2020 HONDA CRF1100D4 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

WHEN GARAGING, I HAVE TO ROLL BACK AND MOVE FORWARD TO SQUARE OFF. BEING AN AUTOMATIC, YOU HIT A SWITCH TO CHANGE N TO D. I HIT N, ROLLED BACK, HIT D AND RELEASED THE BRAKE. THE BIKE SHOT FORWARD WITH NO THROTTLE INPUT 10 - 15 FT HITTING A ROCK WALL AND THROWING ME AGAINST MY CAR PINNING ME. NO ONE HEARD ME HOLLER FOR HELP. I HELD THE BRAKE WHILE REACHING OVER WITH MY LEFT HAND AND HIT THE KILL SWITCH BEFORE HEAVING THE BIKE OFF ME. I WAS REALLY SHAKEN UP. THE INSURANCE CO. TOTALED THE BIKE. IT HAD HAPPENED TO MY WIFE TOO A MONTH AFTER GETTING THE BIKE. LUCKILY SHE WAS IN AN OPEN AREA. IT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS AS INDICATED ON THE HONDA AFRICA TWIN FORUM.

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE ENGINE CUT OUT. SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I OPEN THE THROTTLE ALL THE WAY QUICKLY TO PASS ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY. SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I'M CRUISING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH, IT JUST STARTED MISSING. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOUR SPEED GOES FROM 70 TO 40 IN SECONDS ON THE FREEWAY.

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE ENGINE CUT OUT. SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I OPEN THE THROTTLE ALL THE WAY QUICKLY TO PASS ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY. SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I'M CRUISING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH, IT JUST STARTED MISSING. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOUR SPEED GOES FROM 70 TO 40 IN SECONDS ON THE FREEWAY.

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES AN HOUR, IN TRAFFIC, WHEN ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED RECEIVING ADEQUATE FUEL. REVS WERE LIMITED TO 4K AND INCOMING TRAFFIC BEHIND ME NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION, DUE TO MY SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS. UPON TAKING TO SHOP, A WHITE PASTE-LIKE SUBSTANCE WAS FOUND COVERING SOME OF THE KEY WELDS INSIDE THE GAS TANK. THIS SUBSTANCE FLAKES OFF AND CLOGS THE FUEL FILTER. IN MY CASE, THIS HAPPENED WITHIN THE FIRST 4,000 MILES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING ERROR IN WHICH THE HEAT OF WELDING CAUSES A SPECIAL GAS TANK LINING TO CORRODE AND FLAKE OFF. UNLESS PROACTIVE MEASURES ARE TAKEN BY THE CUSTOMER BEFOREHAND - IDEALLY AT OR NEAR THE TIME OF PURCHASE - THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THIS BIKE MAKES IT *UNSAFE TO RIDE*, AS THIS SITUATION CAN OCCUR AT ANY MOMENT AND IS BEYOND CONTROL OF THE RIDER. PREVENTION AND/OR REPAIR FOR THIS DEFECT REQUIRES AN UNDUE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT ON THE PART OF THE OWNER IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THEIR OWN SAFETY. THE ATTACHED IMAGE IS TAKEN FROM THE FUEL FILTER HOLE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE GAS TANK, AND SHOWS THE INNER SURFACE OF THE TANK ITSELF. IN THE IMAGE YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THEY WHITE "PASTE-LIKE" SUBSTANCE SURROUNDING THE TANK'S WELDS, AND SEE HOW IT IS STREAMING OFF DUE TO EXPOSURE TO GASOLINE. THE NHTSA SHOULD CONSIDER OFFICIALLY INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM AS IT IS CLEARLY DUE TO INSUFFICIENT MANUFACTURING PROCEDURES, AND BUYERS SHOULD CONSIDER THEIR OWN SAFETY BEFORE PURCHASING THIS MOTORCYCLE. UNTIL THIS SITUATION IS RESOLVED VIA RECALL AND CORRECTION OF MANUFACTURING PROCEDURES, THIS MOTORCYCLE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED UNSAFE.

IMPROPER FUEL TANK WELDS PLUGGED THE FUEL FILTER WITH DEBRIS. DISCOVERED THE ZINC FLAKES UPON INSPECTION OF THE FUEL TANK. 425 MILES ON THE MOTORCYCLE AND LESS THAN 10 GALLONS OF GAS THROUGH THE TANK. UNLIKE AUTOMOBILES, WHEN A MOTORCYCLE FUEL SYSTEM IS COMPROMISED, A LOSS OF POWER CAN BE CATASTROPHIC TO THE RIDER. UNWILLING TO RISK MY SAFETY, INCLUDING DEATH, I WAS PROACTIVE IN MY INVESTIGATION OF THIS OWNER AND DEALER KNOWN ISSUE, AND STARTED MY OWN MAINTENANCE PLAN TO PREVENT AN UNINTENTIONAL DANGEROUS LOSS OF POWER, WHICH MIGHT OCCUR ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM AT 70 MPH. SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF A NEW HONDA MOTORCYCLE FUEL SYSTEM.