2006 SUZUKI GSX1300R — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

ON 10/25/2010 A 2006 SUZUKI GSX1300 MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO OUR SHOP. THE CUSTOMER'S COMPLAINT WAS THAT THE MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING WHILE HE WAS RIDDING DOWN THE FREEWAY WHICH HE FELT ENDANGERED HIS LIFE. AFTER DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM, WE FOUND OUT THAT THE BRACKET HOLDING THE BANK ANGLE SENSOR WAS BROKEN. THE BANK ANGLE SENSOR IS DESIGNED TO STOP THE ENGINE IF THE MOTORCYCLE TIPS OVER. IF THIS BRACKET BREAKS ALLOWING THE BANK ANGLE SENSOR TO FALL, THE MOTOR WILL SHUT OFF POSSIBLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT OUR DEALERSHIP HAS REPAIRED THIS SAME MODEL OF SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE FOR THIS SAME BROKEN BRACKET. AFTER FIXING THREE DIFFERENT MOTORCYCLES FOR THE SAME REPAIR WE FELT IT NECESSARY TO CONTACT YOUR AGENCY. ADDITIONALLY SUZUKI IS NOT COVERING THIS AS A WARRANTY ITEM. AND SUZUKI IS REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE PART WITH THE SAME PART WHICH COULD BREAK IN THE FUTURE. WE FEEL THAT IF OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MODEL ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS PERHAPS SUZUKI SHOULD RECALL THESE MOTORCYCLES AND FIX THIS PROBLEM CORRECTLY. THE OLD BROKEN BRACKET IS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR INSPECTION. THESE BRACKETS ALL BREAK IN THE SAME PLACE NEXT TO A WELD. *TR

I WAS RIDING ON THE FREEWAY (WITH MY GIRLFRIEND [XXX]) ON MY '06 GSX-1330R HAYABUSA WHEN MY MOTOR SUDDENLY CUT. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE MOTOR STARTED RIGHT UP. NOT KNOWING THE ISSUE, I DROVE OFF THE FREEWAY (I WAS NEXT TO THE OFFRAMP) AND LEFT THE BIKE IN A PARKING LOT FOR THE AFTERNOON. WE LATER RETURNED TO THE BIKE, IT STARTED RIGHT UP AND RAN FINE UNTIL WE WERE NEARLY HOME, AT WHICH POINT THE MOTOR CUT AGAIN WHEN I WAS TURNING ONTO MY HOME STREET. AGAIN, TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON WORKED AND WE MADE IT HOME SAFELY. IN ANOTHER INCIDENT (MORE DANGEROUS), I WAS IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC GOING PERHAPS 20 MPH IN THE SECOND LANE AND MY MOTOR CUT. THE GUY IN THE OUTSIDE LANE NEXT TO ME ALMOST DIDN'T STOP AS I CROSSED OVER TO THE SHOULDER - HIS VAN WOULD HAVE CRUSHED ME. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE ISSUE MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE TIP OVER SENSOR (WHICH AUTOMATICALLY CUTS THE ENGINE IF THE BIKE FALLS OVER). SURE ENOUGH, THE TIP OVER SENSOR WAS HANGING FROM TWO WIRES BY MY REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER - THE BRACKET HAD SOMEHOW BROKEN. I RIGGED A TEMPORARY SOLUTION AND WILL HAVE A BUDDY WELD IT BACK FOR ME, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECTS I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED ON A BIKE. IT APPEARS FROM VARIOUS POSTINGS ON VARIOUS MOTORCYCLE BULLETIN BOARDS/FORUMS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY DOZENS OF FOLKS WITH VARIOUS MODEL YEAR HAYABUSAS, AND MAY BE AN ISSUE WITH OTHER SUZUKI MODELS AS WELL. I SEARCHED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE FOR ANY RECALLS RELATED TO THE HAYABUSA SPECIFICALLY BUT COULD FIND NONE, INCLUDING NONE IN PROGRESS. I CAN PROVIDE MULTIPLE POSTINGS ON THIS IF IT WOULD HELP IN YOUR INVESTIGATION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAVE A SUZUKI HAYABUSA MOTORCYCLE. IT IS 1 YEAR OLD WITH 12,000 MILES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION LOOKED AT BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE IT WAS SLIPPING OUT OF 2ND GEAR. THE BIKE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER IS TELLING ME THAT SUZUKI WILL NOT COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH THROUGH A PARKING LOT, THE MOTORCYCLE IDLED ROUGHLY, THEN STALLED COMPLETELY. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL INJECTORS NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED.