On February 3, 2023, BMW of North America issued a safety recall for 2020 through 2023 S 1000 XR and 2022 through 2023 S 1000 R motorcycles that received software updates through their authorized BMW dealers. A software update performed on these bikes may have reset the front wheel lift-off assist (or “wheelie control”) setting without offering any indication of the change in the instrument cluster. If a rider experiences unexpected handling from their bike, as could happen with such a reset, there could be an increased risk of a crash.
Approximately 754 total motorcycles in North America are believed to be affected, which represents 100 percent of the population. This includes 270 2022 through 2023 S 1000 R and 484 2020 through 2023 S 1000 XR models that received software updates at dealers.
On the affected bikes, there is a feature called Riding Modes Pro. One of the modes included here is a rider customizable mode called Dynamic Pro. The factory setting for this mode has the front wheel lift-off assistant parameter deactivated, but riders can choose from different levels to adjust that setting to their preference.
The problem arose with application of a dealer-only software update, which resets Dynamic Pro mode to factory settings, but gives no indication to the rider to let them know that something has changed. If a rider was expecting some level of front wheel lift-off assistant to engage while they were riding, and it did not do so due to this software update, it could cause a crash.
BMW North America notified its dealer network about this issue on February 3, 2023. The company plans to notify registered owners of affected bikes on March 28, 2023, via First Class Mail. Owners of affected bikes will be advised about the Dynamic Pro setting being reset, and requested to check and adjust the settings to ensure that they know what kind of behavior to expect from their machines. Additionally, owners will be requested to bring their bike to their nearest BMW dealership so it can be inspected, and so that its service records can be updated accordingly.
Owners can contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Additionally, owners may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov. NHTSA’s campaign number for this recall is 23V-051.
