Total Complaints
2 filings
BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE · model year
1997 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997BMWBMW MOTORCYCLE carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 BMW MOTORCYCLE is power train with 1 filings, followed by power train:manual transmission (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1997 BMW MOTORCYCLE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20051028POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
THIS IS MY SECOND COMPLAINT WHICH DUPLICATES VOQ #101404137 MY 1997 BMW F650 MORTORCYCLE SLIPS OUT OF FIRST GEAR. IT DID THIS WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. I BOUGHT IT USED FROM A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND TOOK IT TO FRANK'S BMW MOTORCYCLES IN ESSEX JCT VT FOR SERVICE. LESTER PELKEY (OWNER) SAID IT WAS OPERATOR ERROR WHEN IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. HE SAID IT DIDN'T DO IT FOR HIM. I CAN DOWN SHIFT INTO FIRST, LET THE BIKE RUN IN 1ST UP TO A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, STOP, AND SOMETIMES IT SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL, AND SOMETIMES IT WAITS UNTIL I'VE STARTED UP AGAIN TO SLIP OUT (NOT GOOD IN A TURN!), AND SOMETIMES IT STAYS IN FIRST GEAR UNTIL I SHIFT INTO SECOND. IN ALL FAIRNESS, THE BIKE DOESN'T DO THIS FOR MOST PEOPLE. IT SEEMS TO DO IT MORE WHEN WARM, BUT THAT'S NO GUARANTEE. I BELIEVED LESTER PELKEY AS I WAS A NEW RIDER. IN 2004 I BOUGHT A 1999 F650 - BASICALLY THE SAME BIKE). IT DOES NOT SLIP OUT OF GEAR. I'VE SPOKEN TO THE BME REP MARGE CHARNEY, I'VE SPOKEN TO 2ND WIND BMW (WHERE THE BIKE WAS
Mileage: 17,000
20030911POWER TRAIN
FINAL DRIVE FAILURE ON 1997 K1100 LT BMW MOTORCYCLE. HAPPENED ON INTERSTATE 295 AT 70 MPH, FINAL DRIVE LET GO WITH NO WARNING. WAS ABLE (BARELY) TO KEEP IN CONTROL, AND GET BIKE TO THE SIDE OF THE VERY BUSY INTERSTATE.
Mileage: 70,163
Compare 1997BMWBMW MOTORCYCLE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE have?▼
The 1997 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE is POWER TRAIN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1997 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.