2019 Bmw R 1250 Gs problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (10) · Vehicle Speed Control (1) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (1)
Safety recalls (4)
Power Train:manual Transmission:internal:shaft:input 2023-01-18 · campaign 23V011000 · 18,534 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2023 R1250GS, R1250GS Adventure, and R1250RTP motorcycles. In certain engine operating and riding conditions, the gearbox input shaft may become damaged or break, possibly resulting in a blocked rear wheel.
Risk: A damaged gearbox input shaft or a blocked rear wheel can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the engine control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 22, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Service Brakes 2020-08-13 · campaign 20V476000 · 9,392 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 R 1250 GS, GS Adventure and R 1250 RT, 2020 S 1000 RR and S 1000 XR motorcycles. The front brake calipers may leak brake fluid when parked. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 122, "Motorcycle Brake Systems."
Risk: Overtime, a leaking front brake caliper can reduce the amount of brake fluid in the reservoir. Low volume could affect brake performance, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the front brake calipers with an improved version, free of charge. BMW issued owners an interim notification on October 12, 2020. As of January 19, 2021, a remedy was still not available. The recall began March 8, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:fluid 2020-03-19 · campaign 20E013000 · 49 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain Motorcycle Accessory Brake Fluid Reservoir Covers, part numbers 8405-752, 8405-753, 8405-754 and 9829547 designed to fit certain 2019-2020 BMW R 1250 motorcycles, and part numbers 8404-098, 8405-100, 8405-102, and 1542056 designed to fit certain 2018-2020 BMW Rnine T motorcycles. The brake fluid reservoir cap may not clearly state the required type of brake fluid and the process for filling the reservoir, possibly leading to an improper maint
Risk: Improper brake system maintenance could affect braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake fluid reservoir cap, free of charge. The recall began December 14, 2020. Parts will be available in mid-September 2020 for the recall repairs. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:fluid 2020-03-19 · campaign 20V166000 · 365 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2020 RnineT Scrambler and RnineT, 2020 R1250R and R1250RS, 2019-2020 Rnine T Pure, R1250GS,R1250GS Adventure and R1250RT and 2018 RnineT Racer motorcycles. The brake fluid reservoir cap may not clearly state the required type of brake fluid and the process for filling the reservoir, possibly leading to an improper maintenance procedure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
Risk: Improper brake system maintenance could affect braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake fluid reservoir cap, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Service bulletins (13)
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.
Power Train 2024-08-31 · MC330423 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
driveshaft maintenance schedule change
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.
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel 2023-08-14 · MC160323 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
vehicle goes into emergency operation mode and a warning light illuminates on the instrument cluster.
Exterior Lighting:headlights 2023-04-24 · SIB630122 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
led headlights were temporarily unavailable from the factory and some r 1250 gs and r 1250 gsadventure units were built with the halogen headlight in order to ensure safe use.
Power Train:driveline:driveshaft 2023-04-24 · SIB330222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
multiple factors may cause the driveshaft to become damaged; among them are corrosion in certain parts ofthe driveshaft, and wear and tear exacerbated by certain climatic conditions.
Structure 2023-03-08 · SIB460123 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
frame and mounting parts
Showing the 6 most recent of 13 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-01-18 · Service Brakes“rear brake system malfunctions. malfunctioning rear brake increases braking distance which can lead to a collision. the bmw dealer and customer service have confirmed problem. the motorcycle has be serviced for this four times at the bmw repair shop. the problem appears about every 3000 miles.…”
2025-01-18 · Engine“engine fails to start after shutoff and after engine temperature is hot. inability to start engine on the road after cutting ignition can increase risk of being hit on the road. the dealer has not been able to reproduce. the vehicle has been inspected by bmw repair shop and had me replace the battery but the problem still persists. subsequent s…”
2025-01-14 · Service Brakes“ever since purchased new in 2019 the rear brake goes away after riding. dealer bleeds to fix and it goes away again after riding. by going away i mean rear brake pedal travel becomes very long with no positive stop when the brake finally works. very soft feel thru the brake activation. takes a stomp with my heel to lock the rear. dealer has bl…”
2023-06-25 · Unknown Or Other“during the recent safety recall of this vehicle and subsequent repair, it was noted by the certified mechanic that oil was being wicked up along electrical lines in the stator. the mechanic issued an immediate "do not ride, do not operate" warning. 2019 bmw r1250gsa has 17,000 accident free miles. many "false" engine management warnings.…”
2023-05-31 · Service Brakes“rear brake on motorcycle does not stop the motorcycle. after three bmw dealer visits and rear brakes having been bled, the rear brake pedal becomes soft and does not stop the motorcycle. the same problem occurred each time within 2-3 months of the repair. the only way to stop the motorcycle is to use the front brake. the bmw service department …”
2023-05-31 · Service Brakes“after three bmw dealer visits and rear brakes having been bled, the rear brake pedal becomes soft and does not stop the motorcycle. the same problem occurred each time within 2-3 months of the repair. the only way to stop the motorcycle is to use the front brake. the bmw service department cannot explain the reason this keeps happening.…”
2022-09-11 · Vehicle Speed Control“4/2021 prior to 4/2021, i had complained verbally with visits and calls to the dealership about an intermittent (cc ) cruise control issue. they could not find a problem w/the cc. i now consider this issue is related to the rear caliper ceasing. 5/30/2022 (rc) rear caliper ceased without any indications. the (mc) motorcycle, presented w/a pow…”
2021-08-17 · Service Brakes“lost all of the pressure when depressing rear brakes. the bike is 1 year and 5 months old. rear brakes do not slow motorcycle when depressing the entire travel of the pedal. service manager at bmw stated they have seen this problem on other similar model motorcycles. no warning lamps. …”
2021-02-01 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 8,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2019 bmw r 1250 gs adventure. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v476000 (service brakes, hydraulic, service brakes) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the contact s…”
2021-01-27 · Power Train · 5,000 mi“the motorcycle fails to start. this occurs randomly. it has occurred after driving approximately 30 miles. i stop and turn off the bike. when i attempt to restart, it won't turn over. the battery has been checked. bmw says that can't determine the problem. there are forums from riders around the world who share this same experience. the only way to…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.