BMW R850 problems & recalls
NHTSA records for 1996–1997: 1 recall campaign and 1 owner complaint. Pick a model year.
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What owners complain about (all years)
Recent recalls
Electrical System #97V237000 · 1997 · 2,000 units
Problem: Vehicle description: motorcycles. a sheet metal plate mounted to the front of the frame below the instrument cluster can cause the wiring harness to be stretched too tight as the handlebars are turned fully to one side. in addition, the wiring harness is attached to another harness with a cable tie that is placed too far forward limiting the handlebar movement.
Risk: The harness wires can be damaged or could break or pull out of the ignition switch. if the harness wires were damaged but not broken or disconnected, the electrical system could be affected while the motorcycle is being driven. hesitation, misfiring, or "cutting out" could occur increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will relocate the wire tie connecting the two wiring harnesses to a point further back from the original location so that the ignition switch wiring harness has sufficient freedom of movement. also if the wiring harness is found to be damaged, the ignition switch (with harness) will be replaced.
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Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the R850.
Motorcycle-specific service manuals with step-by-step procedures (Clymer is part of Haynes).
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