The coil packs of the 2020 model have gotten a reputation for going out with no warning. It often happens well driving. In my case, two went bad and I had to limp home. Riding like this can further damage the engine. In some cases this happens to people when they are far away from any place and can end up stranded. A quick Google search of this model in year and coil packs will yield thousands of forum posts stating the problem and questions of why BMW has not done more to fix this. They have since changed the coil pack and the ones they put on that biker no longer available. The replacement sell from BMW for $200 each. If you don't replace all four, then you're just biting time till the next one goes out. This issue often happens and bikes with less than 10,000 miles. Mine for example has 9500. Since I live in a part of the country that has winter, I cannot ride the bike year around and my bike is out of warranty even though it has under 10,000 miles on it. I have yet to get it to a dealer because the closest one is 3 hours away and I do not have a trailer. The bike cannot be ridden. I will manage to get it there however I cannot get the dealership to call me back regarding this matter. I have enlisted the help of BMW which is reluctant to say they can do anything but we'll absolutely do nothing until I get it to the dealer for them to verify the problem. I'm not a novice mechanic when it comes to motorcycles. I determined that the one and two cylinders are both dead. The dealer will charge the price for the coil packs plus a slightly unreasonable service charge. The end result will be more than a couple thousand dollars for me to get the bike there and pay for the bill. And that is conservative. It is an acknowledged problem among writers and semi acknowledged by the manufacturer. Not sure where this goes from here.
The worst 2020 BMW S 1000 RR problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine4
- Brakes3
- Acceleration1
- Body1
- Wheels1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine4
- Brakes3
- Acceleration1
- Body1
- Wheels1
Recalls 4
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024 S 1000 RR US, and 2020-2026 S 1000 RR motorcycles. The vibration of the motorcycle may cause an internal component of the ignition lock to fail, which can cause the instrument display, rear lighting, and other systems such as ABS to fail, or cause an engine stall while riding.
- Risk
- An engine stall or failure of electrical systems such as the instrument display or ABS, increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters were mailed September 18, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on beginning September 14, 2026.
Recall number 26V478000 · Recall details
Service brakes
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 R 1250 GS, GS Adventure and R 1250 RT, 2020 S 1000 RR and S 1000 XR motorcycles. The front brake calipers may leak brake fluid when parked. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 122, "Motorcycle Brake Systems."
- Risk
- Overtime, a leaking front brake caliper can reduce the amount of brake fluid in the reservoir. Low volume could affect brake performance, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the front brake calipers with an improved version, free of charge. BMW issued owners an interim notification on October 12, 2020. As of January 19, 2021, a remedy was still not available. The recall began March 8, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 20V476000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: brake lights
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 F900R, F900XR, S1000RR, F750GS, F850GS, F850GS Adventure, R1250GS, R1250GS Adventure, R1250RS, R1250R, RnineT, RnineT Pure and RnineT Scrambler and 2019-2020 S1000R motorcycles. The brake light may flash instead of remain steady during emergency braking. 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
- A flashing brake light can cause confusion to other drivers on the road, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owner, and dealers will reprogram the emergency stop signal function, free of charge. The recall began May 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 20V146000 · Recall details
Engine
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 S 1000 RR motorcycles. The oil cooler hoses may not be attached properly to the oil pipes, possibly resulting in an oil leak.
- Risk
- Leaking oil may drip in the path of the rear tire, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil cooler assembly, including the hoses, free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 19V697000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2020 BMW S 1000 RR 31
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- During the production of the intake camshaft there was a change in the coolant used to prevent localized...
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- On the above listed vehicles, lubricant residue can be found on the fork cap on the right side telescoping...
- Front and rear wheel speed sensor faults (0x3A1800 and 0x3A1801) appear after the bike is being revvedover...
- Vehicle goes into emergency operation mode and a warning light illuminates on the instrument cluster.
- Check rocker arms and replace where needed.
- At continuous rotational speeds exceeding 10,000 rpm, the spring inside the timing chain tensioner may break
- Battery empty despite charger.
- The defect code has been updated
- Installation of the accessory oil cooler guard from the BMW Motorrad Special Accessories Catalog may...
What 2020 BMW S 1000 RR owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Carbon fiber rims developed bubble with minor air leakage...about ~2psi per day. First noticed this deformity around ~Nov 2024 If there is a micro crack developed along the valve stem on a carbon fiber rim, then the wheel forces can cause the crack to grow and sudden loss of pressure, resulting in severe injury. Brought the motorcycle to a BMW dealership. BMW Motorrad says it is out of warranty and not a safety issue. Warning lamps only came on when tire is low on air. Online research indicates that this is/was a problem with 2020 K67 chassis equipped with Carbon Fiber rims
After the brake recall, and new brake calipers and pads were installed, I began to notice significant vibrations of the front end during medium braking. During mild to medium braking going down hill, the front end would seem to bounce.
Leaking coolant from weep hole after every ride, telltale sign water/oil pump is bad. Yes it’s available. Coolant and oil are very slick. I could fall and die if my rear tire decides to slip under the liquids. Yes the dealer and bmw confirmed it was leaking from the weep hole but placed blame on the aftermarket headers. No the water/oil pump has not been inspected by bmw and dealer. No warning lamps.
Front brake calipers leaking during vehicle rest periods since or before 20th august 2020. A large amount of brake reservoir has been consumed before noticing. This is a known condition as advised by the manufacturer as yet no fix has been implemented on this vehicle. Vehicle is currently stored at the dealer awaiting repair.
Oil leaking from engine after only 400miles, I noticed the leak because it stained the floor where the motorcycle was parked.
Oil leaking from lower engine to connecting oil cooler line. Oil seems like coming from drain plug. More noticeable after motorcycle operation, potentially be leaking while riding.
Both of my front calipers leak brake fluid, enough to leave puddles on the ground. This was noticed after the bike had been parked for about two weeks. As of this note the bike is still at the dealership with an unknown eta on parts. I have spoken with bmw north america and their representative indicated that bmw is unaware of this issue, however, I can find several people online who are experiencing the same problem. Having the front brakes fail on this motorcycle would be catastrophic.
While riding my 2020 s1000rr on i495, the front fender bolts had become dislodged, allowing the fender to flop around, fortunately one screw of the 4 was still barely fastened, I didn't lose the entire fender, it ended up lodged in my wheel, and thankfully I was able to safely get off the highway, and investigate the situations, I removed screws from insignificant portions of my bike to affix the fender on the only two remaining mounts as one of the 4 was damaged from the incident..
The motorcycle will not accelerate for up to 2 seconds while opening the throttle in 2nd and 3rd gears, with a lag of up to 1 second in other gears. This creates situations where you are unable to control your throttle or acceleration.
Compare the 2020 BMW S 1000 RR
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Questions about the 2020 BMW S 1000 RR
Is the 2020 BMW S 1000 RR reliable?
Owners have filed 10 complaints about the 2020 BMW S 1000 RR, 5.0 times a typical S 1000 RR model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 BMW S 1000 RR?
Engine and cooling, with 4 complaints. Next is brakes (3).
How many recalls does the 2020 BMW S 1000 RR have?
4 recalls, covering electrical system, service brakes and exterior lighting.
Was there a recall on the 2020 BMW S 1000 RR engine?
Yes, 1 recall: 19V697000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
VIN decoder
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