2001 Honda GL1500 Recalls & Complaints

Incident: June 5, 2001 · Filed: November 14, 2001

SPEEDOMETER IS 8% FAST AND ODOMETER IS 6% FAST ,THE SPEEDOMETER BEING 8% FAST CAUSES A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN DRIVING ON TURNPIKES AND INTERSTATES ( THIS IS A TOURING MOTORCYCLE). WHEN REPORTED TO HONDA I WAS TOLD THAT HONDA WAS WITHIN THE LEGAL LIMITS AND HAD NO INTENTION OF CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM. IS THERE A LEGAL LIMIT THAT A SPEEDOMETER CAN BE INCORRECT, EVEN IF IS A SAFETY PROBLEM?*AK

Incident: April 10, 2001 · Filed: October 20, 2001

MOTORCYCLE CONSISTENTLY OVERHEATS AND LEAVES ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HONDA SAYS THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THEIR OTORCYCLES DOING THIS.*AK

Incident: August 18, 2001 · Filed: October 19, 2001

1. DEALER LISTED IS NOT THE SELLING DEALER 2. MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM EXISTS. 3. THIS IS SAFETY RELATED IN THAT IT OCCURS AT SLOW SPEEDS TYPICALLY IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC CAUSED BY ROAD CONSTRUCTION, ACCIDENTS AND HIGH VOLUME. IN CASES WHERE THERE IS NO PLACE TO GET OUT OF THE TRAFFIC OR STOP THIS COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. THIS COULD BE CAUSED BY ESCAPING STEAM FROM THE RADIATORS JUST IN FRONT OF THE RIDERS LEGS. OR IT COULD BE THE RESULT OF A FALL CAUSED BY ENGINE SEIZURE LOCKING UP THE DRIVE TRAIN CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL TO SKID. COMPOUNDING THIS WOULD BE THE SURROUNDING CONGESTED TRAFFIC MOVING BUMPER TO BUMPER AND MORE CONCERNED WITH THE HOLDUP INSTEAD OF ATTENTION TO THEIR IMMEDIATE SURRONDINGS. *AK

Incident: July 25, 2001 · Filed: October 19, 2001

MOTORCYCLE OVERHEATS BETWEEN 10 - 20 MPH.

Filed: October 19, 2001

DURING CONTINUED LOW SPEED OPERATION SUCH AS STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THIS MOTORCYCLE, ALONG WITH OTHERS OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL HAS AN EXTREME TENDENCY TO SERIOUSLY OVERHEAT. THE MANUFACTURER CONTENDS THAT THE MACHINE WAS DESIGNED FOR OPERATION OTHER THAN STOP AND GO WHICH, OF COURSEE, IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS OFFERED NO FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM.*AK

Filed: October 1, 2001

SPEEDOMETER IS 6%TO 7% FAST THIS MEANS THAT THE DRIVER HAS TO COMPUTE HIS/HER ACTUAL SPEED, WHEN RIDING ON A TWO LANE ROAD AND YOU ARE TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT ACCORDING TO THE SPEEDOMETER CARS ARE RIDING YOUR ON YOUR BACK FENDER OR TRYING TO PASS BECAUSE YOU ARE TRAVELING WELL BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT. THIS CAN CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. AT AN INDICATED 65 MPH THE ACTUAL SPEED IS 60/61 MPH, THE FASTER YOU GO THE LARGER THE DIFFERANCE. IN THIS AGE OF ELECTRONICS THERE IS NO REASON THE SPEEDOMETER SHOULD BE 6% TO 7% FAST OR SLOW, AND THE DRIVER HAS TO COMPUTE THE ACTUAL SPEED. DRIVERS HAVE ENOUGH TO DO TO STAY SAFE. THIS IS A PROBLEM ON ALL GL1800'S.

Filed: September 5, 2001

SPEEDOMETER BEING 6% TO 7% FAST MEANS THAT THE DRIVER HAS TO COMPUTE HIS/HER ACTUAL SPEED, WHEN RIDING ON A TWO LANE ROADS AND YOU ARE TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT ACCORDING TO THE SPEEDOMETER CARS ARE PASSING YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE WELL BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT. THIS CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. AT AN INDICATED 65MPH THE ACTUAL SPEED IS 60/61 MPH, THE FASTER YOU GO THE LARGER THE DIFFERANCE. IN THIS AGE OF ELECTRONICS THERE IS NO REASON THE SPEEDOMETER SHOULD BE 6%TO 7% FAST AND THE DRIVERS HAVE TO COMPUTE THE ACTUAL SPEED. DRIVERS HAVE ENOUGH TO DO TO STAY SAFE. THIS IS A PROBLEM ON ALL GL1800,S.*AK

Filed: August 31, 2001

SPEEDOMETER BEING 6.1% FAST MEANS THE DRIVER HAS TO COMPUTE HIS/HER ACTUAL SPEED, WHEN RIDING TWO LANE ROADS AND YOU ARE DOING THE SPEED LIMIT CARS ARE PASSING YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE ACTUALLY BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT. THIS CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. AT AN INDICATED 65 THE ACTUAL SPEED IS 60/61, THE FASTER YOU GO THE LARGER THE DIFFERANCE. IN THIS AGE OF ELECTRONICS THERE IS NO REASON THE SPEEDOMETER SHOULD BE 6.1% FAST AND THE DRIVER HAS TO ACTUALLY COMPUTE HIS/HER ACTUAL SPEED. DRIVERS HAVE ENOUGH TO DO TO STAY SAFE. THIS IS A PROBLEM ON ALL GL1800'S. *AK

Incident: July 2, 2001 · Filed: August 16, 2001

RADIATOR FANS BLOW FORWARD INTO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AT SPEEDS BELOW 15 MPH AT WHICH TIME THEY TURN OFF AND ALLOW NATURAL AIRFLOW THROUGH. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, 10 TO 15 MPH, IN A CITY NEIGHBORHOOD THE ENGINE REPEATEDLY OVERHEATED WITH THE GAUGE IN THE RED ZONE. IN ORDER TO COOL OFF THE ENGINE THE MOTORCYCLE HAD TO BE DRIVEN AT OVER 30 MPH TO GAIN AIR FLOW OVER THE TWO RADIATORS. WHEN THIS PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE HONDA DEALER SERVICE MANAGER I WAS INFORMED THAT HONDA'S STAND IS THAT THE 2001 GOLDWING GL-1800 IS NOT MENT TO BE OPERATED AT LOW SPEEDS BY DESIGN. THE PROBLEM ORIGINATES WITH THE FANS OPERATING AGAINST NORMAL AIR FLOW IN THE SPEED RANGE BELOW 15 MPH. WITH THE FANS TRYING TO BLOW AIR FORWARD AND NORMAL AIR PUSHING AGAINST THEM THERE IS NO AIR FLOW OVER THE RADIATORS WHICH CAUSES THE COOLANT TO REACH THE RED ZONE OF 250 DEGREES IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THIS OVERHEATING CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE COOLANT OVERFLOW TANK TO VENT COOLANT ONTO THE REAR TIRE DUE TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE VENT AHEAD OF IT. COOLANT VENTING ONTO THE REAR TIRE CAN THEN CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE.