NHTSA Complaint #10537186 — 2009 SUZUKI VL800

COMING AROUND A CORNER UP A HILL I APPLIED THROTTLE TO GO UP HILL. A LARGE CLUNK OCCURRED AND I LOST ALL FORWARD ABILITY. NOT HAVING POWER I BARELY MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ALMOST GETTING HIT. I SWERVED TO AVOID A CAR AND WENT DOWN. NOTHING OTHER THAN MINOR SCRAPES AS A RESULT. UPON DETERMINING THE PROBLEM TO BE THE FINAL DRIVE I REMOVED THE PART AND FOUND IT WAS NEVER LUBED DURING ASSEMBLY. THIS CAUSED THE SHAFT TO RUST CAUSING THE FAILURE. THERE IS NO WAY TO APPLY GREASE TO THE PART WITHOUT ENTERING THE NON MAINTENANCE AREA OF THE FINAL DRIVE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 05-09 MODEL YEARS AS EVIDENCE BY A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED YET. I WAS LUCKY AND MADE IT OUT OF TRAFFIC, OTHERS MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY. *TR