2012 HONDA GL1800 Complaints

THE 2012 AND LATER GOLDWINGS STALL DURING ACCELERATION WHEN THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW FULL TEMPERATURE. THE STALLS CALL MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL. OVER 150 DOCUMENTED CASES ARE DISCLOSED AT IPETIONS.COM. *TR

ON LEAVING WHEN ENGINE IS COLD, LEANING DO LEFT LEAVING DRIVEWAY ENGINE HESITATES OR CUTS OUT CAUSING LOSS OF POWER, WHICH BIKE ALMOST TIPPING COMPLETELY OVER. *TR

WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON THE HIGHWAY, AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE FRONT TIRE PICKED UP A SMALL, UNSEEN PIECE OF ROAD DEBRIS AND FLUNG IT INTO THE OIL FILTER LOCATED ON THE LOWER FRONT END OF THE MOTOR CYCLE BODY. THIS ACTION CAUSED THE FILTER TO BE PUNCTURED, RESULTING IN A LARGE QUANTITY OF OIL TO BE EJECTED FROM THE BIKE AND SLUNG ALONG THE ENTIRE BOTTOM OF THE MOTORCYCLE INCLUDING THE EXHAUST, THE REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY, AND THE REAR TIRE. I BECAME AWARE OF THE SITUATION WHEN I NOTICED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRRORS A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE BIKE. I THEN LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LAMP ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. LUCKILY, I WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND ALREADY STARTING TO SLOW DOWN. WHILE IN THE STOPPED POSITION I SAW A LARGE POOL OF OIL ON THE ROAD COMING FROM UNDER THE BIKE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND MOVED THE BIKE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THE HOLE IN THE OIL FILTER AND SAW THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE BIKE AND THE REAR WHEEL WERE COVERED IN THE OIL. I FEEL HONDA OWES IT TO ITS CUSTOMERS TO FIX THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY SAFETY CONCERN BY SIMPLY INSTALLING AN INEXPENSIVE BELLY PAN ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BIKE. THIS WOULD SERVE TO PROTECT BOTH THE EXPOSED OIL FILTER AND THE EXPOSED COOLANT RESERVOIR. EITHER OF THESE EXPOSED ITEMS COULD, AND HAVE, EASILY GET PUNCTURED BY A ROCK OR OTHER DEBRIS AND SHOWER THE REAR TIRE AND BRAKE CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. I'VE CONTACTED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT. THEY HAVE DECLINED ANY ACTION. I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH HONDA'S RESPONSE TO SUCH A SAFETY CONCERN. HOPEFULLY, SOMEHOW THIS WILL BE ADDRESS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED, OR WORSE. I WILL BE ORDERING AND INSTALLING A BELLY PAN ON MY BIKE. *TR

THE DATE SHOWN ABOVE IS THE LAST INCIDENT. THIS IS A RE-OCCURRING ISSUE THAT FIRST STARTED IN AUGUST, 2011. WHENEVER THE GOLDWING IS RAN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE OF 100 DEGREES OR HIGHER, WHEN YOU STOP AND PARK THE GOLDWING THE ISSUE OCCURS. AFTER SETTING FOR 10 - 15 MINUTES, IT BEGINS TO VENT GASOLINE FUMES. THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED, IT HAD BEEN SETTING IN MY CLOSED GARAGE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, WHEN I WENT OUT INTO THE GARAGE TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF THE FREEZER. ON OPENING THE DOOR INTO THE GARAGE, I WAS GREETED WITH VERY STRONG GASOLINE FUMES. IT WAS BAD ENOUGH THAT I DID NOT WANT TO CREATE A SPARK BY USING THE GARAGE DOOR OPENER, SO I RELEASED THE OPENER AND OPENED THE GARAGE DOOR BY HAND. I HAD TO LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE THE FUMES WERE COMPLETELY VENTED FROM THE GARAGE. I HAVE HAD THE GOLDWING TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE OR FIND ANY REASON FOR IT. I HAVE CALLED HONDA SUPPORT TWICE TO TRY AND GET A FIX. THE LAST TIME WAS JULY 24, 2013. THEY SUPPOSEDLY ESCALATED THE ISSUE TO A MODEL SPECIALIST AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET A RESPONSE BACK. I AM STILL WAITING. THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD THE SAME RESULTS FROM HONDA. THEY JUST SAID IT WAS GAS IN THE TANK GETTING HOT AND VENTING AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. I ASKED THEM WHAT THE PURPOSE OF ALL OF THE EMISSION EQUIPMENT WAS AND WAS TOLD THAT IT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE ISSUE. SINCE THE WEATHER HAS BEEN SO HOT, I HAVE ACTUALLY SMELLED GASOLINE FUMES WHILE SETTING AND WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I AM AFRAID OF A FIRE IN THE MOTORCYCLE OR AN EXPLOSION FROM THE GASOLINE FUMES IN MY GARAGE. HONDA JUST WILL NOT RESPOND TO MY CONCERNS OR TO THE DEALERSHIP, WITH A SOLUTION. *TR

