NHTSA Complaint #11232894 — 2015 HONDA GL1800

THE FRONT FORKS, WHEEL, AND HANDLEBARS SHAKE BADLY AND CONSTANTLY WHILE TRAVELING BETWEEN 32 AND 42 MILES PER HOUR, ON ANY ROAD SURFACE. A QUICK LOOK ON THE INTERNET SHOWS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTORCYCLE. THE HONDA DEALER TOLD ME THAT THIS SHAKING WAS DUE TO "FLAT SPOTS" ON THE MAIN STEERING BEARING CAUSED BY ALLOWING THE MOTORCYCLE TO SIT FOR LONG PERIODS WITHOUT MOVING IT. I SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT OF THAT BEARING, AND AFTER LEAVING THE BIKE WITH THE DEALER, THE DEALER ADMITTED THAT THE BEARING DID NOT NEED REPLACING. SEVERAL OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM ON WEBSITES CATERING TO SUCH SUBJECTS. SOME SUGGESTED THE OEM FRONT TIRE IS FAULTY, AND REPLACING IT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I REPLACED THE FRONT TIRE WITH A MICHELIN TIRE, WHICH DID NOTHING TO SOLVE OR HELP THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER NOW STATES THAT THIS TERRIBLE SHAKING IS "WITHIN ACCEPTABLE RANGES". I BELIEVE THIS DANGEROUS SHAKING IS CAUSED BY AN INHERENT DESIGN DEFECT, THAT HONDA IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT, AND THAT HONDA HAS NO INTENTION OF CORRECTING IT.