NHTSA Complaint #10363660 — 2009 KAWASAKI VN1700A9FA

RE: 2009 KAWASAKI VOYAGER MOTORCYCLE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED IN MID JUNE 2009. BY THE END OF JUNE 2009 I WAS COMPLAINING TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT EXCESSIVE ENGINE HEAT AND CONCERN ABOUT IT BURNING ME. THE DEALERSHIP AFTER CONVERSATIONS WITH THE KAWASAKI FACTORY IN JUNE AND JULY 2009 TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND THAT THE HEAT WAS NORMAL. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT I WAS GOING ON A LONG ROAD TRIP AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HEAT WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM IN THE SUMMER. THE DEALERSHIP ASSURED ME THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE HEAT BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FACTORY. IN THE PROCESS OF RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON AN EXTENDED TRIP (750 MILES ONEWAY) I NOTICED THAT MY RIGHT LEG WAS SLIGHTLY BURNING. HOWEVER, I CONTINUED THE TRIP HOME. THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO THE DOCTOR'S WITH A SIGNIFICANT BLISTER (2ND DEGREE BURN WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA ON MY RIGHT LEG ALSO SHOWING SECOND DEGREE BURNS AND MY LEFT LEG ALSO SHOWING SOME SECOND DEGREE BURNS. MEDICAL INTERVENTION WAS REQUIRED TO REMOVE THE BURNED SKIN, CLEAN THE BURNED AREA, AND COVER IT WITH BURN MEDICATION AND THEN PROPERLY DRESS THE WOUND. FOR THE 2010 VOYAGER AD CAMPAIGN KAWASAKI TRUMPETED THAT THE HEAT PROBLEM HAD BEEN SOLVED (ALTHOUGH THEY HAD CONTINUED TO DENY THERE WAS A PROBLEM TO THAT POINT.) THIS WAS PROMINENTLY PORTRAYED ON THEIR WEBSITE FOR THE MOTORCYCLE. IN FACT IT WAS MENTIONED TWICE ON THE WEBSITE SITE. AS A RESULT KAWASAKI SENT ME A LETTER OFFERING TO FIX THE HEAT PROBLEM BY INSTALLING, FOR FREE, A HEAT SHIELD. I HAD THE HEAT SHIELD INSTALLED. THE HEAT SHIELD MOVED THE EXCESSIVE AND DANGEROUS HEAT PROBLEM FROM THE DRIVER TO THE PASSENGER. THE RESULTING HEAT DEFLECTED TO THE PASSENGER WAS SO BAD THAT MY NORMAL PASSENGER REFUSED TO RIDE WITH ME FOR FEAR OF GETTING BURNED HERSELF. KAWASAKI HAS REFUSED TO ADMIT THAT THE "FIX" DOES NOT WORK AND COULD INJURE THE PASSENGER. HELP. THIS MODEL, EVEN WITH THE FIX, IS STILL ON THE MARKET. *TR