2012 Bmw K 1600 GTL
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2012 Bmw K 1600 GTL has 44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is fuel system problems (23% of all complaints), specifically: on turning on the ignition key in my garage, the fuel pump was audible, and the bike failed to start when the starter button was pressed. immediately i noticed a very large torrent of gasoline pouring out of the bottom of the engine, right over the exhaust headers, which were fortunately not yet ho.
44
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
0.6x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
FUEL SYSTEM
10 complaints- • ON TURNING ON THE IGNITION KEY IN MY GARAGE, THE FUEL PUMP WAS AUDIBLE, AND THE BIKE FAILED TO START WHEN THE STARTER BUTTON WAS PRESSED. IMMEDIATELY I NOTICED A VERY LARGE TORRENT OF GASOLINE POURING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE, RIGHT OVER THE EXHAUST HEADERS, WHICH WERE FORTUNATELY NOT YET HO
- • AFTER RETURNING FROM A RIDE, I NOTICED A FUEL SMELL. I LOCATED DROPS OF FUEL BENEATH THE BIKE AND BEGAN TO TRACE THE LIQUID TO IT'S SOURCE. THE SOURCE WAS A CRACKED FUEL PUMP FLANGE WHERE A THREADED FITTING WAS INSTALLED. BMW ISSUED A RECALL ON 2012 K1600 GTLS, BUT DID NOT INCLUDE MY VIN. BMW CUSTOM
- • FUEL PUMP FAILURE; GAS WAS GUSHING ( APPROX. ONE-HALF LITER IN 2 MINUTES OUT OF BOTTOM OF MOTORCYCLE ON TO VERY HOT EXHAUST PIPE. VERY LUCKY BIKE DID NOT IGNITE GAS THAT WAS LEAKING DUE TO FAULTY FUEL PUMP.BIKE WAS IN MOTION ON CITY STREET (GREENFIELD AND BASELINE; GILBERT, AZ 85234 AT 1;00PM). TUR
“ON TURNING ON THE IGNITION KEY IN MY GARAGE, THE FUEL PUMP WAS AUDIBLE, AND THE BIKE FAILED TO START WHEN THE STARTER BUTTON WAS PRESSED. IMMEDIATELY I NOTICED A VERY LARGE TORRENT OF GASOLINE POURING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE, RIGHT OVER THE EXHAUST HEADERS, WHICH WERE FORTUNATELY NOT YET HO”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRICAL
8 complaints- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW K1600 GTL MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH, HE ENGAGED THE HORN AND ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES, BUT THE DRIVER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO HEAR THE HORN, ALMOST RESULTING IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN OUTPUT WAS NOT LOUD ENOU
- • LEFT AND RIGHT HANDLEBAR CONTROLLER QUITS FUNCTIONING. THE LEFT CONTROLLER HOUSES THE HORN, TURN SIGNALS, CRUISE CONTROL, BRIGHT LIGHTS, FOG LAMPS, TRACTION CONTROL, HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS, AND THE DAMPING ON THE MOTORCYCLE AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT SO HAZARDOUS SUCH AS RADIO VOLUME AN
- • THREE (3) K1600 GTL SUDDEN ENGINE CUTOFF EVENTS THAT I EXPERIENCED ON JUNE 14, AND JUNE 16, 2013. THIS DOCUMENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN ON MY 2012 BMW K1600GTL. IN THREE SEPARATE EVENTS, MY K1600GTL ENGINE SHUTDOWN AT FULL SPEED (75 MPH, 55 MPH) WHILE ON THE THROTTLE WITH NO ADVANCE NOTICE
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW K1600 GTL MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH, HE ENGAGED THE HORN AND ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES, BUT THE DRIVER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO HEAR THE HORN, ALMOST RESULTING IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN OUTPUT WAS NOT LOUD ENOU”
— NHTSA complaint filing
STEERING
7 complaints- • THE MOTORCYCLE HAS A PRONOUNCED PULL TO THE LEFT. SO MUCH SO THAT THE BIKE WILL WANDER INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC IF THERE IS ANY INATTENTION. *KB
- • MY BRAND NEW BMW MOTORCYCLE PULLS HARD TO THE LEFT AT ALL SPEEDS. THIS CAUSES EXTREME FATIGUE TO MY ARMS AND BACK. THE LEFT PULL WILL TAKE THE BIKE ACROSS THE CENTER LANE RAPIDLY UNLESS CONSTANT PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE RIGHT BAR TO KEEP THE BIKE GOING STRAIGHT. NUMEROUS OWNERS ARE REPORTING TH
- • THE BIKE HAS PULLED TO THE LEFT FROM THE TIME I PURCHASED IT. BMW DEALER TESTED IT AND VERIFIED THE PULL TO THE LEFT. LAST WEEK A STEERING PART WAS REPLACED AND THE DEALER SAID IT WAS FIXED. AFTER RIDING IT I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT FIXED. STILL PULLS TO THE LEFT - PERHAPS NOT QUITE AS MUCH AS BEFOR
“THE MOTORCYCLE HAS A PRONOUNCED PULL TO THE LEFT. SO MUCH SO THAT THE BIKE WILL WANDER INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC IF THERE IS ANY INATTENTION. *KB”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ENGINE