THERE IS A HESITATION BETWEEN THROTTLE APPLICATION AND ENGINE RESPONSE THAT CAUSES THE MOTORCYCLE TO LUNGE FORWARD THEN ALMOST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I HAVE ALMOST DROPPED THE MOTORCYCLE SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED TWO GOLDWINGS PREVIOUS TO THIS ONE AND NEITHER HAD THIS HESITATION PROBLEM. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN MOVING OUT INTO TRAFFIC FROM A COMPLETE STOP. *TR

THERE IS A PRONOUNCED HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. MOST OFTEN WHEN FIRST STARTING THE ENGINE AT THE START OF A RIDE, OR AFTER SITTING WITH THE ENGINE OFF FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE HESITATION 'CLEARS UP' AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN RIDDEN FOR A FEW MILES. ADDITIONALLY, THE MILI-SECONDS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS HESITATION ARE FOLLOWED BY A SHARP SURGE OF ACCELERATION - AS THE ENGINE 'PUSHES THROUGH' THE MOMENTARY LACK OF POWER, JERKING THE RIDER'S HEAD BACKWARD AND ROCKETING THE VEHICLE FORWARD. THIS IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS IN WET CONDITIONS, OR IN SLOW SPEED TURNS, SUCH AS THOSE OCCURRING WHEN ONE IS JUST PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY, OR AWAY FROM SOME OTHER SUCH STOPPED CONDITION. *TR

MOTORCYCLE HAS A HESITATION WHEN APPLYING THROTTLE. THIS HAPPENS FROM A COLD START AS WELL AS DURING ENGINE WARM-UP AND OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS AT NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. I HAVE NOTICED THE HESITATION AT FROM TEMPERATURES STARTING AT 40 F AND UP. AT FIRST I WAS THINKING IT MAY BE RELATED TO SUMMER BLEND GASOLINE'S OR LOWER OCTANE FUELS, TESTING DIFFERENT GRADES OF FUEL DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS ENGINE HESITATION CAN RESULT IN AN ENGINE STALL WHICH CAN RESULT IN A CRASH IF THE MOTORCYCLE IS IN A LOW SPEED TURN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON MOST 2012 AND 2013 HONDA GOLDWING MOTORCYCLES. I CONSIDER THIS HESITATION TO BE A SERIOUS DEFECT THAT AFFECTS THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN VARIOUS GOLDWING ONLINE SITES. *TR

VEHICLE APPEARS TO LOSE POWER BETWEEN 1500 AND 2000 RPM'S. BIKE WAS WARM. BIKE HESITATES UNDER ACCELERATION BETWEEN 1500 AND 2000 RPM'S POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTING TO AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LOSS OF POWER UNDER NORMAL ACCELERATION. *TR

MOTORCYCLE HAS A HESITATION WHEN APPLYING THROTTLE. THIS HAPPENS FROM A COLD START AS WELL AS DURING ENGINE WARM-UP AND OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS AT NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THIS ENGINE HESITATION CAN RESULT IN AN ENGINE STALL WHICH CAN RESULT IN A CRASH IF THE MOTORCYCLE IS IN A LOW SPEED TURN. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON MOST 2012 AND 2013 HONDA GOLDWING MOTORCYCLES. I CONSIDER THIS HESITATION TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN VARIOUS GOLDWING ONLINE SITES. *TR

MOTORCYCLE HAS A HESITATION JUST OFF IDLE, FROM A COLD START, DURING AN ENGINE WARM-UP, AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES OF 50*F TO 90*F. THIS ENGINE HESITATION CAN RESULT IN AN ENGINE STALL. AN ENGINE STALL ON A MOTORCYCLE, PARTICULARLY IF THE MOTORCYCLE IS ENGAGED IN A LOW SPEED TURN; AS A MOTORCYCLE IS LIKELY TO BE ENGAGED IN AFTER A COLD START, WILL RESULT IN A CRASH. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO HONDA MOTOR COMPANY. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON MOST 2012 AND 2013 HONDA GOLDWING MOTORCYCLES. MY MOTORCYCLE DOES THIS. I CONSIDER IT A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. MANY ON-LINE BLOGS HAVE MANY COMPLAINTS AND THERE ARE PETITIONS AS WELL. EX: HTTP://WWW.IPETITIONS.COM/PETITION/GL1800HESITATION/ *TR