NHTSA Complaint #767655 — 1998 HONDA VT1100

THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH APPEARS TO AFFECT ALL SINGLE PIN CRANK ENGINES PRODUCED BY HONDA BETWEEN 1990 AND 2001. WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE GUIDE PIN PLUG ROTATES AND LOOSENS CAUSING AN OIL LEAK AND SUBSEQUENT SHIFTER RATTLE. THE OIL LEAK IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD SINCE THE LEAK ONLY OCCURS WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS MOVING AND THE OIL BLOWS BACKWARDS TO THE REAR TIRE. UNKNOWINGLY, A RIDER COULD END UP IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF THIS IS NOT FIXED DUE TO THE OIL CAUSING THE TIRE TO NOT ADHERE TO THE ROAD, NOT TO MENTION THE POTENTIAL FOR ENGINE FAILURE SHOULD THE LEAK DRAIN THE CRANKCASE. HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AS IT WAS WRITTEN UP IN THE SEPTEMBER 1999 ISSUE OF THEIR PUBLICATION CALLED THE "WRENCH". THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL ISSUED TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM DESPITE THE NUMEROUS MOTORCYCLES NOW ON THE ROAD WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE SHIFTER RATTLE ALTHOUGH BOTHERSOME IS NOT CATASTROPHIC.