NHTSA Complaint #10927758 — 2008 HONDA VT750

2008 HONDA SHADOW SPIRIT AFTER PURCHASING THE BIKE FROM A A HONDA DEALERSHIP AS NEW, I KEPT NOTICING A STRONG GAS SMELL IN THE GARAGE.BUT I WAS NEVER ABLE TO FIND THE SOURCE, I SUSPECTED THAT IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY MOTORCYCLE BUT COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING SO I MADE SURE THAT THE PETCOCK VALVE WAS IN THE OFF POSITION AND THEN I WOULD NOTICE THAT AFTER TIME THE SMELL DISAPPEARED. EVERY TIME I WOULD TAKE THE BIKE OUT FOR A RIDE I WOULD SMELL THIS SMELL WHEN I PARKED IT BUT AS LONG AS I KEPT THE PETCOCK VALVE CLOSED IN THE GARAGE THE SMELL WOULD DISIPATE. LAST WEEK AFTER STARTING THE BIKE AND CHANGING THE OIL I NOTICED A STAIN UNDER BIKE AND FOUND IT WAS GALOLINE. I THEN NOTICED GAS DRIPPING FROM PETCOCK VALVE, WHEN I SHUT IT OFF THE DRIPPING STOPPED. AFTER ONLINE RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE WAS A RELATED RECALL FOR THE EXACT ISSUE. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER I WAS INFORMED THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED ON THE BIKE, AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OUT OF POCKET. HONDA BLAMED ME FOR THIS PROBLEM SAYING THAT I DO NOT RIDE THE MOTORCYCLE ENOUGH AND THAT THE GAS WAS TOO OLD IN THE BIKE. ONLINE I FIND DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS OF DRIPPING GAS FROM PETCOCK AFTER RECALL WAS PERFORMED. I PURCHASE THIS 2008 FROM DEALERSHIP IN 2012 AS NEW. THERE WAS GAS IN BIKE WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED SO THERE IS NO TELLING HOW OLD THE GAS WAS IN THE BIKE. THIS DRIPPING FUEL CAN IGNITE AND CAUSE SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH.