Fuel strip poll

[fishburn80]

2012 gsa 10000 no problems hopefully can keep it that way

[Lee]

2012 gsa 10000 no problems hopefully can keep it that way

Does your bike have a fuel strip. My 2011 K1300S has a float.

Too bad this poll is in the Hexhead/Camhead forum. It would have been interesting to see all BMW models that had fuel strip failures.

[wanderer]

'07 RT 100,000 miles. No problem

[jdubick]

2010 R1200RT, Mine was dead when I picked it up brand new. They filled it up with gas for me and had to immediately drain the gas and change the strip.

[lionheart33]

2007 RT with 37,000 miles - no problems with fuel strip.

[dposey]

Something everyone probably already knows - looks like from reviewing microfish that BMW changed from fuel strips back to float valve on r 1200 rt and r 1200 gs and r 1200 gsa manufactured after 8-2010

[Bullett]

I'm riding a 2007 R1200RT with about 58000 miles. Lots of oil and headlight bulbs, but no fuel strips.

[Lee]

Something everyone probably already knows - looks like from reviewing microfish that BMW changed from fuel strips back to float valve on r 1200 rt and r 1200 gs and r 1200 gsa manufactured after 8-2010

I believe all the K bikes changed at the same time.
Interesting the R1200R did not change to a float like the others.

[HaroldRT09]

I absolutely love my R1200RT 2009; however, I've gone through "4" failed fuel strips on BMW's dime, but my time and inconvenience. Sure wish this problem could be addressed once and for all. I purchased the bike new with 14 miles on the odometer, and now have 62,000 miles on the odometer. My plan is to log many more miles on this beauty.

[sherfarm]

2007 r1200rt

[deilenberger]

I absolutely love my R1200RT 2009; however, I've gone through "4" failed fuel strips on BMW's dime, but my time and inconvenience. Sure wish this problem could be addressed once and for all. I purchased the bike new with 14 miles on the odometer, and now have 62,000 miles on the odometer. My plan is to log many more miles on this beauty.

My 2007 has an identical history. The latest one lasted less then a year (gotta remember to call the dealer tomorrow.) This is #4 failure.

[BEDRT3]

09R1200RT. Lost 1 fuel strip and 5 headlight bulbs in 62,549. 4 bulbs on throttle side. Can't find a difference on either side.

[Polarbear]

On my third strip. 1st one at around 25000m, second at approx.47000m on odometer and my third one is in place still working at 90000m. I like see thru tanks on dirt bikes. Why complicate things, as BMWs done adding farkles that break a LOT? I vote "simple" is much better. An adventure bike can have the opaque gas tank, imo. OR, maybe a visable bar of the same, built into tank? Why add it(gas levels) to wiring(gauges), which we all know the answer now after HOW many years these things been failing? Found one thing is certain all these years! WE, the customers are the test riders for too many products sold, as the components in many cases are factory faulty and no fixes, except replacements under warranty(good), is the answer. Can be quite frustrating, but we still fail to make/build things very perfect in life. We move on. I would imagine product testing(ALL) of components going into out BMWs would drive the price so high, nobody could afford one. Sure love my GSA and will keep it flying, probably way past 100000m and beyond. May have to "engineer" my own fuel reading device, sell a TON of'em. Randy

[deilenberger]

On another forum I'm active on, there is a bit of a campaign going to get the fuel strip problem to the attention of the NHTSA - the only people who can coerce BMW into actually solving the problem. Since my 5th strip failed this weekend, I'm somewhat energized to actually fill this out. One of the problems with NTHSA submissions are - they tend to get lost since people pick different failure modes. This was worse on the earlier submission form, at least this one limits the number of systems that can be selected from, and there is a drop-down list of models that appears to include most recent BMW motorcycle models.

The following is what I posted to the other forum (an R1200R specific forum.) Since BMW has announced an investigation into the leaking fuel pump bosses on the recent models with only 24 failures reported, and since BMW announced a recall of several car models due to failing fuel gauges, I think this - done right -might have some chance of success. The trick is getting the attention of someone high enough up in BMW who has the power to say "Fix this NOW."

Here is my posting to the other forum:

Here is what I filled out (after selecting the on-line form found at: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/Vehicl...nt/index.xhtml)

• VIN: Entered my VIN#
• VEHICLE: BMW R 1200 R 2007 (this is on the drop down screen once you enter BMW.. it's down a ways.. look for your bike if it's not there use the ones that are there as a pattern to create a new model listing.)
• APPROXIMATE DATE: I entered the date it first happened (as the instructions say to.)
• CRASH: No
• FIRE: No
• FATALITY: No
• VEHICLE MILEAGE: I put down the approximate mileage it first happened at
• SPEED: I put down 65 for good luck.
• AFFECTED PARTS: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM <-- this is the important one. This is how the complaints get lost.
• TELL US WHAT HAPPENED: Fuel gauge stopped responding, leading to running out of fuel while moving. This is a common failure on many bike models from BMW from 2005-2013. I have had this happen 5 times so far, and each time the fuel level measuring strip in the fuel tank was replaced. This is an unsafe condition since loss of engine power from running out of fuel can be quite dangerous on a motorcycle.

I then filled in my personal info.

My suggestion - if you've experienced the failure - take 10 minutes to fill in the form... it might just help, and it can't hurt. Fell free to ignore this if it doesn't seem reasonable to you.. and I have no delusions about getting a "Friend of the Marque" for posting this up.. If anyone wants to point the K bike forum (of models that used the fuel strip) to this post, please feel free to.

[hjsbmw]

No failure so far in 40k miles, 07 R1200R.