This is perhaps something no one wants to hear, especially when the bike is so new. In this case, the new BMW R 1300 GS is recalled worldwide. We have to state that we saw this news from European and American quarters, so do check with BMW Motorrad Malaysia’s Technical Campaign page to see if your unit is affected.
What triggered the campaign?
According to the safety report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the starter relay housing was produced with an insufficient injection moulding process. The defect may make the housing susceptible to damage during motorcycle assembly or a dealer maintenance visit, leading to possible moisture ingress. Consequently, this could lead to corrosion of internal electrical contacts in the relay.
Leakage of current between corroded contacts could result in heat damage to the starter relay. In rare cases, this could increase the risk of a thermal event or a fire. BMW states riders should be wary of warning signs such as the starter motor turning on its own, odour of overheating electric components, and even smoke.
Persisting Issue
It turns out that this is not the first recall related to the R 1300 GS’s starter relay.
The manufacturer had discovered it even during the launch events in October 2024 with several bikes not starting, or the starter motor running themselves. The issue was traced to the starter relay housing which let moisture in.
BMW issued the first recall in February 2024 to replace the relay’s plastic cover but the issue persisted, showing that the rectification was not effective. So, another recall was issued in July 2024.
Affected units
It is estimated that 25,000 units of the BMW R 1300 GS are affected, for those produced between 14 July 2023 to 18 March 2024.
Again, you can check if your unit is affected by keying in the VIN in BMW Motorrad Malaysia’s Technical Campaign page.
