2009 BMW R 1200 RT problems & reliability
23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 BMW R 1200 RT, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. 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.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 BMW R 1200 RT vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 12 | 52% |
| Power Train | 4 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 9% |
| Engine | 2 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 9% |
| Structure | 1 | 4% |
| Suspension | 1 | 4% |
| Wheels | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Technician found that the engine does not respond to throttle inputs. Discovered left and right throttle body require replacement due to cable cams are broken. Bought this bike for parts. Chose to fix it up given low mileage. Looks like plastic cam fractures frequently. Lucky I found out before I tried riding it…”
Engine · filed Sep 2, 2024
“On 06-19-2023 i was North bound I275 north of 8 mile about 715pm. I was in the left lane going about 68 mph. All of a sudden my It felt like my throttle cable broke, when I twisted it there was no motor response forward and backward, but my motor was red lining against the Rev limiter, so I pulled in the clutch and it…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jul 31, 2023
“The OEM plastic 90° quick discount fitting on top of the fuel pump started spraying fuel. I started smelling fuel on the interstate highway 10 and by the time I could pull over safely off the interstate I was covered with fuel. The fuel was running down on the hot exhaust pipe’s on the front left side of the…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Dec 2, 2022
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
23 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 BMW R 1200 RT. The 10 most recent:
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…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2024
Since October 2023, a new maintenance schedule is valid for all K5x models. For the first time, maintenance positions for the cardan shaft (Driveshaft) are included. NOTICE: 1. The new maintenance schedule is not…
MC330423 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2023
BMW Motorrad USA has become aware of a potential durability issue with the film type fuel level sender â  Fuel Stripâ  equipped on certain model year 2005 to 2013 R and K series motorcycles.
MC160214 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 13, 2023
BMW Motorrad is aware of a number of cases in which the screw connections of the Paralever link and/or the rear brake caliper have loosened in customer vehicles while driving.
MC000222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 8, 2022
Multiple factors may cause the driveshaft to become damaged; among them are corrosion in certain parts of the driveshaft, and wear and tear exacerbated by certain climatic conditions.
SIB330222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 28, 2022
Battery empty despite charger.
SIB610321 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 13, 2022
BMW Motorrad has ascertained that in isolated cases the fuse for the voltage regulator is not correctly secured in the holder by the threaded fasteners.
MC610315 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 2021
When diagnosing fault codes (0x3A13D7, 0x3A13D9), technicians erroneously condemn the electronic throttle grip, which analyses show is rarely the culprit.
MC610821 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 13, 2021
The bike does not shut down with a short press of the keyless ride button. The keyless Ride button must be pressed for several seconds to shut the bike down
MC660118 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2021
BMW Motorrad has ascertained that incorrect usage, such as overloading, can result in the threaded fasteners of the center stand losing their initial torque.
MC000913 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 10, 2021
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 2009 BMW R 1200 RT has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2009 BMW R 1200 RT?
- · 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.