NHTSA Complaint #10205136 — 2006 SUZUKI VL800

SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE 10-3-2007. ON SEPT. 29, 2007 I CONTACTED BRANDON WITH TWIN COUNTY MOTORSPORTS IN ROCKY MOUNT, NC CONCERNING THE REAR WHEEL HUB ON MY 2006 C-50 SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE. IT HAS SEVERAL CRACKS IN IT MOSTLY SPIDERWEBBED WITH ONE MORE OUTSTANDING THAN THE OTHERS. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD CONTACT SUZKI AND TRY TO GET ME A NEW REAR WHEEL. I MIGHT ADD THAT THE BIKE IS UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS LESS THAN 10,000 MILES ON IT AT PRESENT. . I CALLED THEM ON TUESDAY OCT. 2ND SINCE I HAD NOT HEARD FROM THEM, BRANDON THE SALES MANAGER TOLD ME HE HAD NOT HAD TIME TO CALL, BUT WOULD AND CALL ME BACK THE SAME DAY. I NEVER HEARD FROM HIM UNTIL WEDNESDAY THE 3RD OF OCT. HE SAID THAT SUZUKI TOLD HIM THAT THE WHEEL WAS ENTIRELY SAFE. THAT WHEN THE WHEEL WAS CAST AT THE FACTORY THE CRACKS DEVELOPED AS IT WAS COOLING AND PRESENTED NO PROBLEM. AND IT WAS ONLY ON THE 2006 MODELS. BRANDON CHECKED A SUZUKI BIKE IN THEIR SHOWROOM AND COUL DFIND NO SUCH CRACKS ON IT. HE DID TELL ME THAT HE WANTED ME TO COME BACK OVER AND LET HIM TAKE SOME PICTURES OF THE WHEEL TO SEND TO SUZUKI, I DID THAT ON THE SAME AFTERNOON. THAT IS A FLAW IN THE METAL AND COULD LEAD TO FAILURE AT A LATER DATE. I AM A RETIRED CONSTRUCTION INSPECTOR AND KNOW WHAT CRACKS CAN DO IN METAL AND CONCRETE AND ASPHALT AS TIME GOES ON. IF THIS WAS ON AN AIRPLANE IT WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED OFF THE GROUND UNTIL THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. I DO NOT FEEL CONFIDENT AND SAFE RIDING THIS BIKE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I AM AFRAID IT WILL SUDDENLY GIVE WAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THEREFORE I AM WRITING THIS AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE FOR MY SON TO FOLLOW UP ON IF THIS SHOULD HAPPEN. IF SUZUKI DOES NOT REPLACE THE WHEEL AT THEIR EXPENSE I INTEND TO TAKE IT TO CHANNEL TV 5 (5 ON YOUR SIDE) CONSUMER WATCHDOGS. AS WELL AS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION DEPT. WHICH OVERSEES THE SAFETY OF ALL MOTORCYCLES AND OTHER VEHICLES. CARL DENTON *TR