BMW issues stop-sale on all petrol-powered motorcycles in North America (Updated)
Rennie Scaysbrook | October 2, 2023
Update: BMW has released the following statement regarding the stop-sale order as of October 2, 2023.
“BMW Motorrad USA has announced that the Engineering Division has concluded our testing and evaluation and have determined that the voluntary stop sale measures can be lifted. Dealers may resume the sale of all new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles as of Friday September 29th.”
BMW issues stop-sale on all petrol-powered motorcycles in North America
BMW has issued a stop-sale on all its internal combustion-engined motorcycles, effective immediately.
The voluntary notice is believed to be emissions-related, with the CE-04 electric scooter the only two-wheeled machine currently in the BMW Motorrad line-up allowed to be sold to the public in North America.
A notice from BMW Motorrad USA read, “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.
You can now resume buying a petrol-powered BMW in North America.
“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.”
The news is potentially catastrophic for BMW in the USA and Canada (Mexico is exempt from the order), with dealers unable to sell any petrol-powered bikes—new or used—to the public. This also just three weeks out from the international launch of the brand-new 2024 R 1300 GS in Spain that Cycle News will be attending.
We will have more on this story as it develops.
