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BMW Issues “Stop Sales” Notice on All New and Used Motorcycles in North America

…Except the CE 04

A BMW bike - one of the many that apply under this all-encompassing "stop sales" notice from BMW Motorrad. Media sourced from BMW Miami.
A BMW bike - one of the many that apply under this all-encompassing "stop sales" notice from BMW Motorrad. Media sourced from BMW Miami.

UPDATE: Since the original press release publication, BMW has come out clarifying that the issue “is not safety-related,” but has to do with “material used in a component of its motorcycle evaporative system, which may not have been produced to material specifications” (via ADVRider).

– Amanda Quick

What happens when a bike brand figures out that they’re not – and, indeed, have not been – emissions-compliant?

A full “stop sales” notice for all motorcycles, new and used, across the entirety of North America. 

No, this is not a joke – the emissions problem is real, and the “stop sales” part is likely going to cause more than a few headaches with our good Bavarians… but let’s get into the details.

A BMW bike - one of the many that apply under this all-encompassing "stop sales" notice from BMW Motorrad. Media sourced from BMW.
A BMW bike – one of the many that apply under this all-encompassing “stop sales” notice from BMW Motorrad. Media sourced from BMW.

Per coverage from Wes Fleming at BMWOwners News, this stop is temporary and voluntary… but if you’re hoping to get your hands on a new BMW bike, you’ll probably have a bit to wait. Fleming also alludes to the likelihood that BMW found an emissions problem that spanned multiple generations of their machines – and since North Ameria and Canada are similar in emissions compliance, we’re likely to see the same “stop sales” demand hit for our red-and-white neighbors.

A BMW bike - one of the many that apply under this all-encompassing "stop sales" notice from BMW Motorrad. Media sourced from BMW.
A BMW bike – one of the many that apply under this all-encompassing “stop sales” notice from BMW Motorrad. Media sourced from BMW.

Here’s the statement below, received on Wednesday and courtesy of the company: 

“BMW of North America is dedicated to providing vehicles to our customers that meet their expectations. To ensure that our vehicles are of the highest industry standards, BMW performs ongoing testing and evaluation.

Following a recent quality analysis, BMW is pursuing measures to further evaluate the material used in a component of its motorcycle evaporative system, which may not have been produced to material specifications.

As a result, BMW of North America is issuing a temporary, voluntary stop sale for all new and pre-owned BMW motorcycle models in dealer inventory, except for the CE 04.

This temporary stop sale is not safety related and BMW owners may continue to ride their motorcycles as normal.”

What do you think of this all-encompassing notice from BMW?

*Media sourced from BMW Motorrad and BMW Miami*