NHTSA Complaint #10155333 — 2005 HONDA CRF450X

MY '05 HONDA CRF450X IS A GREEN STICKER MOTORCYCLE WHICH IN CALIFORNIA IS STREET LICENSABLE WITH ADDITIONS TO MEET THE LIGHTING STATUES AND DOT LEGAL TIRES. MY BIKE WAS INSPECTED BY DMV AND ISSUED A STREET LICENSE. THE OWNER'S MANUAL RECOMMENDS THAT YOU SHOULD PUT .69 OF A US QUART IN THE TRANSMISSION SIDE OF THE BIKE. WITH 20 HOURS OF OPERATION, AND THREE CHANGES OF BOTH THE MOTOR OIL AND THE TRANSMISSION OIL, MY BIKE SUFFERED A MAJOR TRANSMISSION LOCKUP AT 55 MPH, CAUSING ME TO GO INTO ON-COMING TRAFFIC IN A RIGHT HAND TURN, AS EVEN PULLING THE CLUTCH LEVER WOULD NOT LET THE REAR WHEEL FREE SPIN. HAD THERE BEEN AN ON-COMING CAR, I WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR POSSIBLY KILLED. UPON INSPECTION BY A HONDA MOTORCYCLE DEALER IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION'S UPPER STACK OF GEARS HAD THIRD GEAR WELDED TO THE UPPER COUNTER SHAFT DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. HONDA FAILED TO WARRANTY THE REPAIR EVEN THOUGH I STILL HAD THE STOCK TIRES ON THE BIKE. INTERNET FORUMS SUCH AS THUMPERTALK HAVE PAGES OF DOCUMENTED OTHER FAILURES OF THE EXACT SAME DESCRIPTION UNDER THE 450X "TRANSMISSION FAILURE" THREAD. THE CONCLUSION OF THOSE WHO ARE MECHANICALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND THE OWNER'S IN AUSTRALIA IS THAT YOU HAVE TO RUN A QUART OF TRANSMISSION OIL TO LUBRICATE THESE GEARS. THOSE IN AUSTRALIA, WHERE THE BIKE IS STREET LICENSABLE, LIKE IN CALIFORNIA, STATE THAT THEIR MANUAL REQUIRES MORE OIL THAN MY MANUAL. HONDA DID PROVIDE "GOOD WILL" WARRANTY OF TWO KNOWN UNITS IN COLORADO BEFORE THEY REALIZED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SYSTEMIC. SOMEONE WHO IS UNKNOWING OF THIS FACT WILL BE SERIOUSLY HURT ON THIS BIKE BECAUSE HONDA DOESN'T WANT TO TELL IT'S OWNER'S THAT THEIR SPECIFICATION IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL IS INSUFFICIENT TO LUBRICATE THE TRANSMISSION WITHIN THE EXPECTED USAGE OF A "CROSS-COUNTRY" MOTORCYCLE (450"X"), ONLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS OR FACE A LAWSUIT FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS ALREADY BEEN INJURED. I DO HAVE THE FAILED PARTS. *JB