BMW Transport Canada Recall # 2017428

NOTE: This is a new BMW/Transport Canada recall. It is not directly related to a [/b]previous recall.[/b]

BMW issued a recall on multiple vehicle modelshttp://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search-recherche/detail.aspx?lang=eng&rn=2017428

Transport Canada Recall # 2017428
Recall Date
2017/09/01
Notification Type Compliance Mfr
System Lights And Instruments
Manufacturer Recall Number

Units Affected 8,961
Category Motorcycle

Recall Details

Certain motorcycles with dealer installed accessory turn signals may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CVMSS) 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. The size of the lens on the accessory turn signals my be too small, and therefore would not meet the requirements of the standard. This could reduce vehicle conspicuity to following and approaching road users, and increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will replace the accessory turn signals with factory indicators that meet the requirements of the standard.

mika said:

Certain motorcycles with dealer installed accessory turn signals may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CVMSS) 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. The size of the lens on the accessory turn signals my be too small, and therefore would not meet the requirements of the standard.

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Well, despite the long list of affected motorcycles, the numbers look small because the turn signals were "dealer installed accessory turn signals" and not OEM. Nonetheless, someone will pay, and probably the US NHTSA will follow along...

Although the BMW signals may not comply with regulatory standards I'm sure the risk is insignificant compared to the aftermarket signal mods found predominantly on Japanese crotch rockets - especially non red or yellow turn signals or those hidden in with the brake lights that are dim and near impossible to see. While I'm at it that goes for the tuner boys doing the same with the signals on their modded out Civics (typically also seen and heard with the extra annoyingly loud after market exhaust can).

129654 said:

Although the BMW signals may not comply with regulatory standards I'm sure the risk is insignificant compared to the aftermarket signal mods found ... snipped ...

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A story about the band Van Halen has popped up in my reading several times. According to the story concert venues promoters were contractually required to have a bowl of M&Ms to be available to the band in the backstage was a part of every contract with concert venues they played. Stories of rock bands asking for special things backstage are commonplace. What makes the Van Halen request notable is not the request for M&Ms but that all the brown M&Ms were to be removed from the bowl. Hmmm?

Van Halen had complicated stage setups for their time. Venues had to do a variety of things it pull off a concert. By itself a bowl of M&Ms with no brown M&Ms is meaningless in the scheme of things. But for the band, seeing brown M&Ms in the required bowl told them the venue didn't carefully read the contract they signed. If they let something as simple as this slip, what other more important and potentially dangerous things if not properly set up things did the venue miss?

I pay attention to recalls. I don’t get worked up about them but I do pay attention. In the recall universe this may be a small and not too serious error resulting in one. BMW built and sold a bunch of motorcycles and led buyers to believe they complied with the laws and regulations to make them street legal. Ooops. They missed on this. I will let BMW explain or excuse the mistake, lobby for the a change in a regulation or whatever. I find myself wondering, when confronted by relatively simple things like this and BMW messes up, what important things did they mess up.

If you don’t have the time and skills to get the small things right the first time, when do you have time to fix them and do the big things.

mika said:

Certain motorcycles with dealer installed accessory turn signals

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I wonder if they are talking about the optional BMW LED turn signals?
The small pointy ones.

ExGMan said:

Well, despite the long list of affected motorcycles, the numbers look small because the turn signals were "dealer installed accessory turn signals" and not OEM. Nonetheless, someone will pay, and probably the US NHTSA will follow along...

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Actually it's up to BMW Motorrad USA, not NHTSA, whether a US recall will be initiated. Virtually all recalls start with the manufacturer; NHTSA only monitors. Only in very rare occasions will the feds initiate the recall.

This is confusing to me. I thought modern bikes came with turn signals. If these were aftermarket, ie. cool looking and not OEM then I think BMW bashing isn't warranted.

"Dealer installed" is part of the issue here.

re Van Halen - I had heard about that and wasn't surprised, but never knew the "Why"... That's a pretty damm good point!!! Several years ago, my girlfriend was looking for a new car, and we stopped in at one of the local Ford dealers - we popped open the hood on a Mustang, and there was quite a puddle of new oil right around the filler cap... so I explained to her that if the initial setup was this sloppy, how could she trust the rest of the dealership.

Trying to figure out what the standard is for motorcycle turn signals is difficult. I started to look here (https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2004-title49-vol5/xml/CFR-2004-title49-vol5-sec571-108.xml) but my eyes glazed over...

ExGMan said:

Trying to figure out what the standard is for motorcycle turn signals is difficult. I started to look here (https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2004-title49-vol5/xml/CFR-2004-title49-vol5-sec571-108.xml) but my eyes glazed over...

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John,

That version of FMVSS 108 is out of date by several years. The current version isn't any more readable, but instead of referencing SAE specifications, the requirements are listed in the Standard itself.

I believe the relevant part of the current Standard is S7.1.2.6 - Effective projected luminous lens area. That section simply says see Table IV-a. From Table IV-a, each turn signal, front or rear, must have an effective projected luminous lens area of 2200 sq mm. Apparently the BMW accessory turn signals are smaller than this. The Transport Canada recall web site doesn't give links to any of the pertinent recall documents like the NHTSA site does, so unless BMW issues a US recall, the exact details may not be known.

Lee said:

I wonder if they are talking about the optional BMW LED turn signals?
The small pointy ones.

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I think you might be onto something there, Lee.

BC1100S said:

I think you might be onto something there, Lee.

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I suspect he's right. I think in many (most?) countries, other than Canada, and the U.S., newer BMWs come with smaller/shorter LED turn signals, front and rear. The reason we don't get them is obvious, they don't meed Canadian, and American, standards. I certainly know people who have installed the BMW LED turn signals, but typically, the owner has ordered them from a BMW dealer in Europe, or the U.K. I'm not sure North American dealers can order them. Even if they could, how many dealers would install turn signals they clearly know do not meet standards here. That part is a bit of a head-scratcher.

marcopolo said:

I certainly know people who have installed the BMW LED turn signals, but typically, the owner has ordered them from a BMW dealer in Europe, or the U.K. I'm not sure North American dealers can order them. .

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They are available from US dealers.
We purchased our from a US dealer and they installed them.

Lee said:

They are available from US dealers.
We purchased our from a US dealer and they installed them.

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Here they are on the A&S Cycles parts fiche:



Looks like the DOT specification is just under 3.5 square inches. (Thank You Karl!)