NHTSA Complaint #10640782 — 2009 SUZUKI DL1000

SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES WITH MY 2009 SUZUKI DL1000 VSTROM. INTERMITTENT STALLING AT LOW SPEEDS TYPICALLY COMING TO A STOP FROM 30 MPH AND BELOW. IT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES SOME OF WHICH WERE CLOSE CALLS. THE BIKE STALES UNDER THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: COMING TO A STOP DOWN SHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 2ND AND OR 2ND TO 1ST. ONE OF MY CLOSE CALLS WAS COMING TO A STOP DOWN SHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 2ND AND BIKE STALLED AS THE STOP LIGHT TURNED FROM RED TO GREEN AND A VEHICLE BEHIND ME ACCELERATED AND NEARLY REAR ENDED ME. I HAD TO PUSH THE BIKE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL IT WAS READY TO START AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIME. ANOTHER INSTANCE WAS WHEN I WAS DOWNSHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 1ST AND IN A RIGHT TURNING LANE GOING BELOW 20 MPH WHEN THE BIKE STALLED AS I WAS LETTING THE CLUTCH OUT. THE BIKE DID A SLIGHT SKID AND REAR WHEEL SHIFTED TO THE LEFT AND ALMOST THREW ME OFF. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS AT A SLOW SPEED IT STILL COULD HAVE SENT ME TO THE HOSPITAL ESPECIALLY IF AN AUTOMOBILE WAS FOLLOWING CLOSELY. THE FIX AS STATED FROM SUZUKI IS TO REPLACE THE ECM AND UPGRADE SPARK PLUGS AT A HUGE COST TO ME(APPROX. $1200+). PLEASE SEE LINK. HTTP://WWW.STROMTROOPER.COM/DL1000A-2014/186930-STALL-DOWN-SHIFT.HTML. SUZUKI IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE I WAS A SECOND OWNER IT'S MY RESPONSIBLY TO PAY AND FIX IT. THIS WAS THE DISTRICT TECHNICAL SERVICE MANAGER FOR SUZUKI AND HE WAS VERY RUDE AND ARROGANT. I DO NOT CARE HOW OLD THE BIKE IS SUZUKI KNOWS ABOUT THE DEFECT AND WILL FIX IT ONLY IF YOUR WITHIN YOUR ONE YEAR WARRANTY. I ALSO KNOW OF A FELLOW RIDER THAT HAD SUZUKI REPAIR HIS 2012 JUST BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED (SAME BIKE). I CAN PROVIDE NAMES, EMAILS AND PHONE NUMBERS OF ALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE VSTROM STALLING PROBLEMS. THIS EXPERIENCE HAS CURED ME OF BUYING ANY SUZUKI PRODUCT, 4EVER! I HAVE 40+ YEARS OF RIDING EXPERIENCE. *TR