Question: When is a recall not a recall? Answer: When it’s an embarrassingly gigantic BMW “service campaign” appertaining to its flagship product.
Although the company has chosen to mince words, BMW Motorrad is effectively recalling every R1200GS variant it has manufactured over almost four years between November 2013 and June 2017. A conservative estimate of the number of bikes involved comfortably exceeds 150,000 units. Motivation for this “service campaign” is the possibility of serious front suspension defects developing, particularly when rigorously exercising much-vaunted ability for off-road use.
A somewhat obtuse explanation has been provided in the following statement to customers:
“BMW Motorrad has determined during ongoing field observations that the fixed fork tube of the specified models can suffer preliminary damage due to unusual incidents with momentary high stress without the user noticing the damage through changed drivability. Such high stress can be caused when driving over an obstacle, during a fall or when driving through deep potholes with unvarying speed.
“Preliminary damage to the front wheel rim is also not unusual in such cases, but need not be necessarily present. Potential preliminary damage to the fixed fork tube manifests itself through a gap between the pipe and the pressed-in top seal plugs. For the check, the rubber grommet mounted in this position must be pushed down.
“BMW Motorrad has therefore decided to check the above-mentioned vehicles and repair them if required. The owners of the affected motorcycles will be informed by BMW Motorrad. The service campaign is free of charge for customers.”
The recall is responding to complaints from owners who indulged in the sort of enthusiastic off-road escapades for which the GS is supposed to be famously competent, and subsequently suffered leaking oil seals and deleteriously dysfunctional fork stanchions. A website called bmwfatalflaw.com, set up by disgruntled South African GS owner Tony Giorgia whose stanchions reportedly snapped, has apparently been instrumental in gathering evidence of similar occurrences and eventual pushed BMW into tackling the root cause.
