The silver reflecting coating behind the headlight bulb is burning off. This reduces my light visibility to me and oncoming vehicles.
The worst 2011 BMW F650 GS problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Transmission2
- Electrical1
- Engine1
- Lights1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission2
- Electrical1
- Engine1
- Lights1
Recalls 1
Equipment
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2017 F800R and F800GT motorcycles, 2014-2018 R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure motorcycles, 2016-2017 S1000XR motorcycles and 2015-2017 R1200R and R1200RS, 2008-2012 F650GS, 2008-2018 F800GS, and 2014-2017 F800GS Adventure motorcycles. When equipped with the optional aluminum luggage cases, the rear reflex reflectors may be partially blocked. The aluminum case mounts for the R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure may also partially block the reflectors. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- If the rear reflex reflectors are obscured from view, it can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install reflectors on the cases or for the case mounts, an additional bracket with rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 17V481000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2011 BMW F650 GS 9
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- The motorcycle will not start
- Stress corrosion cracks may occur on the studs of certain milled footrests from the BMW Motorrad special...
- Vehicle battery not charged despite the battery charger being connected to the on-board socket...
- The clutch plates do not tolerate frequent and prolonged operation at the clutch friction zone, causing a...
- The wiring harness of the F 650 GS and F 650 GS Dakar (R13) models is routed along the right-hand top rail...
- The engine?s intake charge-air duct limited warranty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles applies to...
- Leaks have been reported in fork legs
- Bmw motorcycle: voluntary inspection that affects fuel pump unit of some motorcycles, due to an error at...
What 2011 BMW F650 GS owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Date and mileage are very approximate. It was sometime during summer 2011. Clutch cable end apparently slipped out of the lever end on the transmission causing the transmission to remain engaged to engine. I stopped the bike by stalling it, almost causing a crash. There should be a safety lock to prevent a clutch cable end from coming out of the clutch actuation lever that is located on the transmission.
The may 18th date is a rough guess. The engine has died two times between shifts from second to first, very slow speed, coming to stops. One time was in light rain. Most recent was november 29, 2011 after approximately 15 miles of riding in light rain. *tr in medium to heavy rain, engine begins to sputter while riding (under power) and frequently almost stalls after about 10-15 miles. Sometimes difficult to keep engine going. This was a known problem on the 2008-2010 f650gs (twin-cylinder engine). It appears to still be a problem. It is dangerous and needs to be resolved. Not sure if this related, but the ignition switch recently shorted out, completely disabling the motorcycle, and had to be replaced.
Compare the 2011 BMW F650 GS
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Questions about the 2011 BMW F650 GS
Is the 2011 BMW F650 GS reliable?
Owners have filed 3 complaints about the 2011 BMW F650 GS, close to a typical F650 GS model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 BMW F650 GS?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 2 complaints. Next is electrical (1).
How many recalls does the 2011 BMW F650 GS have?
1 recall, covering equipment.
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