NHTSA Complaint #10705936 — 2014 HONDA CTX700

AS DELIVERED AND WITH THE REAR AXLE ALIGNED EQUALLY ON THE HASH MARKS ON EACH SIDE OF THE SWINGARM, THE REAR TIRE DOES NOT TRACK IN THE SAME PATH AS THE FRONT TIRE. SIMILARLY, THE REAR SPROCKET IS MISALIGNED WITH THE CHAIN. IN ORDER TO CORRECT THIS, THE REAR AXLE MUST BE MISALIGNED ACCORDING TO THE HASH MARKS. DOING SO CORRECTS THE ALIGNMENT OF THE FRONT AND REAR TIRES AND ALSO ALIGNS THE REAR SPROCKET WITH THE CHAIN. HOWEVER, THE AMOUNT OF AXLE SHIFT REQUIRED IS ENOUGH THAT I AM CONCERNED THE AXLE MAY NOT HOLD SECURELY HOLD THIS POSITION, MEANING IT COULD SLIP WHILE UNDER WAY. COCKING THE AXLE THIS MUCH IS PUTTING A BENDING STRESS ON THE AXLE BOLT AND I DO NOT KNOW IF THAT IS A CONCERN OF IF OR OTHER COMPONENTS ARE BEING OVERLY STRESSED. THE DEALER INSISTS THAT THE REAR AXLE MUST BE ALIGNED ACCORDING TO THE HASH MARKS, EVEN THOUGH THAT WILL PROBABLY RESULT IN ACCELERATED CHAIN AND SPROCKET WEAR AND COULD CREATE UNSTABLE HANDLING AND BRAKING UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH I HAVE WORKED WITH THE DEALER AND HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE, NO ONE FROM ANY LEVEL AT HONDA HAS MEASURED MY BIKE AND COMPARED THE RESULTS TO THEIR ACCEPTABLE ALIGNMENT PARAMETERS. CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS IGNORED MY REQUEST TO PROVIDE ME THOSE ACCEPTABLE PARAMETERS AS WELL AS MY QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE AXLE ALIGNMENT REQUIRED TO GET THE BIKE TRACKING PROPERLY COULD CAUSE ANY ISSUES. THEY ALSO FAILED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF ACCELERATED CHAIN AND SPROCKET WEAR AND POSSIBLE UNSTABLE HANDLING IF THE MOTORCYCLE IS ALIGNED AS THE DEALER INSISTS. A SEPARATE LETTER TO [XXX], SENIOR VP PARTS, SERVICE & TECHNICAL DIVISION WENT UNANSWERED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR