NHTSA Complaint #10266459 — 2005 HONDA GL1800

A FEW SECONDS AFTER SHIFTING INTO 5TH GEAR, THE TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO GO INTO A SORT OF FALSE NEUTRAL WITH A LOUD CLUNKING SOUND AND JERKING THE BIKE. SOMETIMES THIS WILL HAPPEN IN 4TH GEAR AS WELL WITH THE SAME LOUD CLUNKING SOUND. IN PARKING LOTS, AFTER RELEASING THE THROTTLE TO SLOW DOWN WHILE IN 1ST GEAR, THE TRANS WILL SOMETIMES SLIP INTO NEUTRAL. THESE ISSUES BEGAN HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER TWICE BUT SINCE THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE ISSUE ON A SHORT TEST RIDE, THEY WOULD NOT CONSIDER A REPAIR. THE DEALER TOLD ME TO RIDE IT UNTIL IT FAILS COMPLETELY AND THEN THEY WILL REPAIR IT. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME FOR SAFETY REASONS AND ALSO I DON'T BELIEVE THEY WILL REPAIR IT NOW UNDER WARRANTY REGARDLESS. THIS VEHICLE STILL ONLY HAS 16,000 MILES ON IT AND THE INCIDENTS ARE INCREASING IN OCCURRENCE. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE EVERYTIME I RIDE IT. I CONTACTED HONDA WARRANTY DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE IT IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT AND A REPAIR WOULD BE AT MY EXPENSE. FROM THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE ON-LINE, THE ISSUES ARE BEING CAUSED BY INFERIOR SHIFTING FORKS THAT BEND UNDER USE. REPLACEMENT OF THE SHIFTING FORKS HAS SOLVED THE PROBLEM IN ALL CASES. HOWEVER HONDA STILL DOES NOT SEE THIS AS THEIR ISSUE. I KNOW IT ISN'T MY ISSUE AND I DON'T SEE WHY I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A $3,000 REPAIR. IN THE MEANTIME THE VEHICLE DOES NOT PROVIDE A SAFE, SECURE FEELING WHILE RIDING WHEN THESE TRANS PROBLEMS OCCUR. SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL IN PARKING LOTS IS VERY DISCONCERTING WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN AWARENESS AND CONTROL OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. I'VE BEEN TURNED AWAY BY THE DEALER AND NOW BY HONDA AND I DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. I FEEL THAT SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED BY ME VERY EARLY ON AND WITH VERY FEW MILES ON THE VEHICLE, THAT HONDA SHOULD REPAIR THIS ISSUE. IT WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO ENTER IT IN THE PROPER PLACE. *TR