1997 BMW R850 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other R850 years
- Not enough data 1st of 2 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 1997 BMW R850. That is the most of any R850 model year in the database (2 years). The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (1 complaints, 100%). There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 1owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 BMW R850 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 100% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
1997 BMW R850 recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: Vehicle description: motorcycles. A sheet metal plate mounted to the front of the frame below the instrument cluster can cause the wiring harness to be stretched too tight as the handlebars are turned fully to one side. In addition, the wiring harness is attached to another harness with a cable tie that is placed too far forward limiting the handlebar movement.
Risk: The harness wires can be damaged or could break or pull out of the ignition switch. If the harness wires were damaged but not broken or disconnected, the electrical system could be affected while the motorcycle is being driven. Hesitation, misfiring, or "cutting out" could occur increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will relocate the wire tie connecting the two wiring harnesses to a point further back from the original location so that the ignition switch wiring harness has sufficient freedom of movement. Also if the wiring harness is found to be damaged, the ignition switch (with harness) will be replaced.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Steering lock/ignition switch wiring (SQ97022) — opened Nov 14, 1997, closed Dec 31, 1997.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
When making a right turn motorcycle cuts completely off.*ak
Other BMW R850 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 | 1 |
| 1996 R850 | 0 | 1 |
See all BMW R850 problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
Similar BMW models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 BMW R850?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 1997 BMW R850?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 BMW R850 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other R850 model years, the 1997 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.