NHTSA Complaint #10241182 — 2008 KAWASAKI CONCOURS 14

I PURCHASED A NEW ROKETA 250CC SCOOTER IN JULY OF 2008. THERE HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS MECHANICAL FAILURES ON THIS BIKE. IF NOT BY THE GRACE OF GOD I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED IN EACH INCIDENT. FIRST INCIDENT INVOLVES THE CYCLE STALLING OUT WHEN GOING PAST 50 MPH. THE BIKE IS ADVERTISED TO GO 70MPH. THIS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 7 TO 10 TIMES. ONCE IT HAPPENED ON A BUSY 2 LANE RD. AND THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT ME. THE DEALER TRACED THAT PROBLEM TO A VERY CHEAP FUEL PUMP. THAT PROBLEM WAS REMEDIED BY INSTALLING A BETTER GRADE FUEL PUMP. THIS IS A CHINESE BIKE AND HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THAT CHEAP FUEL PUMP ON THEIR SCOOTER. 2ND MAJOR FAILURE WAS THE GASOLINE LINE ACTUALLY COMING OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK! THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS GOING 65 MPH ON A 2 LANE ST. HWY WHILE A SEMI-TRUCK WAS BEHIND ME. LUCKILY I MANAGED TO GUIDE MY BIKE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT BEING HIT. I LOST TOTAL POWER AND IT WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE TO HAVE TO PULL OVER THAT FAST AND SEE GAS POURING ALL OVER THE BOTTOM OF THE BIKE AND ONTO THE HOT MUFFLER. I THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE AN EXPLOSION, THANK GOD THERE WASN'T. THE RUBBER HOSES ON THIS BIKE ARE PATHETIC. VERY THIN AND POOR QUALITY. THE 3RD MAJOR FAILURE WAS WHEN I WAS COMMUTING HOME FROM WORK. I STOPPED AT A 4-WAY STOP BEHIND A SEMI-TRUCK. AS TRUCKS ACCELERATE SLOWLY, I DECIDED TO PASS ON THE LEFT. AS I DID THIS, THE BIKE WOULD NOT PICK UP IT'S USUAL SPEED AND I WAS BARELY BEING ABLE TO PASS THE SEMI. AN ONCOMING CAR WAS APPROACHING AND I WAS JUST ABLE TO GET AROUND THE SEMI JUST IN TIME. ANOTHER HAIR RAISING EXPERIENCE! I PULLED OVER WHEN I COULD AND NOTICED THAT MY FRONT BRAKE PAD WAS STUCK UP AGAINST THE FRONT ROTOR SLOWING THE BIKE DOWN. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT A RECALL BE INSTITUTED ON THIS BIKE. IT IS A DANGEROUS VEHICLE. *TR