NHTSA Complaint #10432802 — 2004 HONDA GL1800

THE GL1800 MOTORCYCLE HAS A REVERSE ON IT. THIS SHOULD ONLY BE ALLOWED TO ENGAGE, WHEN IN NEUTRAL & NEVER WHILE RUNNING. I FOUND A CIRCUMSTANCE THAT ALLOWED IT TO START ENGAGING, AND POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS HAD I NOT ACTED QUICKLY. THE STEPS FOR THIS ARE: -BIKE IS IN 1ST GEAR -BIKE IS STARTED -THE REVERSE SWITCH IS ACCIDENTALLY HIT WHILE PRESSING THE START BUTTON (RIDING GLOVES MAKE THIS SOMEWHAT SIMPLE IN THE DARK - IT IS LOCATED RIGHT BY YOUR STARTER AND YOUR CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS) -YOU TAKE OFF IN 1ST GEAR (IN MY SCENARIO I WAS STRAIGHT, THEN WAS TAKING OFF AND MAKING A SOMEWHAT RIGHT SHARP TURN) -BEFORE THE BIKE IS STRAIGHTENED COMPLETELY (BUT MOSTLY), YOU TRY TO SHIFT TO 2ND GEAR -NEUTRAL WHICH IS RIGHT IN BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND SEEMED TO GRAB HOLD AND NOT LET ME GO INTO 2ND -REVERSE ENGAGED WHILE AT SPEEDS OF 10-20 MPH -REVERSE STARTED WHINING/ENGAGING, LUCKILY I GOT IT OFF QUICKLY (~1 SEC) WHEN REALIZING I WAS NOW IN NEUTRAL AS IT DIDN'T SEEM TO LET ME GET TO 2ND, AND SEE THE 'R' LIGHT ILLUMINATED -YOU COULD SMELL THE MATERIAL WHERE IT HAD "GROUND" I TRIED REPORTING THIS TODAY TO HONDA, AND THEY SEEMED TO BLOW IT OFF. I SPECIFCALLY ASKED IF IT WAS JUST A FLYWHEEL TYPE ITEM OR IF IT WAS TRUE GEARS THAT WOULD ENGAGE. THEY NOTED IT WAS GEARS. THIS CONCERNS ME EVEN MORE AS THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS BIKE ACCIDENT (LUCKILY IN MY CASE IT DIDN'T GET THAT FAR AND NOBODY WAS BEHIND ME). *TT