NHTSA Complaint #10353593 — 2003 HONDA ST1300A

THE FRONT TIRE ON MY MOTORCYCLE, A DUNLOP ROADSMART SIZE 120/70ZR-18, SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY. VISUAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THE BELT SEPARATED UNDER THE TREAD, THEN SPLIT THE TIRE CARCASS RESULTING IN ABOUT A 3 INCH GASH AND A RAPID LOSS OF PRESSURE. IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE RESULT OF HITTING A ROAD HAZARD. LUCKILY I MANAGED TO GET THE MOTORCYCLE OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. I HAVE DETAILED PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FAILURE AT HTTP://USMOTOGPFANS.COM/PIX/MAIN.PHP?G2_ITEMID=117. THE TIRE IS BEING HELD AT A MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP WHO DID MY REPAIRS, BELLEVILLE HONDA IN BELLEVILLE IL. THE FAILURE LOOKS NEARLY IDENTICAL TO THIS ONE EXPERIENCED BY ANOTHER RIDER USING THE SAME TIRE MODEL, BRAND AND SIZE: HTTP://WWW.ST-OWNERS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=1001288&POSTCOUNT=33 HERE'S AN EVEN MORE SPECTACULAR ONE: HTTP://WWW.ST1300.US.COM/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=5430 AND SEVERAL OTHERS: HTTP://WWW.ST-OWNERS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=999875 HTTP://WWW.ST-OWNERS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=1000715 HTTP://WWW.ST-OWNERS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=1096975 HTTP://WWW.ST1300.US.COM/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=5399 THIS EXACT TIRE MODEL AND SIZE APPEARS TO BE PRONE TO THESE CATASTROPHIC FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN MADE AWARE AND HAS THUS FAR TAKEN NO ACTION. I HOPE THE NHTSA CAN FORCE SOME RESPONSE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. BTW, YOUR WEB INTERFACE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CORRECT TIRE SIZE, SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO ENTER THE RIGHT FIGURE. IT WAS 120/70ZR-18. THE CLOSEST YOUR SITE ALLOWS ME TO ENTER IS 125/70ZR-18, WHICH DOESN'T EXIST IN THIS TIRE MODEL. I ENTERED IT ANYWAY, AS THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY TO GET PAST THE SCREEN. *TR