I bought a used 2009 R 1200RT. I now have the fuel strip problem

[jsoque]

Same here

Mine did the same thing.
After replacing the fuel strip, ran it down till the tank said 38 miles to go and put-put-put she went till I was out of gas! Thankfully my riding partner was w me and we were 1/2 mile from home.
He came back w gas and I was out of trouble.
Got a ten year warranty on the FS so in she goes
to the shop.
Good luck w your new lady!

 

[jayjay]

There are a couple of other indications of fuel strip failure:

--- The tank level indicator will suddenly go to zero and the warning light comes on, or
--- You suddenly find that the "miles to go", when added to the "miles gone" (your trip odometer) makes absolutely no sense. The hexhead RT, of which the 2009 is one, has a 7.1 gallon tank. At around 45 mpg that's good for around 320 miles (naturally, YMMV). So if you average that mileage, your "miles to go" plus the odo reading, reset at the fillup, should be on the order of ~300 miles or so.

I have a bit of experience in this. I just put fuel strip #6 in my 2009 RT a few weeks ago. My original lasted about 52K miles, and the subsequent ones have lasted around 8K-10K each (I have about 84K miles on the bike). Some folks, especially the dealers, advocate using BMW fuel additive. I tried that for a while but did not notice a difference, and since it adds about a dollar a gallon to the fuel, I quit using it. I've had all manners of failure; at one point the "miles to go" plus the odometer added up to around 490 miles, which makes no sense at all (that's an average of 70 mpg - no way). Others above have stated it: judge your fill-ups by resetting your odometer each time you fuel. Under normal freeway riding I start to look at about 250 miles on the tank, and start to worry at about 275. I've gone over 300, but on the other hand I've run out at 300 a couple of times also.

I sort of miss the two-position fuel stopcock that all bikes had back in "the day", but with electric fuel pumps, they are no more.

Good luck.

JayJay

 

[cliffd]

Thanks again

I have resolved to just filling up whenever I get a chance and am below half a tank. This has worked well for now. Maybe I need to stash a 20 ounce coke bottle with a little fuel on my bike just to be safe.

 

[dbaliko]

I have resolved to just filling up whenever I get a chance and am below half a tank. This has worked well for now. Maybe I need to stash a 20 ounce coke bottle with a little fuel on my bike just to be safe.

That's anything but safe!!

 

[cliffd]

That's anything but safe!!

I agree the coke bottle isn't a smart move. I have a cell phone with me at all times and roadside assistance. They do have some small approved containers that I'm sure could get you to a better spot in a pinch, no?

 

[Omega Man]

With about a gallon and a half in the TW200 stock gas tank, I have 2 tool tubes from Twisted Throttle with a container of gas in each of them to get me out a jam........or somebody else.
Not worried at all.
OM

 

[Dann]

I always carry in my side case a coffee liner from one of those 10 cups coffee box you can buy at Tim Hortons ( or Dunkin Donuts).
It folds neatly and hardly takes any space.
If in case of an emergency, you need to go get some gas, it can safely hold around two liter of fuel. (It has an aluminum liner)

 

[greenwald]

Sad that all these 'McGiver-type' solutions are being discussed over what many here on this Forum have touted as the most technologically advanced motorcycle on the market.

 

[cliffd]

Yeah, we are all slaves to fossil fuels, until we have a bike that can run on dilithium crystals

 

[Dann]

Sad that all these 'McGiver-type' solutions are being discussed over what many here on this Forum have touted as the most technologically advanced motorcycle on the market.

Even the most advanced pieces of technology are not immune to faults. Not even the space shuttle...

 

[jandhumphreyme]

It's good they're "supporting" (even if the basic problem remains - and strips continue to fail at a somewhat predictable rate) us, but don't attribute it to altruistic motives on the part of BMW. They did it to avoid a more costly downside of having to actually fix the problem. They first and foremost remain a profit driven company.

I could not agree more. Something as simple as a reliable level gauge, come on. I've resigned myself to it, but my illusions of "superior german engineering" have been properly laid to rest.

 

[classicvw]

Even the most advanced pieces of technology are not immune to faults. Not even the space shuttle...

Yes but it was built by the lowest bidder....Oh wait, that's also true of suppliers to BMW.... never mind!

 

[greenwald]

Yes but it was built by the lowest bidder....Oh wait, that's also true of suppliers to BMW.... never mind!

So true.

At first glance of the sticker hanging on showroom Beemers, you wouldn't think so, with such premium prices on their options.

Both of them swapped durability for complexity.

Those two concepts rarely play well together.

 

[mikegalbicka]

BTW - I still suggest that anyone experiencing a failure follow the explicit instructions in the sticky as to how to report the failure to NHTSA. It takes about 5 minutes. Someday the 12 year warranties will start expiring, and people will end up paying for the fuel strips again, if they're even available at that time.

I have been guilty of complaining about this problem but not following through by reporting it to NHTSA. No more. I resolve to get caught up and stay caught up and I encourage everyone to do the same. Seems to be the only chance we have to get a better long term resolution.

