Thousands of BMWs need fuel fix

BMW GB will be writing to a wide range of owners of thousands of BMW motorcycles to inform them of a fix to potential cracks in fuel pump flanges which can cause fuel leaks.

BMW is anxious to point out this is not a matter for panic, there have been no safety issues related to this in the UK but the bikes affected include almost all built between 2005 and 2012, both boxer and four-cylinder models. Owners will either have the fix carried out for free at a BMW dealer at their request or at the next service.

The fault concerns more than 50,000 motorcycles in America alone which has issued a recall because the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) always does that for anything causing a fuel leak.

The fault covers 26,000 motorcycles in the UK to add to that number but it’s not classed as a recall over here; merely a ‘technical campaign’.

A statement by BMW reads: “BMW Motorrad is running a technical campaign with customer notification in the USA and Canada for models of the R and K series produced from January 1 2004 to April 2011.

“In the motorcycles concerned, small cracks may form in a flange on the fuel pump. In very rare cases, slight leaks can occur causing a smell of petrol or loss of a very small amount of fuel.

“There will be a customer campaign in the UK in the new future and the processes are currently being put into place. BMW Motorrad rates this issue as not being critical to safety and no safety-related situations have occurred to date, or are anticipated in the future.”

The models affected are:

BMW HP2 ENDURO 2006
BMW HP2 MEGAMOTO 2008-2009
BMW HP2 SPORT 2008-2010
BMW K 1200 GT 2006-2008
BMW K 1200 R 2006-2008
BMW K 1200 R SPORT 2007
BMW K 1200 S 2005-2008
BMW K 1300 GT 2009-2011
BMW K 1300 S 2009-2011
BMW K 1600 GT 2012
BMW K 1600 GTL 2012
BMW R 1200 GS 2005-2011
BMW R 1200 GS ADVENTURE 2006-2011
BMW R 1200 R 2007-2011
BMW R 1200 RT 2005-2011
BMW R 1200 S 2007
BMW R 1200 ST2005-2007
BMW S 1000 RR2010-2011