The 2002 BMW R1150gs has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 2,997 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC01V2460002001-07-312,997 affected
Defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE LINE AND THE SPEEDOMETER DRIVE CABLE COULD BE TOO SMALL. DUE TO COMPRESSION AND REBOUND OF THE FORK, THE SPEEDOMETER CABLE COULD CONTACT AND CHAFE THE BRAKE LINE.
Consequence
BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE COULD OCCUR, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF FRONT BRAKING CAPABILITY. IF THIS HAPPENED, DEPENDING ON TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND THE RIDER'S REACTIONS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL MEASURE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FRONT BRAKE LINE AND SPEEDOMETER CABLE. THE BRAKE LINE WILL BE REPLACED IF THE DISTANCE TO THE SPEEDOMETER CABLE IS FOUND TO BE TOO SMALL OR IF IT IS DAMAGED. A NEW PROTECTIVE SLEEVE WILL BE INSTALLED IN THE SPEEDOMETER CABLE NEAR THE FRONT FENDER. OWNER NOTIFICATION…
Complaints by component
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
6
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
2
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
1fires1injuries
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
1
POWER TRAIN
1
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
1
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
1
Total complaints24
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Suspected electrical fire led to the motorcycle being engulfed in flames shortly after startup. *tr”
“My 2002 bmw 1150gs motorcycle has only just over 41k miles on the odometer. These motorcycles are advertised to the public as able to drive forever across continents, but that is not the case. I was very surprised when it lost some internal gears last weekend and something let go in the gearbox…”
“My 2002 bmw 1150gs motorcycle has only just over 41k miles on the odometer. These motorcycles are advertised to the public as able to drive forever across continents, but that is not the case. I was very surprised when it lost some internal gears last weekend and something let go in the gearbox…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 2002 bmw r1150ra (na). While driving 50-55 mph, the contact smelled gas fumes and then noticed fuel leaking from the quick release mechanism. As of september 27, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. The manufacturer stated that they would replace the quick release…”
“In april 2005, I experienced a final drive failure on my 2002 bmw r1150gs. During a 36,000 mile service, I reported a slight oil leak around the rubber boot on the final drive shaft. Bmw replaced the final drive bearing that was still under warranty. The entire final drive was replaced during the…”
“2002 bmw r1150gs motorcycle suffered a failure of the final drive assembly in the shaft drive mechanism. There was no warning. The seal blew out and the shaft bearings disintegrated causing the wheel to hop up and down severely at about 70 mph. I was able to pull the bike over safely without a…”
“This motorcycle is equipped with a linked abs brake system. The rear wheel and front wheel work together. The motorcycle was without brakes for an undetermined period of time. *ak *nm”
“Gas leak”
Defect investigations
InvestigationPE03054 Opened 2003-12-01 · closed 2004-01-23
FUEL LINE LEAKAGE
BMW IS CONDUCTING A RECALL (04V-028).AN INFORMATION REQUEST(IR)RESPONSE WAS NOT RECEIVED. UPON BMW'S RECEIPT OF THE IR, AND AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH ODI, BMWDETERMINED THAT A RECALL WAS NECESSARY. ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE O-RING CONTAINED WITHIN THE FUEL LINE QUICK-DISCONNECT COUPLING COULD BECOME DAMAGED.FURTHER,…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2002 BMW R1150gs as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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