2015 HONDA GL1800 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

The speedometer is faded and the lense is cloudy and the driver is unable to see the speed of the vehicle during the day at all.

The contact owns a 2015 Honda GL1800 Motorcycle. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the contact depressed the hand brake lever on the handlebar and the rear brake foot pedal to slow for traffic. The contact stated that the rear wheel locked up and caused the motorcycle to stall. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, while using the front and rear brakes to stop the motorcycle, the rear wheel locked up. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V700000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact that the recall repair had been completed in 2016. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

TO WHOM IT CONCERNS, I AM INQUIRING IF NHTSA HAS HAD ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT HONDA GL1800 MOTORCYCLES HAVING THE WOBBLE IN THEIR STEERING HANDLEBARS? I SEE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS STEERING DEFECT ON THE INTERNET AND I HAD EXPERIENCED FIRST HAND WITH MY 2015 GL1800. I CONTACTED HONDA ABOUT THIS SERIOUS HANDLEBAR WOBBLE THAT IT WAS GETTING SO BAD BETWEEN 30-45MPH THAT IT WAS CAUSING TAKING CORNERS AT THESE SPEEDS THE ENTIRE MOTORCYCLE SHAKE TERRIBLY AND ALMOST OUT OF CONTROL. HONDA SAID THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM EVEN UNDER MY PURCHASED 5-YEAR WARRANTY POLICY. I WENT AROUND AND AROUND WITH THEM WITH NO HELP. I HAD TO TAKE SOME OF THE INTERNET GOLDWING FORUMS SUGGESTIONS: FORK BRACE, NEW MATCHED AND BALANCED TIRES, AND THE MOST RECOMMENDED SOLUTION TO GO WITH AFTERMARKET TAPERED BEARINGS REPLACING HONDA'S ROUND BALL-TYPE BEARINGS. THIS IN FACT FIXED THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED HONDA AGAIN TO GIVE THIS FEEDBACK AND THEY WOULDN'T PAY FOR THE PARTS OR LABOR THAT FIXED THE 'DEATH WOBBLE'. HONDA JUST DON'T WANT TO ADMIT THEY HAVE A VERY SERIOUS ENGINEERED FLAW! THE INTERNET IS FULL OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS SPECIFIC DANGEROUS HANDLEBAR SHAKING/WOBBLE. HONDA WILL NOT OWE UP TO THIS POTENTIAL DEADLY ENGINEERED BEARING PROBLEM. I FEEL IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND FORCE HONDA TO DO A RECALL TO FIX THESE BEARINGS BEFORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED, IF NOT ALREADY. I HAVE ALL MY PAPERWORK ON CONTACTING HONDA AND THE OLD REPLACED BEARINGS THAT ARE VERY LOOSE. THE FIXED COST ABOUT $400 WITH THE LOCAL MOTORCYCLE SHOP'S DISCOUNT THEY GAVE ME FOR ALL THE TROUBLES. THE SHOP SAID THEY HAVE DONE SO MANY OF THESE GL1800 OVER YEARS ALREADY HERE IN OUR SMALL COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA GL1800 GOLDWING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE GAUGE INDICATED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS LOW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HANDLE BAR SHIMMIED AND MOVED UNCONTROLLABLY WHILE MAKING TURNS AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT NO FAILURES WERE FOUND. THROUGH RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME DEFECT FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,730.

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.