From this link I have copied the relevant info below:
http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?64037-Fuel-strip-poll&p=858929&viewfull=1#post858929

Here is my posting to the other forum:

Here is what I filled out (after selecting the on-line form found at: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/Vehicl...nt/index.xhtml)

Note: that link no longer works - use this one instead
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

VIN: Entered my VIN#
VEHICLE: BMW R 1200 R 2007 (this is on the drop down screen once you enter BMW.. it's down a ways.. look for your bike if it's not there use the ones that are there as a pattern to create a new model listing.)
APPROXIMATE DATE: I entered the date it first happened (as the instructions say to.)
CRASH: No
FIRE: No
FATALITY: No
VEHICLE MILEAGE: I put down the approximate mileage it first happened at
SPEED: I put down 65 for good luck.
AFFECTED PARTS: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM <-- this is the important one. This is how the complaints get lost.
TELL US WHAT HAPPENED: Fuel gauge stopped responding, leading to running out of fuel while moving. This is a common failure on many bike models from BMW from 2005-2013. I have had this happen 5 times so far, and each time the fuel level measuring strip in the fuel tank was replaced. This is an unsafe condition since loss of engine power from running out of fuel can be quite dangerous on a motorcycle.



I then filled in my personal info.

My suggestion - if you've experienced the failure - take 10 minutes to fill in the form... it might just help, and it can't hurt. Fell free to ignore this if it doesn't seem reasonable to you.. and I have no delusions about getting a "Friend of the Marque" for posting this up.. If anyone wants to point the K bike forum (of models that used the fuel strip) to this post, please feel free to.

 

[KenDittrick]

Thanks for posting this primer on how to accurately report an issue to the NHTSA. Very helpful.

 

[deilenberger]

Mike,

Thanks for reposting my post on submitting it. If EVERYONE who experienced a failure went and registered the failure with NHTSA chances are BMW would get motivated to actually solve the problem, rather then pushing it down the road.

Note that the link in the posting above will not take you to a valid page at NHTSA. The new link used to report the issue is: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/ (I'll go back and edit the original post I made..)

All the other details remain the same. It is best if you have your VIN# handy when making the report - but not mandatory.

 

[mikegalbicka]

Thanks for posting this primer on how to accurately report an issue to the NHTSA. Very helpful.

Originally Posted by deilenberger

He's the guy who gets the attaboys! I appreciate the work he did too.

 

[mikegalbicka]

I have been guilty of complaining about this problem but not following through by reporting it to NHTSA. No more. I resolve to get caught up and stay caught up and I encourage everyone to do the same. Seems to be the only chance we have to get a better long term resolution.

I filed my 3 just now in 15 minutes. The original NHTSA link no longer works so I added the correct link in the post above.

Immediately got 3 email replies like this:

This email is to confirm we received your vehicle complaint submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Thank you for this public service as it is through actions like yours that together we can save lives on America's roadways.

Your tracking number assigned by NHTSA for this issue is XXXXXXXX. Please keep this number for your records and for future reference. Once your complaint has been processed, you will be able to view it online and find any related documents. Please allow two business days for NHTSA to review your complaint.

What happens next?

Your complaint will be reviewed by NHTSA technical staff and entered into our database. If any additional information is needed, a NHTSA investigator will contact you.

Every complaint is taken seriously, reviewed in detail and analyzed for defects trends. Your complaint is important because it helps to inform NHTSA, other vehicle owners and manufacturers about potential safety concerns. Such information helps save lives, and we encourage you to share the resources available at www.SaferCar.gov with your family, friends and others in your community.

Will my vehicle be recalled?

When a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a car or item of motor vehicle equipment creates an unreasonable risk to safety or fails to meet minimum safety standards, the manufacturer is required to fix that car or equipment. That can be done by repairing it, replacing it, offering a refund (for equipment) or, in rare cases, repurchasing the car.

If your vehicle is included in a recall, the manufacturer will contact you. Sign up to receive recall email alerts from NHTSA if there's ever a recall involving your vehicle.

If you have any other questions regarding your complaint, please contact NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation:

Phone: 888-327-4236, Monday-Friday, 8:00AM to 8:00PM EST(Spanish-speaking representatives available)
TTY: 888-424-9153
(Please have your ODI number referenced above available.)

Email: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Contact
(Please indicate your ODI Number referenced above in the contact form.)

Thank you for contacting us and playing a critical role in helping to keep our roads safe.

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, IT HAS BEEN AUTO-GENERATED.

 

[kram]

Use your trip odometer

I have a 2013 R1200R Classic which I bought new. I am on fuel strip number 5! And it still sends me bogus information and the fuel indicator does not update. It is a poor design and BMW refuses to fix the problem. They will just replace it until we all go away. Very disappointing in BMW's response. And yes, they are trying to avoid a recall.

 

[kram]

Fill out the form!

I just filed my complaint using the the example and link on the post above. my complaint # is 10915013. I urge everyone experiencing this issue to do this. It seems our only hope of a resolution.