NHTSA Complaint #10367018 — 2009 KAWASAKI VULCAN

THE KAWASAKI VULCAN 1700 VOYAGER - 2009 GENERATES EXCESSIVE HEAT. I RECEIVED SECOND DEGREE BURNS FROM IT. KAWASAKI ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND PROVIDED A HEAT SHIELD KIT THAT DID NOTHING TO REDUCE THE HEAT BUT MOVED IT TO THE PASSENGER-RIDER. KAWASAKI HAS DONE NOTHING TO THIS MODEL YEAR MOTORCYCLE TO FIX THE HEAT PROBLEM. RIDERS OF THIS BIKE STILL COMPLAIN ABOUT THE HEAT, SEE MOST ANY FORUM DISCUSSING THIS MOTORCYCLE FOR MANY COMPLAINTS AND SPECIFICALLY KAWASAKI'S UNWILLINGNESS TO ADMIT THAT THEY CAN NOT OR WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IN THE 2010 MODEL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN THEY CLAIM TO HAVE FIXED IT, YET THE PROBLEM REMAINS BASED ON THE FORUM CONVERSATIONS. WHEN COMPLAINTS ARE MADE TO KAWASAKI, BY MYSELF OR OTHER FORUM PARTICIPANTS, KAWASAKI EITHER IGNORES THE SITUATION OR BLAMES THE RIDER FOR USING THE BIKE INCORRECTLY OR RIDING WITH BARE LEGS OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. THIS BIKE IS DANGEROUS AND THAT IT IS BEING RESOLD TO A PUBLIC THAT IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DOCUMENTED AND ADMITTED EXCESSIVE HEAT PROBLEM REPRESENTS A CLEAR DANGER TO THE PUBLIC. I WAS BURNED RIDING THE BIKE ON A 750 MILE, ONE WAY RIDE DOWN I-5 AND ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST. THE BIKE WAS USED AS INTENDED AND MELTED PARTS OF MY PANTS WERE FOUND ON THE MOTORCYCLE BY A TECHNICAL EXPERT FROM KAWASAKI, NOT BY ME. SO KAWASAKI IS INTIMATELY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY SUGGESTED I SELL THE MOTORCYCLE, KNOWING IT WAS DEFECTIVE, TO SOMEONE ELSE AND BUY ANOTHER BIKE. SO KAWASAKI IS OPENLY SUGGESTING THAT A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT BE RESOLD INCREASING THE DANGER OF MORE PEOPLE BEING BURNED. *TR