NHTSA Complaint #10849989 — 2005 HONDA VT750

I NOTICED 3 WEEKS AGO THAT THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE AROUND MY BIKE. SO I LOOKED AROUND THE ENGINE AND DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING. I THOUGHT I WAS IMAGING THINGS, BEING OVERLY PRECAUTIOUS. SINCE THEN THE SMELL HAS DEVELOPED INTO A WET SPOT UNDERNEATH MY BIKE, A SMALL PUDDLE. THE FUEL VALVE ON MY GAS TANK IS DRIPPING GAS. THE CHROME ON MY CLUTCH COVER IS NOW WAVY BECAUSE OF THE LEAK. I NORMALLY START MY BIKE IN THE GARAGE TO WARM IT UP BUT AM AFRAID IT WILL START A FIRE. AFTER CONDUCTING SOME RESEARCH I CAME UPON SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING. I NOTICED IT WAS THE SAME KIND OF BIKE BUT DIFFERENT YEARS. THEN SOMEONE MENTIONED THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL BECAUSE MANY OTHER BIKES WERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A RECALL WOULD BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON SPECIFIC YEARS IF IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN INVOLVING MULTIPLE YEARS. IF THERE IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT A SPECIFIC PART CONTINUOUSLY THEN IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED EVERYTIME. IF IT IS A DEFECTIVE PART THEN IT SHOULD BE FIXED. IT'S KIND OF SCARY THINKING MY BIKE COULD CATCH FIRE. I'M GOING TO ORDER A PART AND GET IT FIXED BECAUSE IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. IT ISN'T AN ACCESSORY. I SAW MY FRIEND AT BIKE NIGHT LAST WEEK, I WAS TALKING TO HER HUSBAND EXPLAINING ABOUT THE LEAK AND HE SAID HE HAD JUST REPLACED HER FUEL VALVE THE DAY BEFORE. WHAT A COINCIDENCE. SHE HAS A 2007 HONDA SHADOW AERO WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MAYBE THEY ARE FAULTY ACROSS THE BOARD.