2003 SUZUKI SV1000 Complaints

MOTORCYCLE WOULD NOT CHARGE BATTERY AND COMPLETELY DIED BECAUSE OF IT ONE DAY. OPENED UP MAGNETO COVER AND FOUND THE ROTOR MAGNETS HAD DISINTEGRATED. RUINED THE ROTOR AND MAGNETO AND ONLY HAD 17,000 MILES ON IT. CLEANING UP BITS OF MAGNET ALL AROUND THE CRANK AND INSIDE THE ENGINE.

FLYWHEEL MAGNETS SHIFTED AND CRACKED. PIECES OF THE MAGNET ARE ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE. STATOR IS SCRATCHED. FOUND OUT BECAUSE OF VIBRATION AT LOW RPM AND BIKE NOT HOLDING A CHARGE. *TR

THE CHARGING SYSTEM MAGNETS DETACHED FROM THE FLYWHEEL/ROTOR (INTERNAL TO THE MOTOR), CAUSING AN ISSUE WHERE THE CHARGING SYSTEM WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE MAGNETS COULD HAVE BECOME DISLODGED ENOUGH TO CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC AND IMMEDIATE ENGINE SEIZURE/FAILURE, RESULTING IN I A CRASH. THANKFULLY, I CAUGHT THE ISSUE BEFORE IT BECAME SEVERE. AFTER A BIT OF ONLINE RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE FOR SUZUKI BIKES EQUIPPED WITH THIS FAMILY OF ENGINES. NUMEROUS INSTANCES CAN BE FOUND ON THE SV650, SV1000, AND ALL MODELS OF THE V-STROM. I HAVE NOT YET CONTACTED SUZUKI REGARDING THIS MATTER, BUT PLAN TO DO SO TODAY. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A CASE HAS BEEN OPENED TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. I BELIEVE THE CASE NUMBER IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY SV1000 HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH ITS CHARGING SYSTEM THAT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE ENGINE. I CAME TO FIND IT WAS A HEAVILY DOCUMENTED ON PUBLIC ONLINE FORUMS SUCH AS SV-PORTAL.COM AND HAS AFFECTED ALMOST ALL SV1000 OWNERS. THE MAGNETS, WHICH ARE GLUED TO THE INTERIOR OF THE STATOR ROTOR, BREAK FREE OF THEIR EPOXY BOND AND SHATTER INTO PIECES INSIDE THE ENGINE CASE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS DAMAGE TO THE STATOR/ALTERNATOR IS CERTAIN AND FRAGMENTED MAGNETS ENTER THE TRANSMISSION, OIL PAN, CLUTCH AND OTHER ENGINE SYSTEMS. WHEN ANY OF THESE SYSTEMS ARE CAUSED TO FAIL BY THE BROKEN MAGNET PIECES OR CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE AT DRIVING SPEED THE RIDER AND ALL NEAR BY MOTORISTS ARE AT SERIOUS RISK. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AND AFFECTS ALL YEARS OF THE SV1000. THE SAFETY ISSUE OCCURS AT VARYING MILEAGE BUT IT IS CERTAIN THAT VEHICLES WITH MORE THAN 15,000 TO 18,000 MILES WILL HAVE THIS ISSUE. *TR

IN MID RIDE I WAS APPROACHING A LOW SPEED CORNER AT THE END OF A HIGH SPEED STRAIGHT AWAY. I TRIED TO PULL MY CLUTCH HANDLE IN TO BEGIN TO BRAKE AND DOWNSHIFT AND THE CLUTCH HANDLE HAD NO RESISTANCE AT ALL. COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH SYSTEM. UNABLE TO TAKE THE DRIVE PRESSURE OFF THE REAR TIRE THE BIKE LOST TRACTION IN THE REAR AND LOWSIDED THE BIKE INTO A 6 FOOT DITCH AT AROUND 60 TO 70 MPH. I RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES THANKS TO MY GEAR BUT INJURIES NONE THE LESS. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS AND ALL OF THEM HAVE STATED THAT HYDRO CLUTCHES ARE DEATH TRAPS. AND ALMOST ALL OF THEM SAID TO GET A CABLE CLUTCH CONVERSION KIT ASAP. NO I KNOW WHY. THIS IS A RESULT OF SUZUKI MOTORS OUTSOURCING THEIR WORK TO CHEAP LABOR AND NOT CHECKING TO MAKE SURE THEIR PARTS ARE WITHIN THE TOLERANCES THAT WERE SET FOR THAT PART. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT SUZUKI NEEDS TO SUSPEND PRODUCTION ON ALL SV1000 BIKES AND ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX ALL THE PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN POORLY MADE WITH UNSAFE RESULTS. THE FLYWHEEL ROTORS LOSE THE MAGNETS ON ALMOST EVERY 2003 SV1000 AND ITS BEGINNING TO EFFECT UP TO THE 05 MODELS. I AM ON 2 DIFFERENT FORUMS FOR THIS BIKE THAT ARE INTERNATIONAL FORUMS THE FLYWHEEL MAGNETS ARE THE SECOND MOST COMMON FAILURE FROM SUZUKI JUST BEHIND THE PISS POOR JOB ON THE CLUTCH BASKET HUB BEARING. NOW THE FUEL TANKS ARE KNOWN TO RANDOMLY BURST INTO FLAMES WHEN THE FUEL LINE LEAKS UNDER THE TANK. THIS BIKE SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM MARKET UNTIL SUZUKI CAN GET IT RIGHT. THESE BIKES ARE DEATH TRAPS WAITING TO VIBRATE LOOSE ON YOU IN MID RIDE. PERSONALLY I WOULD LIKE IT IF SUZUKI GAVE ME A NEW BIKE LIKE A GSX OR GSXR SINCE MY BIKE IS TOTALED BECAUSE THEIR STOCK EQUIPMENT FAILED TO WORK AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO. AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS NOT GOING TO COVER THE DAMAGE TO MY BIKE. *TR

MY SUZUKI SV1000S HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. I FIRST NOTICED THIS PROBLEM WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START THE MOTORCYCLE IN MY GARAGE IN MAY OF 2011. I TURNED THE SWITCH AND NOTHING CAME ON. I CHECKED THE BATTERY AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH IT. MYSTERIOUSLY, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STARTED WORKING SEVERAL DAYS LATER. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 TIMES. ON 09/26/2011, I WAS RIDING WITH MY 12-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER ON A BUSY 2-LANE ROAD. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EVENING (5 PM, SUNNY, ABOUT 85 DEGREES). WE WERE APPROACHING A STOP SIGNAL (SPEED APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH). THE CLUTCH WAS ENGAGED AND I WAS LIGHTLY APPLYING FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. THE MOTORCYCLE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE WE WERE STILL MOVING. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, THE POWER WAS RESTORED AS MYSTERIOUSLY AS IT LEFT. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS AS THERE HAS BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT POSTED ONLINE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT RESULTING IN INJURY OR THE LOSS OF LIFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING ONTO THE MOTOR AND OVERFLOWING INTO THE CHARCOAL CANISTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK ON THE LIQUID SEPARATOR BRACKET INSIDE THE FUEL TANK AND UNDERNEATH, THE SEAMS WERE SEPARATED. AS A RESULT, THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK WAS SENT TO THE DEALER TO BE INSPECTED WHO CONFIRMED DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE MOTORCYCLE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V013000 ( FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,071 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16,245.

TOTAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER DUE TO A FAULTY CONNECTION BETWEEN THE IGNITION SWITCH TO THE MAIN IGNITION RELAY. THIS RESULTS IN LOSS OF LIGHTS, INSTRUMENTS, AND IGNITION POWER. THE ENGINE STALLS AND CAN EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. *TR

CONNECTOR FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH TO WIRING HARNESS OVERHEATED AND THE CONNECTOR NO LONGER HELP THE WIRES TOGETHER FOR THE IGNITION. TURN THE KEY - NO POWER AT ALL TO THE BIKE. I HAVE READ ABOUT DOZENS OF RIDERS THIS HAS HAPPENED TO, SOME HAVE HAD ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT. LUCKILY I WASN'T IN MOTION WHEN THE POWER GAVE OUT. *TR

2003 SUZUKI SV1000, WILL NOT START, NO ELECTRIC AT ALL. MUST TAKE OFF SEAT & MOVE WIRES, THEN WILL START, IT DOES THIS EVERY TIME I TURN IT OFF. HAVE READ MANY POSTS ABOUT THE "GREEN CONNECTOR" MANY OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR