5,000 BMW R 18 Motorcycles Are at Risk of Fire, Recall Issued

 The model proved immensely successful, and has since grown to become a fully-fledged family, with cruisers and touring bikes alike. But with success may come some problems, and the Bavarians seem to have encountered their first.
In the time that has passed since its introduction, the R 18 sold several tens of thousands of examples on the American market, but now a little over 5,000 of them will have to head in for repairs, or risk catching fire.

BMW announced the recall this week, blaming it on the seal for the reverse gear control unit. Over time, this seal can deteriorate, and when that happens moisture can make its way into the control unit. As a result of this, the unit can overheat, and that in turn could lead to a fire.

BMW does not say if it has any knowledge of such a thing actually happening, but to be on the safe side it will notify 5,048 owners of R 18 motorcycles manufactured between 2021 and 2024 about the problem. Riders will have to take their bikes in for repairs which, as usual, will be performed free of charge.

There is no actual fix for the problem yet, so what will technically happen is the reverse gear control unit will be taken out of the equation by simply disconnecting it from the electrical system of the motorcycle. As a more permanent solution, when so many pieces of hardware will be available, the control units will be replaced completely, also free of charge.

BMW says owners will begin receiving notifications from November 18. If you don't want to wait that long, you can reach out to the bike maker itself at 1-800-525-7417. Separately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety (NHTSA) is also on deck to answer your questions at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153). The NHTSA recall number for the BMW R 18 is 24V716000.

At the time of writing, BMW is selling the R 18 in five variants on the American market. The entry-level model is the R 18, which retails from $14,995, while the most expensive is the R 18 Transcontinental, going for $23,995.

All bikes share the same engine, the mighty Big Boxer. It displaces 1,802cc and it develops 91 hp at 4,750 rpm and 158 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm. A perfect piece of hardware to take on other giants of this segment (meaning non-Harleys) like the Indian Sport Chief, Triumph Rocket 3, or the Kawasaki Vulcan S.