Total Complaints
6 filings
BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE · model year
1998 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998BMWBMW MOTORCYCLE carries 6 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 1998 BMW MOTORCYCLE is electrical system:ignition with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1) and power train:driveline:differential unit (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 1998 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.
6
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20130907STEERING
STRUCK A LARGE POT HOLE ON A CITY STREET. AS EXPECTED THE FRONT SUSPENSION COMPRESSED BUT THE FRONT FENDER (TRAILING SECTION) CAUGHT IN THE ENGINE COWLING AS THE SUSPENSION DECOMPRESSED. THIS MAKES THE STEERING RESTRICTED TO MOVEMENTS OF ABOUT +/- 10 DEGREES WITH SIGNIFICANT FRICTION IN THE STEERING OVER THIS RANGE. THIS MAKES THE BIKE VERY UNSTABLE ON TURNS! THE REPAIR IS TO STOP AND REMOVE THE FRONT TRAILING FENDER FROM THE COWLING BY REMOVING THE BOLTS HOLDING IT TO THE FRONT FORK AND THEN REATTACHING FENDER IN THE CORRECT POSITION. TYPICALLY THE TOP SCREW HOLE IN THE FENDER IS BADLY DEFORMED FROM PRESSURE ON THE FENDER. THE LONG TERM SOLUTION IS TO REMOVE THE FENDER AND SAW OFF APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF MATERIAL FROM THE BOTTOM EDGE. BMW 1998 K1200RS
Mileage: 83,000
20130907SUSPENSION
STRUCK A LARGE POT HOLE ON A CITY STREET. AS EXPECTED THE FRONT SUSPENSION COMPRESSED BUT THE FRONT FENDER (TRAILING SECTION) CAUGHT IN THE ENGINE COWLING AS THE SUSPENSION DECOMPRESSED. THIS MAKES THE STEERING RESTRICTED TO MOVEMENTS OF ABOUT +/- 10 DEGREES WITH SIGNIFICANT FRICTION IN THE STEERING OVER THIS RANGE. THIS MAKES THE BIKE VERY UNSTABLE ON TURNS! THE REPAIR IS TO STOP AND REMOVE THE FRONT TRAILING FENDER FROM THE COWLING BY REMOVING THE BOLTS HOLDING IT TO THE FRONT FORK AND THEN REATTACHING FENDER IN THE CORRECT POSITION. TYPICALLY THE TOP SCREW HOLE IN THE FENDER IS BADLY DEFORMED FROM PRESSURE ON THE FENDER. THE LONG TERM SOLUTION IS TO REMOVE THE FENDER AND SAW OFF APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF MATERIAL FROM THE BOTTOM EDGE. BMW 1998 K1200RS
Mileage: 83,000
20120204POWER TRAIN
THE FINAL DRIVE ON THE MOTORCYCLE LEAKED OIL OUT OF RING GEAR SEAL, AND BIKE SUDDENLY MADE GRINDING NOISE. AFTER TEAR DOWN AND INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE LARGE RADIAL BEARING HAD FAILED CAUSING THE SEAL TO FAIL, REPLACEMENT OF BEARING AND SEAL WAS DONE. SAME FAILURE AS DESCRIBED IN ODI NO. 10439549, AND CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED UNDER CAMPAIGN DP12001. *KB
Mileage: 25,876
20071106SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
THREE HUNDRED MILES FROM HOME A GRINDING SOUND STARTED BEING AUDIBLE FROM THE REAR OF THE BIKE. I STOPPED AFTER IT CONTINUED AND FAILED TO SEE ANYTHING WRONG. THE WHEEL AND TIRE WERE DRY AND NO APPARENT LEAKS ANYWHERE. I CONTINUED AND THE GRINDING BECAME LOUDER. I STOPPED AND LOOKED AND THIS TIME SEEN A FEW SPOTS OF OIL ON THE REAR WHEEL. CONTINUED INVESTIGATION SHOWED GEAR OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS STILL VISIBLE. I CONTINUED A SHORT WAY AND THE SOUND BECAME MUCH LOUDER AND THE REAR OF THE BIKE BEGAN TO SWAY SIDE TO SIDE. I MANAGED TO STOP JUST AS THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP. I DISMOUNTED AND LOOKED AT THE REAR WHEEL. IT WAS NOW COVERED IN OIL. I UNLOADED THE LUGGAGE FROM THE CYCLE AND PLACED THE CYCLE ON THE CENTER STAND. THE REAR WHEEL WAS SO LOOSE THAT THE REAR BRAKE ROTOR GOUGED THE BRAKE CALIPER FROM THE SIDEWAYS MOVEMENT OF THE WHEEL. AT THIS POINT I WAS STRANDED. I CALLED THE NEAREST BMW DEALER AND HE STATED HE HAD NO TIME TO
Mileage: 26,897
20071106POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
THREE HUNDRED MILES FROM HOME A GRINDING SOUND STARTED BEING AUDIBLE FROM THE REAR OF THE BIKE. I STOPPED AFTER IT CONTINUED AND FAILED TO SEE ANYTHING WRONG. THE WHEEL AND TIRE WERE DRY AND NO APPARENT LEAKS ANYWHERE. I CONTINUED AND THE GRINDING BECAME LOUDER. I STOPPED AND LOOKED AND THIS TIME SEEN A FEW SPOTS OF OIL ON THE REAR WHEEL. CONTINUED INVESTIGATION SHOWED GEAR OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS STILL VISIBLE. I CONTINUED A SHORT WAY AND THE SOUND BECAME MUCH LOUDER AND THE REAR OF THE BIKE BEGAN TO SWAY SIDE TO SIDE. I MANAGED TO STOP JUST AS THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP. I DISMOUNTED AND LOOKED AT THE REAR WHEEL. IT WAS NOW COVERED IN OIL. I UNLOADED THE LUGGAGE FROM THE CYCLE AND PLACED THE CYCLE ON THE CENTER STAND. THE REAR WHEEL WAS SO LOOSE THAT THE REAR BRAKE ROTOR GOUGED THE BRAKE CALIPER FROM THE SIDEWAYS MOVEMENT OF THE WHEEL. AT THIS POINT I WAS STRANDED. I CALLED THE NEAREST BMW DEALER AND HE STATED HE HAD NO TIME TO
Mileage: 26,897
20030916ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
ELECTRICAL COMPONENT (HALL IGNITIONS SENSOR ASSEMBLY) FAILURE. *JB
Compare 1998BMWBMW MOTORCYCLE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE have?▼
The 1998 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 BMW BMW MOTORCYCLE is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT.
Is the 1998 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.