2015 Bmw R1200 R: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
828 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2015 model year. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 1 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Electrical and battery issues
1
100.0%
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.
Electrical System
1
Engine
1
Component breakdown data
Category
Count
Electrical System
1
Engine
1
Electrical System: 1; Engine: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
Under 25,000
1
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
Reported problems by failure mileage data
Category
Count
Under 25,000
1
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: 1; 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 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 0 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.
2015
1
Complaints over time data
Category
Count
2015
1
2015: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 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.
THE 2015 R1200R WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 750 MILES THE OEM BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT IN AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. UPON ARRIVAL TO PICK UP MY BIKE IT DID NOT TURN OVER ON THE FIRST TRY. THE SECOND START WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NO OTHER ISSUES WERE OBSERVED. AFTER THIS, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE COLD STARTS RESULTED IN THE SAME ISSUE. WHETHER THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS OR LONGER IT WOULD NOT START. SUBSEQUENT STARTS WORK AS DESIGNED. THE BIKE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO…
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
17V481000 · Equipment
Reported: 2017-07-28 (July 28, 2017)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2017 F800R and F800GT motorcycles, 2014-2018 R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure motorcycles, 2016-2017 S1000XR motorcycles and 2015-2017 R1200R and R1200RS, 2008-2012 F650GS, 2008-2018 F800GS, and 2014-2017 F800GS Adventure motorcycles. When equipped with the optional aluminum luggage cases, the rear reflex reflectors may be partially blocked. The aluminum case mounts for the R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure may also partially block the reflectors. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence: If the rear reflex reflectors are obscured from view, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install reflectors on the cases or for the case mounts, an additional bracket with rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
100.0%Usable mileage1 / 1 records
100.0%Valid incident date1 / 1 records
100.0%Valid filing date1 / 1 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates1 / 1 records
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 complaint heatmap
Component
2006
2007
2008
2011
2015
2016
2017
Fuel/Propulsion System
1100.0%ODI 10485274 · 35,000 mi
CRACKS IN FUEL PUMP HOUSING AT FUEL LINE FITTING. FUEL SPRAYED ALL OVER ENGINE AND FRONT WHEEL. COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. *TR
FUEL GAUGE FAILED RESULTING IN RUNNING OUT OF FUEL WHEN AT SPEED ON A HIGHWAY, CREATING AN UNSAFE CONDITION. BEING STALLED ON A MOTORCYCLE IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC IS UNSAFE. THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY - THIS IS THE 6TH REPLACEMENT FUEL STRIP ON THIS MOTORCYCLE. BMW CLAIMS THERE ISN'T A PROBLEM AND BLAMES US FUEL IF THERE IS A PROBLEM. *TR
FROM THE DEALER'S REPAIR ORDER DESCRIPTION: "THE CUSTOMER REPORTS THE FUEL GAUGE READS LOW (LIGHT ON) WHEN FULL AND READS FULL WHEN EMPTY. ALSO THE RESIDUAL RANGE TO ZERO COUNTS DOWN FROM 253 TO THREE DASHES IN ABOUT THREE MILES AFTER EVERY FILL-UP." FUEL LEVEL SENDER PART 16147697815 REPLACED. *TR
THE BMW R1200R MOTORCYCLES IS EQUIPPED WITH A FUEL GAUGE. THE GAUGE VERY COMMONLY FAILS, ALLOWING THE OPERATOR TO BELIEVE HE/SHE HAS SUFFICIENT FUEL TO CONTINUE. IN MY CASE, I WAS ACCELERATING WHILE ENTERING A CONGESTED FREEWAY WHEN I SUDDENLY RAN WHOLLY OUT OF FUEL. I WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND, AND NEARLY CAUSED A REACTION ACCIDENT COMPOSED OF CARS BEHIND ME THAT HAD TO SUDDENLY STOP AND/OR EVADE CONTACT WITH OTHER VEHICLES SLOWING DUE TO MY INABILITY TO KEEP UP IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED MY FAULTY FUEL GAUGE ISSUE IS …
THE FUEL GAUGE QUIT WORKING. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS DUE TO A FAULTY FUEL SENSOR AND THIS WAS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM. HE BLAMED THE ETHANOL IN THE GAS AND SAID WE NEEDED TO USE AN ADDITIVE TO PREVENT IT. *TR IF YOU RELY ON YOUR GAS GAUGE (WHO DOESN'T) AND IT READS FULL OR PART FULL AND YOU RUN OUT OF GAS IN TRAFFIC YOUR VEHICLE COULD STOP AND GET HIT.
