2002 HONDA VTX1800 Complaints

EXCESSIVE BEARING NOISE AND ALL SPEEDS. CAUSE WAS FINAL DRIVE FLANGE BEARING FAILURE. *TR

FLANGE BEARINGS WERE NOTICED TO BE DISINTEGRATING WHILE CHANGING OUT THE TIRE ON THE REAR RIM OF AN 02, 1800 HONDA VTX WITH ONLY 15000 MILES. I HAVE ORDERED NEW SET OF BEARINGS TO REPLACE. *TR

1. GRINDING NOISE IN REAR 2. FLANGE BEARING COMPLETELY DESTROYED 3. BEARING REPLACED AT DEALER(HAVE OLD BEARING IN HAND). *TR

APPROXIMATE DATE OF FAILURE: JULY 6 2007 YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: 2002 MODEL:VTX 1800 S BEARING CONDITION: BEARING TOTALLY TRASHED (IN PIECES) DISCOVERED WHILE REMOVING WHEEL TO HAVE TIRE REPAIRED/REPLACED ACCIDENT : NONE HOW FIXED: LOCATING PARTS NOW ADDITIONAL REMARKS: (ANY OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION) *TR

I OWN A 2002 HONDA VT1800C MOTORCYCLE AND THERE IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT ON THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS. I ONLY HAVE 12,000 MILES ON THIS MOTORCYCLE AND THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS ARE SHOT TO HELL. I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THIS SUBJECT WITH OWNER FORUMS AND SEE THAT MANY OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM BUT YET HONDA REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE THAT THEY HAVE A DEFECT OR NEED A RECALL. IT IS MY OPINION THAT HONDA IS NOT RECALLING THIS PARTICULAR FACTORY DEFECT DUE TO LACK OF A QUALITY FIX. MANY OWNERS REPORT BUYING BRAND NEW FACTORY BEARING SETS ONLY TO FIND THAT THEY ARE DEFECTIVE EVEN BEFORE INSTALLING THE NEW REPLACEMENT BEARINGS. SOME ONE NEEDS TO MAKE HONDA FIX THIS SITUATION AT THEIR EXPENSE BEFORE SOME ONE GETS KILLED RIDING THEIR MOTORCYCLE DUE TO REAR WHEEL LOCK UP. *JB

FLANGE BEARING (BEARING ON REAR WHEEL, FINAL DRIVE SIDE) FAILURE AT 39,000 MILES, NOTICED WHEN CHANGING REAR TIRE. TOTAL FAILURE AT HIGH SPEED COULD CAUSE THE REAR WHEEL TO LOCK AND A CRASH TO OCCUR. NEW BEARING INSTALLED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *JB

THE ROCKER SHIFTER IS NOT RETURNING TO CENTER POSITION. AFTER YOU SHIFT EITHER UP OR DOWN YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY PUT IT BACK TO CENTER BEFORE YOU CAN SHIFT TO THE NEXT GEAR. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE REAR TIRE WAS BEING REPLACED, THE CONTACT REQUESTED THE REAR FLANGE BEARING BE INSPECTED, BECAUSE OF FAILURE INFORMATION FOUND ON THE INTERNET. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE REAR FLANGE BEARINGS, BECAUSE THEY HAD DISINTEGRATED.

I HAVE A 2002 HONDA VTX1800R MOTORCYCLE. WHILE REMOVING REAR WHEEL AND TIRE FOR A TIRE REPLACEMENT I FOUND ONE OF THE FLANGE BEARINGS DAMAGED. THE INNER CAGE OF THE BEARING WAS COMPLETELY TORN APART AND THE BALLS WHILE STILL IN THE RACE OF THE BEARING HOUSING WERE WORN. I HAD BEEN BATTLING A VIBRATION ON THIS MOTORCYCLE FOR NEARLY 8000 MILES. I WAS NOT ABLE TO DETECT THIS WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL WITH THE MOTORCYCLE ON JACK. I HAD THOUGHT IT WAS TIRE RELATED BUT I KNOW NOW THAT THIS WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH I HAD REPORTED MY VIBRATION PROBLEM TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER SEVERAL TIMES THEY NEVER DEVELOPED THIS INFORMATION TO ME EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN MANY VTX'S WITH THIS PROBLEM. I AM ANGRY THAT A DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WOULD PUT PEOPLE IN DANGER TO SAVE A BUCK. I HAVE AT MY OWN COST REPLACED BOTH BEARINGS AND HAD THE FLANGE MACHINED TO PREVENT THE BINDING OF THE INNER BEARING WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE REASON FOR THE BEARING FAILURE. I HAD A MACHINIST MEASURE THE FLANGE BEARING SLEEVE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SLEEVE IS SMALLER IN DIAMETER BY .0015 OF AN INCH MAKING THE BEARING TOO TIGHT WHEN INSTALLED. THIS CAUSES WHAT MANY HAVE REPORTED AS A BEARING THAT FEELS LIKE IT GRABS OR IS ROUGH WHILE TURNING YET WHEN IT IS REMOVED FROM THE FLANGE IT SPINS FREELY. *NM

I WAS HAVING THE REAR TIRE CHANGED AND I CHECKED THE BEARINGS. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED ON THE HONDA WEB SITE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PROBLEMS. THE BEARINGS WERE REPLACED AND IT WAS FOUND THAT ONE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. I HAVE THE BEARING AND PHOTOS. *NM