How many recalls does the 1997 BMW R850 have?

The 1997 BMW R850 has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 1997 BMW R850 has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1997 BMW R850?

Of 1 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is engine and engine cooling.

1997 BMW R850 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1997 BMW R850 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 2,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 97V237000 1997-12-31 2,000 affected

Defect

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…

Consequence

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…

Remedy

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.

Complaints by component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

Total complaints1

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“When making a right turn motorcycle cuts completely off.*ak”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE · reported 2002-09-05

Defect investigations

Investigation SQ97022 Opened 1997-11-14 · closed 1997-12-31

STEERING LOCK/IGNITION SWITCH WIRING

BMW WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REMOVE THE SHEET METAL PLATE AND RELOCATE TWO WIRING HARNESSES SO THAT THE IGNITION WIRING HARNESS HAS SUFFICIENT FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE RANGE OF MOTION OF THE HANDLEBARS.WIRING HARNESSES FOUND DAMAGED, WILL BE REPLACED.NO FURTHER ACTION IS NECESSARY.THIS INVESTIGATION…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 BMW R850 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.