2001 HONDA GL1800 Complaints

FRONT BRAKE ANTILOCKED UP. WHEN HITTING A SEVERE BUMP IN THE ROAD, NOT A POTHOLE, THE LEFT FORK SEAL BLEW OUTWARD, RELEASING A MASSIVE AMOUT OF SUSPENSION OIL COVERING THE LEFT FRONT OF THE BIKE INCLUDING SATURATING THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. I REPLACED THE FAILED SEAL WITH A NEW ONE AND EXAMINED THE ANTI DIVE VALVE FOR OPERATION. IT OPERATED NORMALY AT THAT TIME, BUT ON FURTHER EXAMANATION AT A LATER DATE WAS FOUND TO AGAIN BE LOCKED UP, AND AT THAT TIME I REPLACES THE DEFFECTIVE PLUNGER MECHANISM ON THE TOP OF THE ANTI DIVE UNIT THAT OPERATES IT WITH FRONT BRAKE PRESSURE. NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATES. INITIAL FAILURE WAS IN LATE 2003, AND THE SECOND WAS IN LATE 2004. *AK

MOTORCYCLE TIRE: AVON VENOM FOR HONDA GL1800 GOLDWING REAR TIRE 1.TIRE CRACKED AND TREAD SEPERATED- LESS THAN 5000 MILES 2. TIRE HAD BULGE IN TREAD, READY TO SEPERATE-LESS THAN 5K MILES 3. TIRE IS GETTING BULGE IN IT, CAN FEEL WHEN RIDING-LESS THAN 2000MILES ALL OF THESE WERE REPLACED BY AVON. I OWN A SMALL MOTORCYCLE SHOP AND HAVE HEARD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.*AK SOME ONE WILL DIE BECAUSE OF THESE TIRES. I ASKED THE REP. AT AVON IF THIS WAS A PROBLEM AND HE DENIED THERE IS A PROBLEM. I ALSO ASKED IF I SHOULD NOTIFY MY CUSTOMERS OF THE DANGER, HE REPLEID "NO". PLEASE FELL FREE TO CALL ME TO DISCUSS THESE TIRES.

OVERHEAT/SPEWING OF COOLANT ON REAR BRAKES AND REAR TIRE OF MY GL 1800/A HONDA MOTORCYCLE. SITUATION WAS ON THE WASHINGTON DC BELTWAY, NO SHOULDER TO PULL OVER ONTO, STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. MOTORCYCLE WAS SPEWING COOLANT ON THE THE BRAKES AND REAR WHEEL, CAUSING A VERY HOT STEAM TO RISE ON OUR LEGS AND LOWER TORSO, ALSO CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL & BRAKES TO BECOME EXTREMELY SLIPPERY, AS WELL AS UNCONTROLLABLE UNDER EXISTING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. HONDA HAS NOT FULLFILLED IT'S PROMIS TO REPAIR THESE MOTORCYCLES AS OF YET!*AK

ENGINE OVERHEATS WHEN RIDING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES AT OR ABOVE APPROX. 80 DEG. FAHRENHEIT. COOLANT MAY ESCAPE THE RECOVERY TANK, AND LAND ON THE ROAD JUST AHEAD OF THE REAR TIRE. DT

THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THE COOLING FANS ARE DESIGNED TO STOP FUNCTIONING AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 15 MPH. WHEN I RIDE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, OR SLOW TRAFFIC. THIS MOTORCYCLE IS CERTAIN TO OVERHEAT (TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS IN THE RED SECTION). I MUST PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO ALLOW THE FANS TO COME ON AND COOL THE MOTORCYCLE DOWN OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. DT

WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLES AT 50MPH NOTIFIED TIRES TREAD SEAPRATION. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.. [XXX] PLEASE PROVIDE MODEL- - - - - - - SIZE- - - - - - - - AND THE DOT- -- - - - - - AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THIS VEHICLE HAS A LONG HISTORY OF HEATING TEMPERATURES THAT GO INTO THE RED ON TEMP GAUGE FREQUENTLY. TWO TIMES THE MOTORCYCLE HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE THAT CAUSED THE COOLING SYSTEM TO LOOSE COOLANT AND TO CAUSE A VERY DANGEROUS SLICK CONDITION AT THE REAL TIRE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL DEALERS AND A HONDA REP IN CA. THEY ALL SEEM TO QUIETLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A PROBLEM EXISTS BUT REFUSE TO RECOMMEND A REPAIR OR FIX FOR THIS REAL PROBLEM. IN MY OPINION, IT IS GOING TO TAKE A FATAL ACCIDENT OR SEVERALPERSONAL INJURY LAWSUITS BEFORE HONDA ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY. THE PROBLEM IS REAL, AND WIDE SPREAD. THE FIX IS DISTANT AND NOT ON THE HORIZON. PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE GETS BURNED OR WORSE YET KILLED. DT

1-MOTORCYCLE ENGINES REACHES EXTREME TEMPS. WHEN CONDITIONS ARE: ROAD CONSTRUCTION, ACCIDENT, ASSEMBLY/ACTIVITY GATHERING OR RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC LIMITS TRAFFIC SPEED TO BETWEEN 0 AND 20 MPH. WITH FREQUENT CHANGE IN SPEED AND FEW FULL STOPS. THE RADIATOR FANS DO ACTIVATE, BUT ARE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN A 'SAFE" OPERATING TEMP AS INDICATED BY THE ENGINE TEMP. GAUGE GOING FULLY INTO THE RED AND LARGE AMOUNT OF RADIANT HEAT BEING FELT BY THE OPERATOR. THIS CONDITION CAUSES THE OPERATOR TO SEEK A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROADWAY, SOMETIMES ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS. THEREBY CUTTING ACROSS OTHER LANES OF TRAFFIC AND BECOMING POTENTIALLY TO UNLAWFUL "SHOULDER RIDERS" (THIS HAS OCCURED RESULTING IN A NEAR MISS WHILE "COOLING DOWN" ON THE SHOULDER OF I-287 IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY ENROUTE HOME FROM LAKE GEORGE, NY FROM AMERICADE 2001) HONDA DEALER WAS ADVISED OF THIS AND TWO ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. SPEEDOMETER: HAS STUCK AT 45MPH ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN I WAS TRAVELING A BOTH LESSOR AND GREATER SPEEDS. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPS WERE HIGH, IN THE MID 90'S. COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH COOPER'S HONDA SERVICE MANAGER. HIS REPLY WAS BRING THE BIKE IN WITH THE SPEEDOMETER STUCK AND WE'LL LOOK AT IT". SPEEDOMETER HAS NOT YET STUCK LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO SHOW THE DEALER I AM TRUTHFUL ! DT

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE BIKE OVERHEATS BEYOND RED LINE & LOSS OF COOLANT OCCURES WHEN THE BIKE IS OPERATED B/T 15& 25 MPH FOR A PERIOD OF 5 MIN. OR MORE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR OTHER REASON. THE LOSS OF COOLANT OCCURS AT THE FRONT OF BIKE WHICH MEANS THE WHEEL WILL LIKELY PASS THRU WHICH IS UNSAFE. ALSO IT IS POTENTIALLY DAMAGING TO THE ENGINE. HAVE DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM WITH MY SERVICING DEALER AND THEY STATE THAT HONDA DOESN'T ADMIT THE PROBLEM EXISTS.THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE COOLING FANS ARE DESIGNED TO GO OFF AT 15 MPH REGARDLESS OF ENGINE TEMP. & THE BIKE IS NOT MOVING FAST ENOUGH TO COOL BY NATURAL AIR FLOW. THE PROBLEM IS BIG ENOUGH THAT A CLASS ACTION SUIT IS BEING STARTED. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN BRING FORTH. GORDON DT

CONSUMER STATES WHEN VEHICLE IS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC OR IN FIRST OR SECOND GEAR, TEMPERTURE GAUGE WILL BE IN THE RED ZONE, WATER TEMPERTURE WILL BE 265. CAUSING VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. NLM *JB