THE 2015 R1200R WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 750 MILES THE OEM BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT IN AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. UPON ARRIVAL TO PICK UP MY BIKE IT DID NOT TURN OVER ON THE FIRST TRY. THE SECOND START WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NO OTHER ISSUES WERE OBSERVED. AFTER THIS, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE COLD STARTS RESULTED IN THE SAME ISSUE. WHETHER THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS OR LONGER IT WOULD NOT START. SUBSEQUENT STARTS WORK AS DESIGNED. THE BIKE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO…
THIS IS THE WELL-KNOWN BMW MOTORCYCLE FUEL STRIP SENSOR PROBLEM. THE GAS GAUGE SENSOR GOES DEFECTIVE AND WILL READ THAT YOU HAVE MORE GAS THAN YOU ACTUALLY DO, THUS RUNNING OUT OF GAS IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS (FREEWAY, BAD PART OF CITIES, ETC.) MANY, MANY BMW MOTORCYCLE OWNERS REPORT THIS, BUT IF BIKE IS OUT OF WARRANTY IT'S A $300 REPAIR ITEM THAT BMW WILL NOT HONOR. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW R1200. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V617000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). METAL CLAMPS WERE PLACED OVER THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE IN ORDER TO REINFORCE THE PIECE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REPAIR FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FUEL FROM THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE CONTACT WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000. ..UPDATED 12/20/16 *BF *TR
BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE ON AN OUT OF STATE TRIP. AFTER GETTING HOME AND DOING SOME RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THIS IS A PROBLEM CAUSED BY FAULTY BRUSHES IN THE ELECTRICAL MOTOR ON THE ABS PUMP. READING MANY ONLINE MOTORCYCLE FORUMS THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE ON ALL BMW R SERIES MOTORCYCLES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW R1200 R. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE SERVICE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS MODULATOR FAILED AND NEEDED BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,210. UPDATED 5/18/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER ADVISED THIS FAILURE WA…
THE 2015 R1200R WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 750 MILES THE OEM BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT IN AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. UPON ARRIVAL TO PICK UP MY BIKE IT DID NOT TURN OVER ON THE FIRST TRY. THE SECOND START WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NO OTHER ISSUES WERE OBSERVED. AFTER THIS, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE COLD STARTS RESULTED IN THE SAME ISSUE. WHETHER THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS OR LONGER IT WOULD NOT START. SUBSEQUENT STARTS WORK AS DESIGNED. THE BIKE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO…
THE FUEL GAUGE QUIT WORKING. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS DUE TO A FAULTY FUEL SENSOR AND THIS WAS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM. HE BLAMED THE ETHANOL IN THE GAS AND SAID WE NEEDED TO USE AN ADDITIVE TO PREVENT IT. *TR IF YOU RELY ON YOUR GAS GAUGE (WHO DOESN'T) AND IT READS FULL OR PART FULL AND YOU RUN OUT OF GAS IN TRAFFIC YOUR VEHICLE COULD STOP AND GET HIT.
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 failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
Electrical System
Too few reports for a range
828 mi
1 (sparse)
ODI 10781430 · 828 mi
THE 2015 R1200R WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 750 MILES THE OEM BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT IN AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. UPON ARRIVAL TO PICK UP MY BIKE IT DID NOT TURN OVER ON THE FIRST TRY. THE SECOND START WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NO OTHER ISSUES WERE OBSERVED. AFTER THIS, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE COLD STARTS RESULTED IN THE SAME ISSUE. WHETHER THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS OR LONGER IT WOULD NOT START. SUBSEQUENT STARTS WORK AS DESIGNED. THE BIKE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO…
THE 2015 R1200R WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 750 MILES THE OEM BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT IN AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. UPON ARRIVAL TO PICK UP MY BIKE IT DID NOT TURN OVER ON THE FIRST TRY. THE SECOND START WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NO OTHER ISSUES WERE OBSERVED. AFTER THIS, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE COLD STARTS RESULTED IN THE SAME ISSUE. WHETHER THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS OR LONGER IT WOULD NOT START. SUBSEQUENT STARTS WORK AS DESIGNED. THE BIKE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO…
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
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
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.
2016: 0 complaints · 2017: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
2016
0
0
0
2017
0
0
0
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
2016
0
0
0
2017
0
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 co-occurrence matrix
Component
Electrical System
Engine
Electrical System
—
1ODI 10781430 · 828 mi
THE 2015 R1200R WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 750 MILES THE OEM BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT IN AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. UPON ARRIVAL TO PICK UP MY BIKE IT DID NOT TURN OVER ON THE FIRST TRY. THE SECOND START WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NO OTHER ISSUES WERE OBSERVED. AFTER THIS, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE COLD STARTS RESULTED IN THE SAME ISSUE. WHETHER THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS OR LONGER IT WOULD NOT START. SUBSEQUENT STARTS WORK AS DESIGNED. THE BIKE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO…
THE 2015 R1200R WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 750 MILES THE OEM BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT IN AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. UPON ARRIVAL TO PICK UP MY BIKE IT DID NOT TURN OVER ON THE FIRST TRY. THE SECOND START WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NO OTHER ISSUES WERE OBSERVED. AFTER THIS, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE COLD STARTS RESULTED IN THE SAME ISSUE. WHETHER THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS OR LONGER IT WOULD NOT START. SUBSEQUENT STARTS WORK AS DESIGNED. THE BIKE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO…
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.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Battery drain and no-start mentions
1 mentions · 100.0% of complaints
Median mileage: 828 mi (1 usable records).
ODI 10781430 · 828 mi
THE 2015 R1200R WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 750 MILES THE OEM BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT IN AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. UPON ARRIVAL TO PICK UP MY BIKE IT DID NOT TURN OVER ON THE FIRST TRY. THE SECOND START WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NO OTHER ISSUES WERE OBSERVED. AFTER THIS, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE COLD STARTS RESULTED IN THE SAME ISSUE. WHETHER THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS OR LONGER IT WOULD NOT START. SUBSEQUENT STARTS WORK AS DESIGNED. THE BIKE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO…