2018 Bmw K 1600 Gtl problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (3) · Power Train (3) · Vehicle Speed Control:throttle (1)
Safety recalls (2)
Power Train:manual Transmission:seals/Gaskets 2026-04-02 · campaign 26V214000 · 9,160 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017-2025 K 1600 GT, GTL, B and 2018-2025 Grand America vehicles. The seal for the reverse gear control unit may deteriorate and allow moisture inside the control unit, which can result in the unit overheating.
Risk: An overheated reverse gear control unit increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the reverse gear control unit, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 28, 2026. A second letter will be mailed once the remedy is available, anticipated late October 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 25, 2026.
Power Train:manual Transmission 2019-10-01 · campaign 19V692000 · 4,672 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017-2020 K 1600 GT and 2018-2020 K 1600 GTL and K 1600 B motorcycles. Certain transmission parts may not have been produced to the appropriate hardness level. This could affect the function of the transmission, possibly causing double engagement of two gears and/or the damage of transmission parts.
Risk: Double gear engagement or transmission damage can cause the rear wheel to lock up, affecting the vehicle stability and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift forks, the selector sleeve of 5th/6th gear and the gear wheel of 6th gear, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk was mailed November 1, 2019. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Service bulletins (21)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Electrical System 2024-01-11 · B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the electrical system of bmw vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. this has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. this document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle ã¢ââdischarged batteryã¢ââ complaints.
Wheels 2022-12-08 · MC610522 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
due to a hardware change to the angular rate sensor, certain sub functions will not be active until after a software update.
Electrical System 2022-07-26 · SIB610522 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
due to a hardware change to the angular rate sensor, a specific function "front wheel lift detection" of the pro driving modes is not activated.
Engine And Engine Cooling 2022-06-01 · SIB170222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
coolant is leaking from under the car which is equipped with the n63 engine. a low coolant warning might also be displayed (cc message id166).
Electrical System 2022-05-06 · SIB610117 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
general electric systems.
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control 2022-04-26 · MC710122 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
emission control information.?
Showing the 6 most recent of 21 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-06-04 · Power Train“at the end of april, 2026, i was using the 'reverse gear' function to assist with parking the motorcycle. i needed to move back about 15 feet into the parking spot. as i was moving backward, at approximately 3 to 5 feet, the reverse function suddenly stopped propelling the motorcycle backward causing me to loose balance. i tipped and had to l…”
2022-05-13 · Vehicle Speed Control:throttle · 15,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 bmw k1600 gtl motorcycle. the contact stated that while riding at an undisclosed speed, the motorcycle inadvertently shifted into limp mode. the motorcycle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with throttle body failure. the dealer informed the contact that the throttle body needed to be replaced. the motorcycle wa…”
2021-10-28 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 45,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 bmw k 1600 gtl motorcycle. the contact stated fuel was leaking from intake. there was an abnormal odor of fuel detected. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted who referred the contact to the nhtsa hotline. the failure mileage was approximately 45,…”
2021-04-28 · Steering · 2,500 mi“while riding this motorcycle at highway speeds (60+mph) near semi truck traffic. the air flow coming off of the truck would impact the motorcycle, the bike would wobble significantly making it very hard to control and on the cusp of losing control. the same would happen when there were cross winds of 30+mph. in both of these conditions the bike bec…”
2020-09-22 · Engine · 8,500 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2018 bmw k-1600. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the engine fault warning light illuminated and the motorcycle immediately stalled. the contact pulled the motorcycle off to the side of the roadway, restarted the motorcycle without further incidence. the motorcycle was taken to big sky motorsports (2315 south ave…”
2020-08-26 · Vehicle Speed Control · 2,755 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2018 bmw k 1600 gtl. the contact stated while driving at 65 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. the contact stated engine problem warning message displayed. the contact was able to park on the side of road and after a couple of minutes the vehicle was restarted and the contact was ab…”
2020-02-26 · Power Train“tl* the contact owns a 2018 bmw k1600 gtl. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v692000 (power train) however, the part needed for the repair was not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. bmw motorcycles fort lauderdale (4201 peters road, plantation, …”
2020-01-23 · Power Train“tl* the contact owns a bmw k1600. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v-692000 (power train) however, the parts to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. an unknown dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the p…”
2019-09-05 · Suspension · 2 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2018 bmw k 1600 gtl. while riding at approximately 50-60 mph, the contact stated that the motorcycle started to vibrate abnormally. the contact stated that the wobbling in the steering and suspension was more noticeable while riding behind a high profile vehicle. the motorcycle was taken to grand junction bmw (located at 2747…”
2019-04-17 · Steering · 12 mi“this is a new, 2018 motorcycle purchased from the dealer on 4/6/2019 with 6 miles on the odometer. after a short test ride through several short back-roads around the dealership i decided to purchase the vehicle. upon leaving the dealership and heading home on the interstate at highway speeds the issue revealed itself. the motorcycle has a dangero…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.