Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 BMW S 1000 RR, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine4
- Service brakes2
- Wheels1
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
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 8 2020 S 1000 RR vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 7 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
Recalls
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024 S 1000 RR US, and 2020-2026 S 1000 RR motorcycles. The vibration of the motorcycle may cause an internal component of the ignition lock to fail, which can cause the instrument display, rear lighting, and other systems such as ABS to fail, or cause an engine stall while riding.
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."
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 2020 BMW S 1000 RR: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10249027 | 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 discharged battery complaints. |
| 10245430 | On the above listed vehicles, lubricant residue can be found on the fork cap on the right side telescoping fork. Vehicles with caps 31 42 1 754 557 and 31 42 1 757 701 can show this residue. These are not leaks at the cap, but assembly grease residue. Forks with this apparent leak have been received and leak testing was performed. NO leaks could be detected. |
| 10242928 | Front and rear wheel speed sensor faults (0x3A1800 and 0x3A1801) appear after the bike is being revvedover 5000 RPM while still on the side stand, sometimes in conjunction with the side stand fault 0X3A1331. When the engine is revved up while on the side stand, vibrations are sent through the entire motorcycle.This vibration intensity varies from bike to bike. This vibration can cause particular movement between the wheel speed sensor and the sensor ringsdepending on the position of the sensor to the ring. The movement is picked up as rotation speed and iscalled ghost speed. This ghost speed |
| 10242927 | During the production of the intake camshaft there was a change in the coolant used to prevent localized overheating of parts of the camshaft. Because of this, certain parts of the camshaft may have a changed surface hardness that can result in increased wear of the rocker arms and camshaft over time. |
| 10242536 | Vehicle goes into emergency operation mode and a warning light illuminates on the instrument cluster. |
| 10240498 | CHECK ROCKER ARMS AND REPLACE WHERE NEEDED. |
| 10224220 | At continuous rotational speeds exceeding 10,000 rpm, the spring inside the timing chain tensioner may break. The broken pieces can migrate into the oil sump and may then reach the camshaft bearings, resulting in damage to the valve gear. |
| 10214997 | BATTERY EMPTY DESPITE CHARGER. |
| 10214273 | The defect code has been updated |
| 10212535 | Installation of the accessory oil cooler guard from the BMW Motorrad Special Accessories Catalog may result in chafe marks on the cooler. |
| 10204667 | One of the following situations can occur when connecting to BN2000 motorcycles: 1. The installed control units cannot be found when reading out with ISTA. 2. Control units initially communicate after connecting to the vehicle, but communication later stops. |
| 10201170 | When diagnosing fault codes (0x3A13D7, 0x3A13D9), technicians erroneously condemn the electronic throttle grip, which analyses show is rarely the culprit. |
| 10200263 | The engine wiring harness may chafe on the honeycomb structure of the frame. In case of damage to the wiring harness, the wake-up line of the instrument cluster will be damaged. |
| 10200256 | Warning light and fault message in the TFT with faults stored for the rear oxygen sensor (after the catalytic converter). The failure usually occurs shortly after the vehicle handover or the running-in check |
| 10200254 | BMW Motorrad USA is pleased to announce the launch of the BMW Motorrad Ultimate Care Program, effective June 23 , 2021. Three different plans will be offered for consumer bikes, as well as two Authority-specific plans. Model-year 2020 and newer BMW Motorcycles from the time of retail up to the first scheduled ?break in? service are eligible. |
| 10194318 | Warning light in the instrument cluster for DCC failure in motorcycles equipped with DCC |
| 10194316 | The complaint of leaking telescopic forks is the top warranty claim in many current models, |
| 10193517 | Occassionally the bank angle display is no longer visible in the instrument cluster after enging start. |
| 10188992 | After replacement of the ABS control unit, the malfunction indicator lamp in the instrument cluster lights up and the DME stores the following fault memory: 0x0027ED DME: No CAN message In addition, the changeover riding mode no longer works. |
| 10188982 | Inner trim frame cracked. |
| 10188979 | During a cold start or while idling in neutral after a brief standstill, the engine runs at higher revolutions, sounds irregular and as if there are misfires (i.e. as if it were only running on 3 cylinders). |
| 10188977 | Battery connection terminal broken off |
| 10188972 | When the bike is propped on side stand and is revved up to > 5,000 rpm in neutral gear, the malfunction indicator lamp lights up. (see attached video for an example of this) |
| 10188959 | Lurching at partial load range and Idle speed is unstable |
| 10181239 | The engine wiring harness may chafe on the honeycomb structure of the frame. In case of damage to thewiring harness, the wake-up line of the instrument cluster will be damaged. The instrument cluster will nolonger be activated with "Ignition ON?. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)