5 complaints- • I HAVE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUES WITH MY 2012 TRIUMPH TIGER 800 ABS. IT RELATES TO ENGINE STALLING. OTHERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON INTERNET FORUMS, AND SO I HAVE DECIDED TO FILE A SAFETY COMPLAINT. I HAVE HAD MY TIGER 800 FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, AND HAVE PUT ON ABOUT 1500 MILES. ON TWO SEPARATE
- • THREE (3) K1600 GTL SUDDEN ENGINE CUTOFF EVENTS THAT I EXPERIENCED ON JUNE 14, AND JUNE 16, 2013. THIS DOCUMENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN ON MY 2012 BMW K1600GTL. IN THREE SEPARATE EVENTS, MY K1600GTL ENGINE SHUTDOWN AT FULL SPEED (75 MPH, 55 MPH) WHILE ON THE THROTTLE WITH NO ADVANCE NOTICE
- • I WAS RIDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. THIS HAPPENED EIGHT TIMES WITHIN 400 MILES. *TR
“I HAVE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUES WITH MY 2012 TRIUMPH TIGER 800 ABS. IT RELATES TO ENGINE STALLING. OTHERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON INTERNET FORUMS, AND SO I HAVE DECIDED TO FILE A SAFETY COMPLAINT. I HAVE HAD MY TIGER 800 FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, AND HAVE PUT ON ABOUT 1500 MILES. ON TWO SEPARATE”
— NHTSA complaint filing
LIGHTING
4 complaints- • LEFT AND RIGHT HANDLEBAR CONTROLLER QUITS FUNCTIONING. THE LEFT CONTROLLER HOUSES THE HORN, TURN SIGNALS, CRUISE CONTROL, BRIGHT LIGHTS, FOG LAMPS, TRACTION CONTROL, HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS, AND THE DAMPING ON THE MOTORCYCLE AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT SO HAZARDOUS SUCH AS RADIO VOLUME AN
- • MY BMW K1600GTL HAS EXPERIENCED 3 FAILURES OF THE MULTI-PURPOSE ELECTRICAL CONTROL SWITCH ON THE LEFT HANDLEBAR AND 1 FAILURE OF THE MULTI-PURPOSE SWITCH ON THE RIGHT HANDLEBAR. THE LEFT HANDLEBAR FAILURES WERE THE HIGH/LOW BEAM SWITCH 2 TIMES AND THE MENU BUTTON 1 TIME. THE RIGHT HANDLEBAR FAILURE
- • THE SWITCH FOR THE SIGNALS ( LEFT TURN ) STOP FUNCTIONING. I WAS 30 MILES FROM HOME AND HAD TO USE HAND SIGNALS. *TR
“LEFT AND RIGHT HANDLEBAR CONTROLLER QUITS FUNCTIONING. THE LEFT CONTROLLER HOUSES THE HORN, TURN SIGNALS, CRUISE CONTROL, BRIGHT LIGHTS, FOG LAMPS, TRACTION CONTROL, HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS, AND THE DAMPING ON THE MOTORCYCLE AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT SO HAZARDOUS SUCH AS RADIO VOLUME AN”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 44 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐FUEL SYSTEM: ON TURNING ON THE IGNITION KEY IN MY GARAGE, THE FUEL PUMP WAS AUDIBLE, AND THE BIKE FAILED TO START WHEN THE STARTER BUTTON WAS PRESSED. IMMEDIATELY I NOTICED A VERY LARGE TORRENT OF GASOLINE POURING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE, RIGHT OVER THE EXHAUST HEADERS, WHICH WERE FORTUNATELY NOT YET HO
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ELECTRICAL: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW K1600 GTL MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH, HE ENGAGED THE HORN AND ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES, BUT THE DRIVER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO HEAR THE HORN, ALMOST RESULTING IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN OUTPUT WAS NOT LOUD ENOU
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐STEERING: THE MOTORCYCLE HAS A PRONOUNCED PULL TO THE LEFT. SO MUCH SO THAT THE BIKE WILL WANDER INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC IF THERE IS ANY INATTENTION. *KB
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ENGINE: I HAVE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUES WITH MY 2012 TRIUMPH TIGER 800 ABS. IT RELATES TO ENGINE STALLING. OTHERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON INTERNET FORUMS, AND SO I HAVE DECIDED TO FILE A SAFETY COMPLAINT. I HAVE HAD MY TIGER 800 FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, AND HAVE PUT ON ABOUT 1500 MILES. ON TWO SEPARATE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Bmw K 1600 GTL — Year Comparison
How does 2012 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
Full years-to-avoid analysis →NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 44
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 0
- Crash reports
- 0
- Injury reports
- 0
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
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