2021 Bmw R 1250 RT: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
4 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2021 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 4 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 2 | 50.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 2 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Engine | 1 |
| Service Brakes | 1 |
| Wheels | 1 |
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 2; Electrical System: 1; Engine: 1; Service Brakes: 1; Wheels: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 4 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
2021: 2; 2023: 1; 2024: 1
Pattern summary
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11431888 · 2021-09-06 (September 6, 2021)
BMW is selling a motorcycle with no information to the user on how to maintain it. The manual doesn't even have basic maintenance procedures or torques. You can't even get a service CD from the dealer. If the bike can't maintained or you do something wrong it could fail on the road and possibly kill you. I thought there were laws that you didn't have to have the bike serviced by the dealer or if so it should be free. I have never bought a bike that didn't have some information available.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11431888 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11431889 · 2021-09-06 (September 6, 2021)
The distance control on the cruise control will just fail while in use. Going through Atlanta with cruise set at 65 MPH in traffic and it just fails (alert pop up too) and throttle goes to zero which on a motorcycle means immediate engine braking. Nearly get run over by car behind me. Has been to the dealer and they did a calibration and said it was fine only for it to return in about 200 miles. This is a new feature on these bikes and the dealer has no idea what to do at thie point. At a minimum BMW should look into this and get to the issue t…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11431889 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11550398 · 2023-10-17 (October 17, 2023)
Page 67 of the BMW Motorad Owners Manual describes operation of the "self," cancelling , "Comfort turn indicators" as follows: After the turn signal is pushed to the right or left, the turn signal indictors automatically turn off under the following conditions: -Speed is under 18mph; after a distance of 165Ft is covered. -Speed is between 18 mph and 60 mph: after a speed dependent distance is covered or during acceleration. -Speed is above 60 mph: after turn signal indicator flashes five times. The turn signals don't turn off as described abo…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11550398 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11612822 · 2024-09-05 (September 5, 2024)
Original owner, purchased July 2021. Adaptive cruise control (ACC) continues to drop off intermittently after numerous complaints to BMW service techs and BMW Customer Relations since new. Attempts to repair include dealer 'recalibration' and software updates none of which have solved the issue. When in use, ACC suddenly, without warning drops out leaving driver to actively recover previous speed (throttle). Not such a problem at lower speeds, however at highway speeds the dropout could be life-threatening. In my case, traveling the posted 8…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11612822 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
20V495000 · Equipment:Other:Labels
Reported: 2020-08-20 (August 20, 2020)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 R 1250 RT, R 1250 R, R 1250 RS, R 1250 GS and R 1250 GS Adventure motorcycles. The tire pressure labels may not remain affixed to the motorcycle frame. As a result, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 120, "Wheels and Rims-Other Than Passenger Cars."
Consequence: If the label detaches from the motorcycle, proper tire pressure information may not be readily available. This could result in the rider improperly filling the tires which may affect motorcycle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the tire pressure label, free of charge. The recall began October 19, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign record ↗23V011000 · Power Train:Manual Transmission:Internal:Shaft:Input
Reported: 2023-01-18 (January 18, 2023)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2023 R1250GS, R1250GS Adventure, and R1250RTP motorcycles. In certain engine operating and riding conditions, the gearbox input shaft may become damaged or break, possibly resulting in a blocked rear wheel.
Consequence: A damaged gearbox input shaft or a blocked rear wheel can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the engine control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 22, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
4 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 777.8%ODI 11316146 · 300 miIN JANUARY 2020, I WAS ADDING SOME ACCESSORIES TO MY BIKE IN THE GARAGE AND NOTICED BRAKE FLUID ON THE BOTTOMS OF THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE BRAKE MOUNTING BRACKETS AT THE END OF THE FORKS WERE STAINED FROM LEAKING FLUID. I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER, EUROCYCLES OF SONOMA. THEY HAD ME BRING IN THE BIKE ON FEBRUARY 8TH. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE TECH, THEY TOOK THE CALIPERS APART AND REPLACED SEALS AND PISTONS FOLLOWED BY PRESSURE TESTING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE FRONT CALIPERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD … | 583.3%ODI 11308930 · 7 miI WENT TO TEST DRIVE A NEW 2020 BMW R1250 RT MOTORCYCLE AND THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED IT BEFORE THE TEST DRIVE. DURING THE TEST DRIVE, THE BRAKES STARTED LEAKING AND I NOTICED A PERFORMANCE DROP IN THE ABILITY TO BRAKE. UPON DIGGING INTO THE SITUATION THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM BMW. THAT STATED THE BRAKES ARE KNOWN TO HAVE ISSUES AND THEY SHOULD BE INSPECTED FOR LEAKS BEFORE BEING SOLD TO A CUSTOMER OR TEST-DRIVEN. BMW HAS RELEASED A NEW PART NUMBER THAT WILL FIX THE CRITICAL DESIGN FLAW THAT IS IN THE BRAK… | 125.0%ODI 11431888BMW is selling a motorcycle with no information to the user on how to maintain it. The manual doesn't even have basic maintenance procedures or torques. You can't even get a service CD from the dealer. If the bike can't maintained or you do something wrong it could fail on the road and possibly kill you. I thought there were laws that you didn't have to have the bike serviced by the dealer or if so it should be free. I have never bought a bike that didn't have some information available. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 250.0%ODI 11431889The distance control on the cruise control will just fail while in use. Going through Atlanta with cruise set at 65 MPH in traffic and it just fails (alert pop up too) and throttle goes to zero which on a motorcycle means immediate engine braking. Nearly get run over by car behind me. Has been to the dealer and they did a calibration and said it was fine only for it to return in about 200 miles. This is a new feature on these bikes and the dealer has no idea what to do at thie point. At a minimum BMW should look into this and get to the issue t… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 11603649I believe the BMW configuration of the adaptive cruise control following distance selection might result in a rear end collision. I normally set the following distance to the longest setting, which corresponds to a two-second following distance (IMO, the minimum safe distance). I am fairly often caught off-guard by the system because the next time the bike is started, the following distance defaults to the *closest* following distance, and does so WITH NO visual warning in the instrument panel (the following distance is not displayed when cru… | 150.0%ODI 11736272On May 2, 2026 I was operating the vehicle at 60 mph on the interstate. There were absolutely no other vehicles in my line of sight or on the roaway anywhere near me. The motorcycle went into automatic breaking and the brakes appeared to activate all on their own and almost locked up. I immediately was able to pull over and smell the very strong smell of burning brakes. I shut off the motorcycle let it cool down and proceeded to the local dealer. The dealer had absolutely no idea what could have happened and did not have time or ability to loo… |
| Electrical System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 11550398Page 67 of the BMW Motorad Owners Manual describes operation of the "self," cancelling , "Comfort turn indicators" as follows: After the turn signal is pushed to the right or left, the turn signal indictors automatically turn off under the following conditions: -Speed is under 18mph; after a distance of 165Ft is covered. -Speed is between 18 mph and 60 mph: after a speed dependent distance is covered or during acceleration. -Speed is above 60 mph: after turn signal indicator flashes five times. The turn signals don't turn off as described abo… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11744408Regarding headlight warnings and horn malfunction and/or other possible electrical safety issues. (in addition to previous entry for brake a malfunction) On a few occasions (in addition to the mentioned intermittent brake malfunction) the motorcycle "low beam" headlight has stopped on occasion giving a dash warning and reset on it's own and "possible" ground fault or some other codes but BMW NA has been unwilling to have the dealer do any diagnostic work to adequately determine any potential safety issues. Within the last month one of the hor… |
| Engine | 111.1%ODI 11230958 · 7 miENGINE STALLS WHEN TRYING TO LEAVE A RED LIGHT AFTER THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN AND MOVES A FEW FEET. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 11431888BMW is selling a motorcycle with no information to the user on how to maintain it. The manual doesn't even have basic maintenance procedures or torques. You can't even get a service CD from the dealer. If the bike can't maintained or you do something wrong it could fail on the road and possibly kill you. I thought there were laws that you didn't have to have the bike serviced by the dealer or if so it should be free. I have never bought a bike that didn't have some information available. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Exterior Lighting | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11744408Regarding headlight warnings and horn malfunction and/or other possible electrical safety issues. (in addition to previous entry for brake a malfunction) On a few occasions (in addition to the mentioned intermittent brake malfunction) the motorcycle "low beam" headlight has stopped on occasion giving a dash warning and reset on it's own and "possible" ground fault or some other codes but BMW NA has been unwilling to have the dealer do any diagnostic work to adequately determine any potential safety issues. Within the last month one of the hor… |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11736272On May 2, 2026 I was operating the vehicle at 60 mph on the interstate. There were absolutely no other vehicles in my line of sight or on the roaway anywhere near me. The motorcycle went into automatic breaking and the brakes appeared to activate all on their own and almost locked up. I immediately was able to pull over and smell the very strong smell of burning brakes. I shut off the motorcycle let it cool down and proceeded to the local dealer. The dealer had absolutely no idea what could have happened and did not have time or ability to loo… |
| Power Train | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 116.7%ODI 11592588BMW Motorrad had a safety check on the driveshafts/ u joints for R1200 and R 1250 GS and RT motos. I had mine checked at D2 Powersports in Q3 or Q4, 2023 and it passed. No paperwork was given. On 3/28/24 the driveshaft / U joint failed on NC 178 south of Rosman, NC. Had this locked up in a corner it could have cause a wreck. The R1250RT was towed to D2 Powersports 10 hours later. D2 submitted a request for warranty repair or some financial help to BMW Motorrad. Request denied. I paid the entire $2677.96. BMW has SIB 33 0… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 111.1%ODI 11396660TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 BMW R 1250 RT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V476000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, SERVICE BRAKES) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GO AZ MOTORCYCLES (15500 N HAYDEN RD, SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85260; (480)609-1800) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXP… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2022: 0 complaints · 2023: 1 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | Electrical System | Engine | Service Brakes | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 0 | 0 | — | 1ODI 11431888BMW is selling a motorcycle with no information to the user on how to maintain it. The manual doesn't even have basic maintenance procedures or torques. You can't even get a service CD from the dealer. If the bike can't maintained or you do something wrong it could fail on the road and possibly kill you. I thought there were laws that you didn't have to have the bike serviced by the dealer or if so it should be free. I have never bought a bike that didn't have some information available. | 1ODI 11431888BMW is selling a motorcycle with no information to the user on how to maintain it. The manual doesn't even have basic maintenance procedures or torques. You can't even get a service CD from the dealer. If the bike can't maintained or you do something wrong it could fail on the road and possibly kill you. I thought there were laws that you didn't have to have the bike serviced by the dealer or if so it should be free. I have never bought a bike that didn't have some information available. |
| Service Brakes | 0 | 0 | 1ODI 11431888BMW is selling a motorcycle with no information to the user on how to maintain it. The manual doesn't even have basic maintenance procedures or torques. You can't even get a service CD from the dealer. If the bike can't maintained or you do something wrong it could fail on the road and possibly kill you. I thought there were laws that you didn't have to have the bike serviced by the dealer or if so it should be free. I have never bought a bike that didn't have some information available. | — | 1ODI 11431888BMW is selling a motorcycle with no information to the user on how to maintain it. The manual doesn't even have basic maintenance procedures or torques. You can't even get a service CD from the dealer. If the bike can't maintained or you do something wrong it could fail on the road and possibly kill you. I thought there were laws that you didn't have to have the bike serviced by the dealer or if so it should be free. I have never bought a bike that didn't have some information available. |
| Wheels | 0 | 0 | 1ODI 11431888BMW is selling a motorcycle with no information to the user on how to maintain it. The manual doesn't even have basic maintenance procedures or torques. You can't even get a service CD from the dealer. If the bike can't maintained or you do something wrong it could fail on the road and possibly kill you. I thought there were laws that you didn't have to have the bike serviced by the dealer or if so it should be free. I have never bought a bike that didn't have some information available. | 1ODI 11431888BMW is selling a motorcycle with no information to the user on how to maintain it. The manual doesn't even have basic maintenance procedures or torques. You can't even get a service CD from the dealer. If the bike can't maintained or you do something wrong it could fail on the road and possibly kill you. I thought there were laws that you didn't have to have the bike serviced by the dealer or if so it should be free. I have never bought a bike that didn't have some information available. | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.