Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1998 BMW K 1200 RS, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Fuel system, gasoline4
- Service brakes, hydraulic1
- Power train1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 1998 BMW K 1200 RS.
| 2000219 5 Oct 2000 | Engine On certain vehicles, the snap ring which retains the cover for the oil thermostat element in the thermostat housing, may not have been completely seated during … |
| 2000218 5 Oct 2000 | Engine On certain motorcycles, the cylinder head sealing plugs, covering holes in the area of the spark plugs, may not be fully seated. If either or both of the seali… |
| 1999005 14 Jan 1999 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, deformation of the fuel tank when the vehicle is operated in high ambient temperature conditions could cause a gap to form between the fuel… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THE CYLINDER HEAD CONTAINS TWO SEALING PLUGS COVERING HOLES IN THE AREA NEAR THE SPARK PLUGS. ONE OR BOTH PLUGS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FULLY SEATED DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY. EITHER OR BOTH OF THE SEALING PLUGS COULD LOOSEN OR COMPLETELY DETACH FROM THEIR MOUNTING POINT DURING VEHICLE OPERATION.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. A SPRING-LOADED THERMOSTATIC ELEMENT IN THE OIL THERMOSTAT HOUSING IS HELD IN PLACE BY A COVER THAT IS RETAINED BY A SNAP RING. THE SNAP RING MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED DURING PRODUCTION. DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE SNAP RING COULD UNSEAT, ALLOWING THE COVER TO LOOSEN OR DETACH, RESULTING IN LOSS OF THE ENTIRE OIL VOLUME.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. DURING EXTENDED OPERATION IN HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS, THE AREA OF THE PUMP MOUNTING SURFACE OF THE FUEL TANK CAN DEFORM, FORMING A GAP BETWEEN THE TANK MOUNTING SURFACE AND THE GASKET, ALLOWING FUEL TO ESCAPE FROM THE TANK AT THAT AREA.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THE ADJUSTING SCREW FOR THE PRESSURE POINT OF EITHER THE BRAKE OR CLUTCH LEVERS MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY TIGHT, DUE TO GREASE CONTAMINATION OF THE THREADS.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 1998 BMW K 1200 RS: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 601194 | INFORMATION ON NEW CLUTCH PARTS. *YC |
| 10207909 | Pre-delivery Intervention Check List. |
| 10200268 | IT is no longer necessary to place a PMP coded part order to obtain a Repair Enabling code |
| 10193504 | Leaks have been reported in fork legs. The cause is reported be from oil lubricating film with accompanying dirt/grease ring is incorrectly interpreted to be a leaking fork leg. Investigations have shown that the part is not defective. |
| 10147912 | Map data should be stored on a 64 GB SD card. In GARMIN Express the note appears that a maximum of 32 GB is possible. |
| 10030825 | BMW MOTORCYCLE: ENGINE FUELS CONTAINING ETHANOL. BMW MOTORRAD HAS NO OBJECTION TO THE USE OF SI ENGINE FUELS CONTAINING UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 10% ETHANOL AND IMPOSES NO WARRANTY RESTRICTIONS. ETHANOL MIXTURES IN PROPORTIONS HIGHER THAN 10% CAN HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE AND CAN RESULT IN DAMAGE TO COMPONENTS THAT COME INTO CONTRACT WITH FUEL. NO WARRANTY CLAIMS WHATSOEVER FOR DAMAGE CAUSED IN THIS WAY WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
FUEL TANK LEAK
REDUCED CLUTCH AND BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation