NHTSA Complaint #10201732 — 2000 SUZUKI SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE

WHILE DRIVING MY SUZUKI 2000 VS800 MOTORCYCLE AT NIGHT, THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. WHILE I WAS ROLLING I TRIED TO GET IT TO RE-FIRE BY PULLING THE CHOKE. AFTER COMING TO A STOP I TRIED TO RESTART IT. I COULD SMELL FUEL FUMES. I THOUGHT I HAD FLOODED THE ENGINE. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND TRIED TO RESTART IT. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. I GOT OFF TO PUSH IT OFF THE ROAD. THEN I NOTICED A PUDDLE OF FUEL UNDER THE MOTORCYCLE. THE VOLTAGE RECTIFIER, BATTERY, EXHAUST PIPES, WERE COVERED WITH FUEL. I WAS LUCKY IT DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE. I EXPECTED A WORN FUEL LINE HAD FAILED. THE TANK PART NUMBER 38E90-33J HAD A RUST HOLE ON THE VERY REAR LEFT SIDE. IN THIS DAY AND AGE HOW CAN ANY CORPORATION MANUFACTURER A FUEL TANK THAT WOULD DEVELOP A RUST HOLE WITHIN SEVEN YEARS? THIS HAS TO BE A FLAW IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE METAL. THE RUST WAS NOT ON A SEAM, RUB, OR WELD. SOME ONE IS NOT GOING TO BE AS LUCKY AS ME. *TR