AI Damage1998 BMW K1200RS: common problems
Owners of the 1998 BMW K1200RS filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 67% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 4 complaints (67% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
(note that the incident date and failure mileage reported are approximate.) when the failure occurred, the two abs warning lights on the dash panel flashed alternately as they normally do upon engine start-up, but did not stop flashing once the motorcycle was underway as they normally should do, which indicated a…
Recall 14401 from oct. 14, 1988. This vehicle was fixed under warranty in 2001 under this recall. It failed again recently and fuel started leaking. The parts to do the remedy are no longer available per my dealer.
Vehicle was delivered with a transmission that refused, at times to shift upwards to higher gears. Usually this occured in colder weather and after being ridden for some distance before a brief period of cooling occurred triggering the problem.
Motorcycle had the original and replaced gas tanks develop leaks. About one gallon per hour. No accident, but close. Almost caught fire.
Massive leaking of gasoline from tank appears to be related to hot weather and expansion of gasket interface between tank bladder and fuel pump, repair work on tank
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the K1200RS has 6 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 6, about average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 BMW K1200RS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, powertrain, service brakes. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (17%), smoke, burning smell, fire (17%), warning lights, check engine (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 BMW K1200RS?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 BMW K1200RS from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.