BMW’s GS range of adventure bikes is among the most respected and sought-after in the world. Capable both on- and off-road, and with literal decades of engineering behind them, it’s easy to think that these machines are bulletproof marvels of engineering.
And to a certain extent, they are. But at the end of the day, they’re made by humans, and for us humans, perfection is always fleeting.
BMW has rolled out quite a massive recall for the R 1300 GS due to one, pretty serious issue—a faulty starter relay. Indeed, I’ve witnessed this issue firsthand when a demo unit I was checking out had some starting issues. It did eventually turn over, just after several pushes of the starter button. Back then, I thought of it as nothing more than a hiccup.
Turns out it was quite a big deal.
How big of a deal? Well, BMW Motorrad has issued a global recall, and the NHTSA says that more than 1,500 units are affected in the US alone. On a global scale, we’re looking at around 25,000 units. Yikes.
The issue with the starter relay isn’t the relay itself. But rather, the housing. In this case, the housing could have a manufacturing defect, causing the relay to overheat and fail. The result? At best, your bike won’t turn over or won’t even crank at all. I’m sure none of you want to have to resort to bump-starting your 600-pound adventure bikes. At worst, this issue could be a potential fire hazard.
The relay has quite a hard job, too. It’s responsible for increasing the battery’s current momentarily so it has enough juice to power the starter motor, which then starts the engine. Naturally, things get pretty damn hot in there, and having a poorly built relay housing can cause the relay to overheat.
Luckily, the location of the starter relay is pretty accessible without the need to dismantle a bunch of bodywork. It’s on the left side of the bike just below the seat. It should take less than 30 minutes to replace the relay, should all things go smoothly.
So yes, all things considered, it's a quick fix. But nevertheless, it's a pretty big deal given how important the starter relay is and the potential risk of fire. And so, if you’re the owner of a 2024 BMW R 1300 GS, I wouldn’t waste any time to get in touch with your nearest BMW dealership to schedule replacement of the starter relay stat.
