2003 HONDA VFR800 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

MY ISSUE WAS FIRST DISCOVERED IN 2012 WHEN I COULD NOT START MY MOTORCYCLE; MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS AN OLD BATTERY. UPON RESEARCHING ON VFRDISCUSSION.COM I WAS EXPOSED TO NUMEROUS VFR OWNERS WITH STARTING ISSUES THAT WAS RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL AND CHARGING ISSUES, A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MY 2003 MODEL YEAR. FROM THE INFORMATION GATHERED I STARTED TO INVESTIGATE MY MOTORCYCLE TO SEE IF THE ISSUE IS INDEED TRUE. I DID A SERIES OF SUGGESTED ELECTRICAL TESTING WITH A MULTIMETER AND THE RESULTS PROVE NEGATIVE. I PROCEEDED TO REMOVE THE PLASTIC COVERING TO EXPOSE WIRING TO SEE IF I HAVE BURNT CONNECTORS AND WIRING, WHICH I DO. I HAD THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPAIRED WITH NEW STATOR, REGULATOR/RECTIFIER AND BATTERY. AFTER THE REPAIR I WAS ABLE TO RIDE FOR THE SEASON. MY BATTERY WAS CHARGING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS GOOD, NO ISSUES. NOW IN 2013 I AM HAVING THE SAME CHARGING ISSUE AGAIN. THE BATTERY IS NOT CHARGING, NOT ABLE TO START THE MOTORCYCLE. MY CONCERN HERE IS THAT AMERICAN HONDA IS NOT BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT ISSUE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS VFR800 OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ELECTRICAL ISSUES, ISSUES LIKE BURNT STATOR AND WIRING/ CONNECTORS. THIS ELECTRICAL ISSUE HAS LEFT ME STRANDED FAR FROM HOME. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

MY ISSUE WAS FIRST DISCOVERED IN 2012 WHEN I COULD NOT START MY MOTORCYCLE; MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS AN OLD BATTERY. UPON RESEARCHING ON VFRDISCUSSION.COM I WAS EXPOSED TO NUMEROUS VFR OWNERS WITH STARTING ISSUES THAT WAS RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL AND CHARGING ISSUES, A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MY 2003 MODEL YEAR. FROM THE INFORMATION GATHERED I STARTED TO INVESTIGATE MY MOTORCYCLE TO SEE IF THE ISSUE IS INDEED TRUE. I DID A SERIES OF SUGGESTED ELECTRICAL TESTING WITH A MULTIMETER AND THE RESULTS PROVE NEGATIVE. I PROCEEDED TO REMOVE THE PLASTIC COVERING TO EXPOSE WIRING TO SEE IF I HAVE BURNT CONNECTORS AND WIRING, WHICH I DO. I HAD THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPAIRED WITH NEW STATOR, REGULATOR/RECTIFIER AND BATTERY. AFTER THE REPAIR I WAS ABLE TO RIDE FOR THE SEASON. MY BATTERY WAS CHARGING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS GOOD, NO ISSUES. NOW IN 2013 I AM HAVING THE SAME CHARGING ISSUE AGAIN. THE BATTERY IS NOT CHARGING, NOT ABLE TO START THE MOTORCYCLE. MY CONCERN HERE IS THAT AMERICAN HONDA IS NOT BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT ISSUE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS VFR800 OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ELECTRICAL ISSUES, ISSUES LIKE BURNT STATOR AND WIRING/ CONNECTORS. THIS ELECTRICAL ISSUE HAS LEFT ME STRANDED FAR FROM HOME. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA VFR800. WHILE RIDING 70 MPH, THE HEADLIGHT SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FRONT FAIRING SUB-HARNESS TRANSFERRED THE ELECTRICAL GROUNDING LOAD OF THE HEADLIGHT TO OTHER COMPONENTS AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V359000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING) WAS REFERENCED. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 27,239.

2003 HONDA VFR MOTORCYCLE SHUT OFF WHILE OPERATING AT APPROX. 30 MPH / 3500 RPM. SAFELY PULLED OFF ROAD AND PARKED. HEADLIGHTS & DASHBOARD LIGHTS DIM, BUZZING SOUND FROM DASHBOARD. BIKE RESTARTED ONLY WHEN HEADLIGHT FUSE WAS REMOVED. BIKE CURRENTLY AT HONDA DEALER FOR REPAIRS. EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION OF THIS PROBLEM, SOLUTION, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DESIGN FLAWS IN NUMEROUS 6TH GENERATION (2002 - 2007) VFRS AVAILABLE AT "HTTP://WWW.VFRDISCUSSION.COM/FORUM/INDEX.PHP?SHOWFORUM=2" (1ST THREAD). SOLUTIONS INCLUDE ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL GROUNDS, HEAVIER GAUGE WIRING &/OR HEAVIER DUTY FUSE HOLDERS. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING DESIGN FLAW! IF THE BIKE WERE TO SHUT DOWN AT HIGH SPEED, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, UNDER DEMANDING ROAD CONDITIONS, ETC, A SEVERE CRASH WOULD BE VERY LIKELY. PLEASE ENCOURAGE HONDA TO ISSUE A RECALL TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. *TR

REGARDING INVESTIGATION PE05047 THIS INVESTIGATION WAS CLOSED 12/20/05, BUT I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS OF THIS MODEL THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MY HONDA VFR800 SHOWS SIGNS OF FAILURE DURING NORMAL USE AND THERE ARE NO "MODIFICATIONS TO THE WIRING HARNESS" AS SUGGESTED BY YOUR INVESTIGATION. THE ONLY AUXILIARY LOADS I HAVE ON MY BIKE ARE CONNECTED BY SEPARATE HARNESS DIRECTLY TO THE BATTERY AND THEREFORE BYPASS THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS. YET A CABLE, FUSE BLOCK AND A CONNECTOR ON THE FACTORY HARNESS DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE BATTERY GET HOT TO THE TOUCH IN NORMAL USE. SEVERAL OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THAT THEY HAD TO MAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT HAVING THE HONDA DEALERS ADMIT TO THE PROBLEM, AND THAT THE FACTORY NEVER DID, YET AFTER SUFFICIENT COMPLAINTS REPLACED THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS WITH AN UPGRADED MODEL. I WOULD THINK THAT THIS KIND OF FAILURE (MELTED WIRING INSULATION, BURNT FUSE BLOCK, MELTED CONNECTORS) WOULD CONSTITUTE A SAFETY HAZARD AND THAT NHTSA AND HONDA WOULD WANT TO RESOLVE THIS MORE PROACTIVELY. *NM