2018 BMW K1600B problems & reliability
37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 BMW K1600B, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 20 | 54% |
| Steering → | 11 | 30% |
| Suspension | 6 | 16% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 11% |
| Engine | 4 | 11% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% |
| Structure | 1 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The bike has been at the dealer now more times than I can count, the speedo is still off to this day by 4 miles an hour, the bike a pull to the left that has never been fixed yet. On occasion the bike will get a check engine light and just loose all power and throttle response. Why in traffic. And now ever since the…”
Electrical System · filed Nov 24, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2018 bmw k 1600b. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the motorcycle became unstable while driving behind a semi truck or when wind turbulence was present. The motorcycle operated as intended after the speed was reduced. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact…”
Suspension · filed Apr 22, 2020
“Side to side oscillation when riding the bike, worsened by increasing speed and especially when traveling behind or next to another vehicle. The larger the vehicle the worse the movement. This oscillation can occur to the extent that it causes the bike to move from the 8ntended line of travel.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 4, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Steering Oscillation
Engineering Analysis EA19003 · opened Oct 11, 2019 · closed Jan 16, 2025
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 BMW K1600B.
BMW Motorrad quality analysis has established that on K 1600 B (K61) models with central locking system (SA 417) in rare circumstances the side case could open while driving. For affected vehicles, replace the release…
MC4600118 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2018
Engine is placed into emergency operation mode and max rpm is reduced due to a deviation in throttle signals. Signal evaluation software has been reworked and should be installed.
MC63473054 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 16, 2018
The packaging crates for all K1600B are not stabel enough to be stacked. This applies ot both transport and storage. Th enoew motorcycle is damaged during transport in Big Pack packaging
MC63570222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2017
Bluetooth issues between Navigators, mobile phones, communication and audio systems.
MC50349142 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2015
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2018 BMW K1600B has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2018 BMW K1600B?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.