Total Complaints
8 filings
BMW K1200RS · model year
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2001BMWK1200RS carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 2001 K1200RS is suspension with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 2001 K1200RS. 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.
Total Complaints
8 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
FAILURE OF THE REAR INTEGRAL ABS BRAKING ABILITIES BEING INTERMITTENT AND UNAVOIDABLE. BIKE HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED WITH THE ABS FLUSH PERFORMED EVERY TWO YEARS PER BMW SERVICE BULLETIN. PROBLEM BEGAN WITH 35,000 MILES ON THE BIKE. *TR
Mileage: 45,000
SAME FAILURE AS DESCRIBED IN ODI NO. 10439549, AND CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED UNDER CAMPAIGN DP12001. *TR
Mileage: 89,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW K-1200 RS. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH GASOLINE BEGAN LEAKING FROM THE SIDES AND BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 32000.
Mileage: 33,000
TIMING COVER OIL LEAK. *AK
EXHAUST PIPES ARE POSITIONED BELOW FOOT PEGS SO THAT WHEN YOU COME TO A STOP AND PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN YOU WILL BRUSH UP AGANIST HOT PIPE. *AK
MOTORCYCLE WILL ROLL OFF OF SIDE STAND ON LEVEL GROUND. POTENTIAL HAZARD FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE AND PERSONNEL. IF A CURIOUS CHILD WERE TO JOSTLE THE MOTORCYCLE THEY COULD BE CRUSHED IF IT ROLLED ONTO THEM (834LBS).*AK
MOTORCYCLE WILL ROLL OFF OF SIDE STAND ON LEVEL GROUND. POTENTIAL HAZARD FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE AND PERSONNEL. IF A CURIOUS CHILD WERE TO JOSTLE THE MOTORCYCLE THEY COULD BE CRUSHED IF IT ROLLED ONTO THEM (834LBS).*AK
1. FIRST INCIDENT OCCURED A APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE THE GARAGE ON LEVEL GROUND. THE SIDESTAND FOLDED AND THE MOTORCYCLE FELL OVER JUST A FEW FEET FROM THE NEAREST PERSON THAT HAD A TO JUMP AWAY NOT TO GET HIT BY AN 800+ LBS MOTORCYCLE. THIS INCIDENT PRODUCED DAMAGED TO THE CRASHBAR, FAIRING COMPONENTS AND SIDEBAG COMPONENTS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS PARKED IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATION AND MANNER AS I DO PARK MY OTHER TOURING BIKES WITHOUT THEM FALLING OVER. THE OWNER'S MANUAL WAS CAREFULLY STUDIED AND THE PROCEDURE OUTLINED TO PLACE THE MOTORCYCLE ON THE SIDESTAND WAS FOLLOWED. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE INCIDENT AND BMW USA WAS NOTIFIED IN WRITING BUT HAVE RESPONDED THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO ABOUT IT. I HAVE ALSO PERFORMED A POLL AMONG OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME TYPE OF BIKE AND OUT OF THE CLOSE TO 100 RESPONDENTS APP. 40% OF THEM HAVE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO THEM. 2ND INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE STILL ON THE BIKE AND READY TO PARK.
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.