NHTSA Complaint #10342134 — 1999 HONDA GL1500CF

1. 1999 HONDA VALKYRIE INTERSTATE MODEL GLCF - DURING NORMAL USE, THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED. 2. THIS SAME PART HAS FAILED AT APPROX. 50K MILES, 70K MILES AND NOW AGAIN AT 82K MILES. THE FIRST TWO REPAIRS WERE DONE BY A LOCAL AUTHORIZED HONDA SERVICE, USING REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM HONDA. IN EACH INSTANCE, THE REMAINDER OF THE BEARING ASSEMBLY WAS SENT TO HONDA FOR EXAMINATION, NO FEEDBACK PROVIDED. SINCE THE 2ND FAILURE WAS A KNOWN REPEAT, THE SERVICE MANAGER MADE AN IN-DEPTH EXAMINATION OF THE REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY DURING THAT REPAIR. THIS DID NOT PREVENT THE THIRD FAILURE 12K MILES LATER. BOTH THE SERVICE MANAGER & I CONTEND THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THIS ASSEMBLY AND HE HAS EXPERIENCED WHAT HE TERMED AN ABNORMAL # OF SIMILAR FAILURES ON OTHER HONDA VALKYRIES HE HAS SERVICED. HONDA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEMS DESPITE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO RELAY ALL RELATED INFORMATION TO THEM. FAILURE OF THIS PART HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE REAR WHEEL DRAG OR LOCKING, AND CAN POSSIBLY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. LOSS OF MOTORCYCLE CONTROL CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. 3. IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY SUPPORT FROM HONDA ON THIS ISSUE, I HAVE MADE THE LATEST REPAIR MYSELF. *TR