NHTSA Complaint #10204695 — 2002 HONDA VFR800FI

I AM A CURRENT OWNER OF A 2002 HONDA MOTORCYCLE VFR800 . IN LATE JULY OF 2007, I WAS RETURNING HOME ON THE FREEWAY AND MY MOTORCYCLE SIMPLY STOPPED RUNNING, WITH THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH GOING OUT AND ALL POWER LEAVING THE MOTORCYCLE. IT WAS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION. AS I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE CARS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME ALMOST RAN INTO ME, IT WAS SO SUDDEN. A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. AFTER TESTING THE BATTERY, I DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. GOING TO AN ON-LINE VFR FORUM GROUP, AND USING THEIR TEST METHODS I WAS ALSO ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE STATOR/ GENERATOR WAS NOT PRODUCING ANY CURRENT FOR THE BIKE AND THAT THIS BIKE MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A RECALL OF THAT PART. WHEN I CALLED HONDA MOTORCYCLE, I WAS INFORMED THAT MY VIN # WAS OUTSIDE THE RECALL IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT IT FAILED. SINCE I USE MY BIKE TO GO TO WORK, I HAD TO ORDER THE GENERATOR KIT AND INSTALL IT MYSELF AT A GREAT EXPENSE TO ME OF TIME AND MONEY. I QUESTION WHETHER YOUR DATA IS ACCURATE IN DETERMINING WHETHER MY MOTORCYCLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS FIX. IN ADDITION, I FEEL THAT HONDA SHOULD REIMBURSE ME AT THE VERY LEAST FOR THE COST OF NEW STATOR/ GENERATOR I HAD TO PURCHASE, $160.59, COPY OF RECEIPT AVAILABLE. I RETAINED THE OLD PART AND PICTURES OF THE PART IMMEDIATELY AFTER I TOOK IT OUT. I HAVE WRITTEN THE ABOVE INFORMATION DIRECTLY TO HONDA AS WELL. *TR