NHTSA Complaint #10033432 — 2003 HONDA VT1100

THERE IS A LOUD TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF MY ENGINE THAT ENDS AT THE RIGHT FRONT HEAD.THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FROM THE FIRST DAY I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY NEW MOTORCYCLE. WHEN YOU FIRST START IT UP IT MAKES A SLIGHT TICKING NOISE AND IT GETS WORSE THE LONGER YOU RIDE IT. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THIS FIXED ON MY WARRANTY AND ALL I HAVE BEEN TOLD IS THAT IT IS A HONDA TRAIT AND JUST ONE OF THERE QUIRKS AND TO JUST "RIDE IT AND ENJOY THE BIKE". IT IS NOT A QUIRK. IT IS A SERIOUS VALVE TRAIN PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CLEARENCES ARE NOT CORRECT WHEN IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY AND AS THE MOTOR GETS HOTTER THE LOOSER THE VALVE TRAIN GETS. I HAVE TALKED TO 2 OTHER HONDA TECHNITIONS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT SAID THAT HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THAT THEY ARE NOT FIXING IT. I HAD ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD PUT IT IN WRITEING FOR ME AND BOTH SAID NO BECAUSE THEY WOULD LOOSE THERE JOBS. I HAVE CHANGED DIFFERENT WEIGHT OF OILS " AS PER HONDAS REQUEST " AND NO CHANGE. IT JUST GETS WORSE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE VT1100C ENGINES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY HONDA TRAINED PERSONAL; TO GO AND TRY THERE DIFFERENT WEIGHTS OF OIL TRYING TO QUIT THIS UP AND IT JUST GETS WORSE THE MORE MILES YOU PUT ON IT.THIS BIKE NEEDS TO BE IN THE SHOP AND TORN DOWN TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I TOOK DELIVERY OF THIS BIKE, MARCH-15-2003. IT IS NOW AUGUST-25-2003 AND I ONLY HAVE 2,600 MILES ON IT. THIS BIKE WAS BOUGHT FOR MY SUMMER TRANSPORTATION AND I AM SCARED TO RIDE IT BECAUSE THE VALVE TRAIN COULD LET LOOSE AND THE ENGINE COULD LOCK UP AND CAUSE AN INJURY OR A DEATH.*AK