the recall at the same time as the service. They said they did not have parts yet so have rebooked service for 3 weeks. Hopefully they will have the parts by then ans safe me 2 trips. I just want bike 100% as off to Austria in May.

Dave

 

[nemezis]

pressure gradient

addendum:

to be exactly: the fix reduces the high pressure gradients

 

[Bigtwin]

Odd that Vines didn't mention any of this when I was going through my brake recall test results (waste of time) with them last week.

 

[nemezis]

Odd that Vines didn't mention any of this when I was going through my brake recall test results (waste of time) with them last week.

Bigtwin,

this wasn't a "brake recall". You named it "brake recall". At least in Germany riders were informed that this campaign was for taming the customers.

The reason you dealer didn't mention to you the real brake recall ist because this recall is very new.

Even in Germany not every dealer was informed when custormers asked. In Germany alone there are more than 70.000 motorbikes with Integrated Brakes affected.

nemezis

 

[Bigtwin]

Bigtwin,

this wasn't a "brake recall". You named it "brake recall". At least in Germany riders were informed that this campaign was for taming the customers.

The reason you dealer didn't mention to you the real brake recall ist because this recall is very new.

Even in Germany not every dealer was informed when custormers asked. In Germany alone there are more than 70.000 motorbikes with Integrated Brakes affected.

nemezis

You are talking complete rubbish yet again - surprise. I was there after they had told Tobers about it.

And it was a break recall. The bike was recalled for a brake check - that's a brake recall.

 

[nemezis]

@Bigtwin

I say it once only: The free brake check wasn't a recall. You got a letter for a "free brake inspection" to make you happy, and you got a four pages supplement to the manual full of warnings to cover the companys ass.

Recalls are done to fix serious safety issues. This recent recall is a real recall, it's nothing to tame customers. Guess why they did it?

According to my information there is no fix for the residual brakes regardless which model, i.e. a pressure reservoir. That is very bad because the residual brakes caused accidents and frightened riders, but they are legal. As you remember there are at least 80 cases known alone in Germany where the brakes shifted to residuals (inquiry General German Automobile Association). In addition, 27% had issues with the integrated brakes from BMW (inquiry of MOTORRAD magazine)!

This is the German TV-News that caused the "free brake check" for taming the customers and the four pages warning (extension to the manual).

What caused the recent brake recall? The pressure from the KBA (Federal Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Drivers)? The pressure from the German Federal Prosecutor? I don't know. In the TV-News (link above) they said, BMW dosn't see any reason for recalling the brakes.

But now they do.