Unfortunate news for anyone interested in purchasing a BMW motorbike in the United States or Canada, as BMW North America has announced a temporary suspension of all gasoline-powered motorcycles sales. This suspension, which is both temporary and voluntary, impacts both new and used motorcycles. The only exception to this suspension is the CE 04, BMW’s latest electric scooter model.
The reason behind BMW’s action is related to a problem identified in the evaporative system present in all their motorcycles, regardless of whether they are new or pre-owned. According to a Web Bike World report, BMW notified dealers that a material used in the evap system did not meet the required specifications. BMW clarified that this issue does not impact safety, so current owners do not need to halt usage. The problem seems to be directly linked to emissions compliance.
“BMW of North America is committed to delivering vehicles that meet the expectations of our customers. In order to ensure that our vehicles adhere to the highest industry standards, BMW conducts continuous testing and evaluation. As a result of a recent quality assessment, BMW is taking steps to further assess the material utilized in a component of its motorcycle evaporative system, which may not have been manufactured to the required specifications,” stated a BMW representative to The Drive.
“Therefore, BMW of North America has decided to implement a temporary, voluntary halt on the sale of all new and pre-owned BMW motorcycle models in dealer inventories, except for the CE 04. This pause in sales is not safety-related, and existing BMW owners can continue to use their motorcycles as usual.”
BMW CE 04 | BMW
BMW aims to steer clear of any breaches of emissions regulations, hence the impact on both the U.S. and Canada (both countries have similar emissions legislation). The sales suspension is likely a measure for BMW to resolve the issue and have dealers rectify it in all existing inventory before resuming sales.
At present, it is uncertain how far back this issue extends and which motorcycle models are affected. Given that the BMW CE 04 operates solely on electricity, it does not have an evaporative system to be concerned about, therefore it is excluded from the sales halt.
Once BMW devises a solution for this issue, it is probable that all dealer inventory will be rectified, but there has been no official announcement regarding the course of action for current owners’ motorcycles.
Have any tips? Share them at tips@thedrive.com