BMW R 1200 RT · model year

2008 BMW R 1200 RT

9 NHTSA complaints, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2008BMWR 1200 RT carries 9 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 2008 R 1200 RT is fuel/propulsion system with 4 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline (2) and power train (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. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2008 R 1200 RT. 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.

9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

9 filings

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

ComponentCount
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE2
POWER TRAIN1
SERVICE BRAKES1
WHEELS1

Recalls (3)

10V27600018/06/2010

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 THROUGH 2009 R 1200 AND K 1200 SERIES MOTORCYCLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 2006 THROUGH MAY 2009. DUE TO THE CURRENT ROUTING OF THE FRONT BRAKE LINES, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT DURING RIDING, AND THEREFORE ASSOCIATED VIBRATION. THE BRAKE LINES COULD BE UNDER STRAI

13V61700012/12/2013

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 model year R-model motorcycles, model year 2005-2012 K-model motorcycles, model year 2010-2011 S 1000 model motorcycles, and model year 2006-2010 HP2 motorcycles. In the affected motorcycles, the fuel pump flange (and the aux

15V14100011/03/2015

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 R1200GS and R1200RT, 2006-2010 R1200GS Adventure, 2007-2010 R1200R, 2007 R1200S and K1200R Sport, 2005-2007 R1200ST, 2008-2009 HP2 Megamoto, 2006 HP2 Enduro, 2008-2010 HP2 Sport, 2005-2008 K1200S, 2006-2008 K1200R, K1200GT, 20

Recent Complaints

20220412FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The bike is a 2008 BMW R1200RT. The throttle bodies for each cylinder has a plastic cam that is the point of attachment for the throttle cable. That plastic cam broke and completely detached from the bike. I was accelerating to merge into traffic on Interstate 64E at Corydon, IN. Once established in the right lane, the bike suddenly lost power and slowed rapidly while I was approached from the rear by a tractor trailer that had to apply brakes and continuously sounded his horn while abruptly maneuvering to the left lane to avoid me while I was attempting to assess what had just happened. This is a critical safety component and its failure has been documented countless number of times on various owner's group forums for this type of bike. One of which is linked here: https://www.bmwsporttouring.com/topic/91897-throttle-body-more-cracked-cable-camspulleys/ Another: https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?76036-Broken-Throttle-Body-Pulleys-2009-R1200RT/page5 It is apparent the plasti

20210824FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My forth vehicle with throttle body cams that are cracked and broken on both sides. No symptoms or warning lights of a problem that could have lead to a catastrophic failure, total engine propulsion failure, breakdown. My safety and others were in danger of injury or death. Dealer has confirmed and repaired all vehicles.

20210704FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

This is a two-cylinder engine with an independent throttle body for each cylinder. The throttle is actuated by a cable and pulley which rotate the throttle plate on a shaft. The pulley is attached to the shaft with molded plastic. Upon inspection during service, both plastic moldings (both cylinders) were discovered to be cracked and near failure. Failure of this part will cause that cylinder to go to idle power. If the vehicle is in motion, there will be a sudden loss of power, and high vibration until the throttle is closed. Until repair, the motorcycle will be inoperable. This has become a known defect with this series of motorcycles. I repaired mine using an aftermarket aluminum part created to address this problem. Parts cost was $458.

20150518WHEELS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW R 1200 RT MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V141000 (WHEELS); HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR THE REMEDY WHICH MENTIONED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ALUMINUM REAR WHEEL FLANGE WITH A STEEL ONE. THE DEALER ONLY WANTED TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

20140102SERVICE BRAKES

THE ABS AND REAR BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED. THIS WAS INDICATED BY AN INSTRUMENT PANEL RED WARNING LIGHT, "BRAKE FAILURE". AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE, THE REAR WHEEL BRAKE DID NOT OPERATE AS DESIGNED (INTEGRAL BRAKES) AND THE ABS SYSTEM WAS NON-FUNCTIONAL. THE SCANNED CODES STATE THAT THE POWER SUPPLY TO PUMP MOTOR IS FAULTY. *TR

Mileage: 44,511

20130223FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL GAUGE FAILED, WARNING LIGHT CONSTANTLY ON. BIKE COULD RUN OUT OF FUEL IN TRAFFIC WITH NO WARNING CAUSING DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

Mileage: 7,864

20120208POWER TRAIN

I AM WRITING IN RESPONSE TO YOUR INVESTIGATION CONCERNING BMW MOTORCYCLE FINAL DRIVE FAILURES AND WISH PROVIDE SUPPORTING INFORMATION. I HAVE A 2008 BMW R1200RT (VIN [XXX]) IN WHICH THE FINAL DRIVE DEVELOPED SIGNIFICANT ROUGHNESS IN THE REAR WHEEL ROTATION AND PRONOUNCED RUMBLING NOISE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AT ABOUT 22,000 MILES (EARLY 2011). I CONTINUED TO OPERATE THE MOTORCYCLE UNTIL 23, 400 MILES AT WHICH POINT I CONTACTED BMW USA AND MY LOCAL DEALER (AUGUST 2011). AS MY MOTORCYCLE WAS A FEW MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY, NEITHER ORGANIZATION WAS PARTICULARLY HELPFUL. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THE FINAL DRIVE LUBRICATION WAS CHANGED AT 12,000 AND 18,000 MILES SERVICE INTERVALS. NO METAL SHAVINGS NOTED WHEN THE OIL WAS DRAINED. AT NO TIME WAS FINAL DRIVE OIL LEAKAGE EVIDENT. BEING A MECHANICALLY CAPABLE INDIVIDUAL, I ELECTED TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR THE FINAL DRIVE MYSELF. I DISMANTLED THE FINAL DRIVE AND INSPECTED THE CROWN WHEEL BEARING. I DISCOVERED SIGNIFICANT ROUGHNESS IN THE BEARINGS ROTATI

20120130FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CRACKED FUEL PUMP INLET BUSHING. *TT

Mileage: 20,000

20120121FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

FUEL CONTROL HOUSING CRACKED AND LEAKED FUEL ALL OVER THE PLACE INCLUDING MY LEG. WHILE UNDER PRESSURE. *TR

Mileage: 27,750

Compare 2008BMWR 1200 RT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2008 BMW R 1200 RT have?
The 2008 BMW R 1200 RT has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 BMW R 1200 RT?
Yes, the 2008 BMW R 1200 RT has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 BMW R 1200 RT?
The most-complained component for the 2008 BMW R 1200 RT is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2008 BMW R 1200 RT 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.