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BMW Motorcycles: Brake Fluid Cap Missing Correct Instructions

NHTSA campaign 20V166000 · Reported 2020-03-19 · BMW of North America, LLC

low How serious is it? About this label

Low as long as the brakes are serviced correctly — the bike is safe to ride, but make sure nobody tops up the brake fluid using the unclear cap instructions before the swap.

What's wrong, in plain English

The cap on the brake fluid reservoir is supposed to state clearly which type of brake fluid the bike takes and how to fill it. On these motorcycles that labeling is missing or unclear, which does not meet the federal rule for motorcycle brakes. Without it, someone servicing the bike could use the wrong fluid or fill it the wrong way, which could hurt braking performance. A dealer will replace the reservoir cap free of charge.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm your motorcycle is on the list.
2. Call a BMW Motorrad dealer, or BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417, to arrange the cap replacement.
3. Have the brake fluid reservoir cap replaced at no cost.

Affected vehicles (6)

Who to contact

BMW — official BMW recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-525-7417

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Official notice

Component
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID
Summary
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2020 RnineT Scrambler and RnineT, 2020 R1250R and R1250RS, 2019-2020 Rnine T Pure, R1250GS,R1250GS Adventure and R1250RT and 2018 RnineT Racer motorcycles. The brake fluid reservoir cap may not clearly state the required type of brake fluid and the process for filling the reservoir, possibly leading to an improper maintenance procedure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 122, "Motorcycle Brake Systems."
Safety risk
Improper brake system maintenance could affect braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake fluid reservoir cap, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.