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BMW Final Drive Failure Form

P

PPARKER1024

New member
Recently, while at a local coffee shop, a fellow rider brought in the current issue of Motorcycle Consumers News (?) or Guide. There was a article talking about the issue of BMW final drive failures. I found it to be a very interesting article, and few covering the topic and having a place to log your own failure into a database. The piece even mentioned that BMWMOA chose to not be an advocate for their members and noted simply that it was a community forum for it's members - a claim that I felt was pretty lame for MOA.

That said, I found this site to log your own failures if you had one.

BMW Final Drive Failure Website
http://www.bmwfinaldrive.com/index.html

BMW Final Drive Failure FORM
http://www.bmwfinaldrive.com/fd_failure_entry.php

BMW Final Drive Failure List
http://www.bmwfinaldrive.com/fd_failure_list.php

Regards,

Phil
 
Rear diff

I had no idea the problem was that extensive. Glad I have my K75
 
That Final Drive article is in this months ON also

I posted that awhile back, and now the same article has been reprinted and added to in the new BMW ON, (Owners News), magazine. The MC Consumer News is harder to find, and most riders have easier access to the ON. The info is very interesting, and a bit disturbing of course. I for one am amazed that BMW will let this issue go on unchecked, since it seriously affects their reputation. Some kind of retro-fit fix would certainly be logical, even as an option at owner's expense. Of course, in today's world, companys are afraid to open the door to law suits by admitting anything. Tort Law has ruined the concept of doing the right thing in many cases. Anyhow, the article is a very good history of the issue, and it's worth finding a copy to read. :blah KC
 
Pparker1024 said:
Recently, while at a local coffee shop, a fellow rider brought in the current issue of Motorcycle Consumers News (?) or Guide. There was a article talking about the issue of BMW final drive failures. I found it to be a very interesting article, and few covering the topic and having a place to log your own failure into a database. The piece even mentioned that BMWMOA chose to not be an advocate for their members and noted simply that it was a community forum for it's members - a claim that I felt was pretty lame for MOA.

That said, I found this site to log your own failures if you had one.

BMW Final Drive Failure Website
http://www.bmwfinaldrive.com/index.html

BMW Final Drive Failure FORM
http://www.bmwfinaldrive.com/fd_failure_entry.php

BMW Final Drive Failure List
http://www.bmwfinaldrive.com/fd_failure_list.php

Regards,

Phil
Click to expand...

Do a search for MCN and you will find this topic has been pretty much beaten to death already on the MOA forums.

RM
 
rocketman said:
Do a search for MCN and you will find this topic has been pretty much beaten to death already on the MOA forums.

RM
Click to expand...

151 drives out of ?????

That is UNACCEPTABLE

Ok guess I will unmmm uhh go and ahh :lurk
 
I wonder -

The early K final drives seemingly last forever... at least I've not heard of statistically high failures.

Wonder why they changed a pretty bullet proof design? Is it related to the newer paralever suspension?
 
Beemer01 said:
The early K final drives seemingly last forever... at least I've not heard of statistically high failures.

Wonder why they changed a pretty bullet proof design? Is it related to the newer paralever suspension?
Click to expand...

The design was the same from 1985 thru 2009 (the 12Lt). What changed was probably the load on the drive and the quality control. My guess.

The new drives which came out in 2005 (for everything except the 12LT with a final drive) are in fact a major design change.

One thing though on the new drives, my local dealer had maybe two loose spline hubs and a couple of leaky seals. No bearing failures...in four model years.
 
cjack said:
The design was the same from 1985 thru 2009 (the 12Lt). What changed was probably the load on the drive and the quality control.....
Click to expand...

It would be interesting to know if BMW began sub-contracting parts like FD's to former Eastern Germany suppliers before they were fully up to speed with western style quality control .
 
Junk Final drive

I have been riding beemers since 1973 when i bought a new r60/5, then i bought a r100/7 and then my 2002 k1200lt. my old r bikes were bullet proof. they never once left me along side the road boke down. i cant say the same for my very expensive k1200. i had the final drive go out and had to have a harley riding buddy pick me up with his pickup and trailor :-(. my bike only had 26k on it when the drive failed. bmw knows they have a problem. i will be buying another bike soon. hummmm Honda, guzzi will be my options this time.
 
German Pride ??

Above someone said this subject has been beaten to death already.
It amazes me that everyone isn't screaming from the hillsides about this. A company like BMW obviously misengineers the backbone of a majority of their productline leaving their customers and supporters standed. The fact that this has been going on over 10 years now is crazy. The fact that they continue to spend time on new projects instead of first fixing something so major, is insulting.
And for ON not to have an artical every month about this to embarrass them into addressing the issue publicly is a failiure as a representative to the BMW Owners Of America.
Add my 2007R1200GSA to the Final Drive failiure list. 16,000+ miles. To think I had the nerve to expect an $18,000 dollar purchase should give me more trouble free mileage. Not to mention the 2 failed ring sensors that I had to deal with.

Beaten to death? I don't think so!!!!
 
Hey BMWMOA, maybe instead of endless articles about your National Rally, you should be looking into how many bikes failed getting there.
One of the worse things about this to me is, everyone riding these bikes is worried. Will it happen to me? We want to be safe, feel safe, feel proud, feel like we're on the best bike out there, but we're all worried.
I was almost relieved when it happened. But after reading how some guys have had it happen twice, I'm back to worrying.
So hope the rally was fun. Thanks for the support.
Now I know how Arizona feels.
 
MOA Inaction on Final Drives

I agree with several of the previous posts (especially BMWon2 and Acejones) regarding BMWMOA's inaction. I also think MOA should be our champion with BMW NA about this issue. I belong to a small chartered club (maybe 25 BMW riders) and we have seen three FD failures in our membership that I know of - there could be more. I have a 2003 RT that has had its share of mechanical issues despite expensive, regular dealer maintenance but not FD failure - at least not yet. BMW's response to my complaints was polite disinterest. In the latest BMWON there is a long interview with the guy who runs the motorcycle division in the states and instead of addressing issues such as reliability or why BMW doesn't even advertise in our magazine, the ON asks about his childhood in South Africa!!! Aargh. OUR organization should be representing OUR interests, not BMWs. Sometimes they coincide and sometimes they do not.
I also wonder if the leadership of MOA and of BMW ever read these fori (forums?)
 
It would be real difficult for anyone to convince me to buy a new BMW. I read about FD failures and the "new" 800 series seem to have all kinds of diverse problems.
 
This is exactly why people buy Harleys. They know they'll go for hundreds of thousands of miles and not need repair work.

Mac
 
Riveting Interview

:scratchBMW's response to my complaints was polite disinterest. In the latest BMWON there is a long interview with the guy who runs the motorcycle division in the states and instead of addressing issues such as reliability or why BMW doesn't even advertise in our magazine, the ON asks about his childhood in South Africa!!! Aargh. OUR organization should be representing OUR interests, not BMWs. Sometimes they coincide and sometimes they do not.


I think the question "Was your mother a homemaker?" was peticularly hard hitting. Really put the guy on the spot about what really matters.

Hey MOA, I'm from NJ. I'd be happy to sit with this guy and question him like we all want him to be questioned if youre afraid to do it!!!

Was you're mother a homemaker!!!!!! Please!!!!:scratch
 
217don said:
I agree with several of the previous posts (especially BMWon2 and Acejones) regarding BMWMOA's inaction. I also think MOA should be our champion with BMW NA about this issue. I belong to a small chartered club (maybe 25 BMW riders) and we have seen three FD failures in our membership that I know of - there could be more. I have a 2003 RT that has had its share of mechanical issues despite expensive, regular dealer maintenance but not FD failure - at least not yet. BMW's response to my complaints was polite disinterest. In the latest BMWON there is a long interview with the guy who runs the motorcycle division in the states and instead of addressing issues such as reliability or why BMW doesn't even advertise in our magazine, the ON asks about his childhood in South Africa!!! Aargh. OUR organization should be representing OUR interests, not BMWs. Sometimes they coincide and sometimes they do not.
I also wonder if the leadership of MOA and of BMW ever read these fori (forums?)
Click to expand...

Both the leadership of MOA and BMW read this forum.

Current and former Boards of Directors have taken the position that BMW MOA is not an advocacy organization. Seems like the majority of members agree, since there was very little interest in running for a BOD or Officer seat during recent elections. Voter apathy usually indicates the members are satisfied with the status quo.

Personal observation only, not an official statement in any way.
 
SIBUD said:
Both the leadership of MOA and BMW read this forum.

Current and former Boards of Directors have taken the position that BMW MOA is not an advocacy organization.
Click to expand...

I no longer have a BMW, so I got no dog in this hunt, but I did pay my $40 last January and I do love to stir the pot.

August 2010 ON on page 46 in the Pieter deWall article concerning how to get younger riders to buy BMWs,

"In the first place it is not about the product, but the lifestyle. That world we call the 'World of BMW'. It compromises or off road academies, track schools, tour offerings, etc. The MOA could and should play a major role here. That's precisely why we have started discussions with the MOA Executive."



It appears to me that the BOD may become an advocacy organization to help BMW sell their bikes just not an advocacy organization to fix them when the final drives break.:scratch

Ralph Sims
 
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