2000 VICTORY V92C — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

MY BIKE NOW WONT HOLD 3RD GEAR (SINCE LAST SUMMER ABOUT 6/2013 )& 4TH SEEMS TO BE DEGRADING RAPIDLY. VICTORY HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THE OLDER BIKES FOR YEARS & STILL HAVE NOT ADDRESSED THE ISSUES PROPERLY LEAVING THE CUSTOMER WITH AN OUTRAGEOUS REPAIR BILL ON THE TRANSMISSION THAT STILL DOES NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF NOT ONLY FAILURE IN HOLDING GEARS BUT ACTUAL WHEEL LOCK UP, OF WHICH COULD BE HAZARDOUS TO ONES HEATH & OTHERS. I FOUND THIS INFORMATION ON NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION AUTO SAFETY RECALLS IN CASE ANY ONE IS INTERESTED. THESE ISSUES ARE NOT ON HIGH MILEAGE BIKES, MY BIKE ONLY HAS JUST OVER 20,000 MILES & I'VE READ ISSUES WITH BIKES WHERE THE MOTORS AREN'T EVEN BROKE IN AS WELL. THE ONLY OTHER RECOURSE OFFERED WAS TO STOP RIDING THE BIKE & OR BUY ANOTHER BIKE. THE BIKE HAS NO TRADE IN VALUE DUE TO THE ISSUES JUST MENTIONED. VICTORY NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE & FIX THE ISSUES AT HAND & NOT LEAVE OWNERS HIGH & DRY AS THEY SEEM TO HAVE DONE. I WAS TOLD I SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A NOTICE OF A POSSIBLE UP GRADE KIT (THAT NO LONGER IS IN PRODUCTION) FOR A FEE. I NEVER RECEIVE SUCH A NOTICE & VICTORY AS WELL AS THE DEALERS SEEMS TO JUST SNUB IT OFF AS THE CUSTOMERS PROBLEM & OFFER NOTHING ELSE ON THE ISSUES AT HAND. IT''S OBVIOUS THESE BIKES HAVE A FLAW THAT CAN & WILL BE ULTIMATELY CATASTROPHIC TO THE OWNERS, THEIR PASSENGERS AS WELL AS PEDESTRIANS & OTHER VEHICLES. I'M LEFT WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO TAKE MY BIKE IN TO THE DEALER NEXT WEEK & HAVE THE POWER TRAIN & MOTOR REBUILT DO TO DAMAGE FROM A DEGRADING POWER TRAIN THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE MARKET. I'M TOLD IF PARTS DO NOT HAVE TO BE MANUFACTURED & CAN BE FOUND I'M LOOKING CLOSE TO 3,000. IF PARTS NEED MANUFACTURING AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE OF A THOUSAND OR MORE. VICTORY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES INCURRED TO CUSTOMERS FOR THESE ISSUES. *TR

THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: ACCORDING TO AN ODI ANALYSIS, THE TRANSMISSIONS ON 1999 AND 2000 VICTORY V92 MOTORCYCLES ARE SUBJECT TO VERY EARLY (WELL BEFORE THE PROJECTED 30K MILE ENGINEERED LIFE CYCLE) FAILURE. THE FAILURE, HOW OFTEN IT OCCURS, ITS CONSEQUENCES: VICTORY V92C MOTORCYCLE TRANSMISSION LOCKED, RESULTING IN WHEEL LOCK AT SPEED. TRANSMISSION FAILURE BASED ON SAME CONDITIONS DETAILED IN ODI'S ANALYSIS. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E, PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED (AND IF OLD PART IS AVAILABLE): TRANSMISSION BEING REPLACED. COMPLAINT IS IN NATURE OF FAILURE OF MANUFACTURER TO HONOR TERMS OF AGREEMENT REACHED WITH ODI, IN THAT THEY EFFECTIVELY DENIED THE EXISTENCE OF THE AGREEMENT OVER A PERIOD OF 8 MONTHS FROM FEB 2007 TO OCT 2007. HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN RECEIVED BY ODI AND POLARIS INDUSTRIES ON THIS TOPIC BY LATE 2006. POLARIS INDUSTRIES HAD REQUESTED OF ODI THAT THE INFORMATION BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL/PROPRIETARY, AND IN LIEU OF A FORMAL RECALL, OFFERED TO HAVE "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION INITIATIVE." ODI CLOSED THE ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION ON THIS BASIS, BUT POLARIS INDUSTRIES FAILED TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THEIR REPRESENTATIONS TO ODI: 1. INFORM ALL DEALERS OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 10/1/06 TO 10/15/07. A COPY OF THE LETTER THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO USE WAS SENT TO ODI. I SPOKE TO A DEALER WHERE I HAD TRIED TO HAVE RECALL WORK DONE IN MARCH 2007, AND THEY SAID THEY NEVER GOT THE NOTIFICATION. 2. PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ALL OWNERS. I BOUGHT THE BIKE AFTER THE CAMPAIGN STARTED, SO I DIDN'T GET THE LETTER, BUT POLARIS FAILED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BETWEEN MARCH 2007 AND OCTOBER 2007 TO ACCEPT MY OWNERSHIP INFORMATION, SO NOT ONLY DID THEY NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS CAMPAIGN, BUT I WAS DELAYED FOR 11 MONTHS IN HAVING 6 OTHER RECALLS DONE. 3. THE NATURE OF THE CAMPAIGN WAS REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR. THEY WON'T DO THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY DRAGGED THEIR FEET FOR 8 MONTHS BEFORE THE CAMPAIGN EXPIRED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VICTORY V92C MOTORCYCLE. EVER SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2008, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR AUTOMATICALLY. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THE REPAIR SHOULD BE FREE SINCE THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE HE WAS EXPERIENCING. HE WOULD LIKE THE MANUFACTURER TO COVER THE REPAIR COST. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED SINCE THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 16,000.