2003 HONDA ST1300A — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

THE FRONT TIRE ON MY MOTORCYCLE, A DUNLOP ROADSMART SIZE 120/70ZR-18, SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY. VISUAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THE BELT SEPARATED UNDER THE TREAD, THEN SPLIT THE TIRE CARCASS RESULTING IN ABOUT A 3 INCH GASH AND A RAPID LOSS OF PRESSURE. IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE RESULT OF HITTING A ROAD HAZARD. LUCKILY I MANAGED TO GET THE MOTORCYCLE OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. I HAVE DETAILED PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FAILURE AT HTTP://USMOTOGPFANS.COM/PIX/MAIN.PHP?G2_ITEMID=117. THE TIRE IS BEING HELD AT A MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP WHO DID MY REPAIRS, BELLEVILLE HONDA IN BELLEVILLE IL. THE FAILURE LOOKS NEARLY IDENTICAL TO THIS ONE EXPERIENCED BY ANOTHER RIDER USING THE SAME TIRE MODEL, BRAND AND SIZE: HTTP://WWW.ST-OWNERS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=1001288&POSTCOUNT=33 HERE'S AN EVEN MORE SPECTACULAR ONE: HTTP://WWW.ST1300.US.COM/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=5430 AND SEVERAL OTHERS: HTTP://WWW.ST-OWNERS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=999875 HTTP://WWW.ST-OWNERS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=1000715 HTTP://WWW.ST-OWNERS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=1096975 HTTP://WWW.ST1300.US.COM/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=5399 THIS EXACT TIRE MODEL AND SIZE APPEARS TO BE PRONE TO THESE CATASTROPHIC FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN MADE AWARE AND HAS THUS FAR TAKEN NO ACTION. I HOPE THE NHTSA CAN FORCE SOME RESPONSE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. BTW, YOUR WEB INTERFACE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CORRECT TIRE SIZE, SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO ENTER THE RIGHT FIGURE. IT WAS 120/70ZR-18. THE CLOSEST YOUR SITE ALLOWS ME TO ENTER IS 125/70ZR-18, WHICH DOESN'T EXIST IN THIS TIRE MODEL. I ENTERED IT ANYWAY, AS THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY TO GET PAST THE SCREEN. *TR

I HAD THE FRONT DUNLOP ROADSMART TIRE OF MY MOTOR CYCLE DEVELOP A LARGE BLISTER AFTER A RIDE OF APPROX. 60 MILES.(TOTAL TIRE MILEAGE IS 13,800M) THE BLISTER SIZE IS 4 INCHES LONG, 2 INCHES WIDE AND 0.5INCHES HIGH. THIS CAUSED A DANGEROUS VIBRATION THROUGH THE MOTORCYCLE AND BADLY AFFECTED THE HANDLING OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE TIRE SIZE IS 120/70/ZR18. THE PRESSURE WAS SET AT THE RECOMMENDED PRESSURE BY THE MANUFACTURER (42PSI) AND THERE WERE NO ROAD HAZARDS ENCOUNTERED AT THE TIME THE BLISTER OCCURRED. A COMPLAINT E-MAIL WAS SENT TO DUNLOP ON 6/22/2010 REQUESTING COMMENTS ON THIS BLISTER BUT TO DATE NO REPLY HAS BEEN RECEIVED. *TR

(1) NO FAILURE HAS OCCURRED YET. (2) POTENTIAL FAILURE - THE MAIN WIRE HARNESS HAS A GROUND DISTRIBUTION CONNECTOR. THE CONNECTOR WAS IMPROPERLY WIRED AND COULD OVERHEAT. IF THE CONNECTOR OVERHEATS, POWER TO VARIOUS CIRCUITS COULD BE LOST. AS ARESULT, A LOSS OF CRITICAL LIGHTING OR ENGINE POWER COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH. (3) NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY THE DEALER TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM - ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THIS FAILURE ARE NOT AVAILABLE TILL JULY 2005 THUS THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE DEFECT WITHIN A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME (60 DAYS FROM THE DATE I FIRST CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR REPAIR).*AK

PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR HONDA RECALLS NHTSA 04V568000 AND 04V549000. RECALLS CAME OUT OVER 90 DAYS AGO. THEY HAVE HAD MY BIKE FOR OVER 30 DAYS. DEALER CANNOT DO WORK BECAUSE OF LACK OF PARTS. I FEEL HONDA NOT LIVING UP TO INTENT OF THE RECALL IN FAILING TO PROVIDE EXPEDIENT REPAIR.*AK

HONDA MOTORCYCLE WIRING HARNESS SAFETY RECALL. *NM RECALL CAMPAIGN : 04V568000. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE IS HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING HONDA TO COMPLY WITH THE SAFETY RECALL OF HIS MOTORCYCLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM CENTERS ON THE FACT THAT AMERICAN HONDA ISSUES PARTS REQUIRED BY THE RECALL TO THE SELLING DEALER. AMERICAN HONDA WILL NOT SEND PARTS TO THE LOCAL DEALER, THEY WILL ONLY SEND PARTS TO THE SELLING DEALER AND THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE IN OHIO, AND HE DOES NOT LIVE THERE. *TC