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Indian Recalls Bike That Might Start on Their Own

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One of the weirder recalls we have ever seen at Asphalt & Rubber, Indian is recalling 3,341 motorcycles because they could potentially start on their own.

The issue stems from the bikes’ right-hand control cluster, which can become corroded over time. If a bike’s wireless key is nearby, this can lead to a situation where the motorcycle can initiate the startup procedure without action from the owner.

Obviously such a situation can lead to several potentially dangerous scenarios, with carbon monoxide poisoning at the top of the list.

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Recall

Polaris Recalls 24,000+ Slingshots for Seat Belt Failures

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Here’s one you don’t usually see on a motorcycle new site, as Polaris is recalling over 24,000 Slingshot autocycles for issues with their seatbelt and seat design and manufacturing.

This recall is a big one, as it applies to seemingly all Polaris Slingshots sold between 2015 and 2018, for a tally of 24,235 vehicles affected by this recall notice. In its recall documents, Polaris estimates that roughly 1 in 100 vehicles exhibit the problem.

What’s at issue is that the driver and passenger seats might have a seat belt and seat back anchoring bracket that may have been improperly welded.

Additionally, there may have been a difference in the seat assembly at the factory, which may prevent the proper latching of the seat slider, which would allow the driver’s seat to move unexpectedly.

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Recall

Brembo Recall Officially Hits Husqvarna in the USA

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We had an inclination that the ongoing Brembo master cylinder recall would hit the Husqvarna FS450 supermoto in the USA, after seeing a note for it in the European market, and today we get confirmation that this is the case.

For those not in the loop, this news centers around a defect with the Brembo PR15 and PR16 line of master cylinders, which can see their polymer pistons fracture during severe use. Should the piston fracture, the master cylinder may stop working, thus causing the front brakes to fail. 

Because of this, a bevy of motorcycle brands have had to recall their high-performance motorcycle offerings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

So far, we have seen recalls from Aprilia, Ducati, KTM, MV Agusta, and now Husqvarna.

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Recall

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Lineup Recalled Because Gears Might Break from High Impact

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Attention owners of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR motorcycles from the 2016 thru 2018 model yeas, as news has come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that roughly 4,000 of these machines might have issues with their gearboxes.

According to the recall, a high impact force can cause the transmission gears to break during shifting – specifically the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears in the gearbox.

First discovered in the Thai market, Kawasaki found upon further investigation that the strength of these gears was not sufficient, and could break under excessive force. As such, two warranty claims in the US have already been made for this issue.

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Recall

Harley-Davidson Recalling 174,000 Motorcycles Because Owners Might Be Bad at Basic Bike Maintenance

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Yup. You read that headline correctly, and thus here is our second recall notice of the day, and as you might expect, it is an interesting one.

Harley-Davidson is having to recall over 174,000 motorcycles because their brake components may form deposits internally if the brake fluid is not replaced after a prolonged period of time, i.e. beyond the two-year maintenance schedule specified by Harley-Davidson.

In total, 31 Harley-Davidson models are affected by this recall, namely the Touring, CVO Touring, and VSRC models that have ABS brakes equipped.

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Recall

Triumph Thruxton Recalled for Engine Stalls

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The Triumph Thruxton line is getting recalled today, for an issue that can cause the engine to stall. The recall affects 2,824 Thruxtons (both base model and R models), built for the 2016 through 2018 model years.

Specifically, the engine stall occurs when the throttle is opened or closed quickly, while the clutch lever is pulled in. Updating the bike’s ECU fixes this problem, according to Triumph, and helps stabilize the engine idle speed in this situations.

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Recall

Brembo Recall Hits Husqvarna FS450 Abroad, USA Next?

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The Brembo master cylinder continues to affects motorcycle brands with high-performance machines in their lineup, and now Husqvarna is part of the massive recall as well.

Though not listed by Brembo in its initial press statement as an affected OEM, Husqvarna does seem to have one model of motorcycle that uses the faulty master cylinder design: the track-only Husqvarna FS450 supermoto.

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Recall: Indian Roadmaster

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The Indian Motorcycle Company is recalling 7,392 units of its Roadmaster motorcycles, from the 2015 to 2017 model yeas. The recall stems from an issue with the wiring harness in the trunk, which is prone to water.

Because of the sealing plugs on the harness not sealing properly, it is possible for the brake light to short-circuit and to remain on, even when the brakes are not engaged.

To remedy the situation, Indian will notify affected Roadmaster owners, and Indian dealers will replace the trunk wiring harness with an updated harness that contains sealing plugs in the connectors, free of charge.

This recall is expected to begin January 30, 2018. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697, and reference Indian’s number for this recall, which is I-18-01.

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Recall

KTM Joins Massive Brembo Brake Master Cylinder Recall

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Now the fourth motorcycle manufacturer (1, 2, & 3) to issue a recall because of issues with its fitted Brembo brake master cylinder, KTM has the dubious task of informing 2,361 KTM 1290 Super Duke R (2015-2018) and KTM 1290 Super Duke GT (2016-2018) owners.

Like the other recalls before it, this one stems from certain 15mm and 16mm radial-pump brake master cylinders that have been fitted as an OEM part to a slew of high-performance motorcycles.

Because of a manufacturing defect, the plastic piston on these master cylinders – made from a polyphenylene sulphide polymer – may crack and brake under heavy load, severe ABS engagement, and/or during a tip-over.

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Suzuki GSX-R1000 Recalled for Possible Chain Breakage

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Recall news from Suzuki Motor of America, as Suzuki is recalling certain 2017-2018 Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycles, for an issue with its electronics and drivetrain. This problem affects roughly 3,100 motorcycles.

According to recall documents, the chain on the GSX-R1000 may break when upshifting between first and second gear. This occurs if the rider fails to engage second gear, and a neutral condition gets created, which may cause very high engine RPM.

If the rider then shifts into second gear, without disengaging the clutch, the motorcycle’s chain may stretch or break, which is an obvious safety hazard.

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Recall

Recall: Honda Gold Wing “Air Bag Inflator May Explode”

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Of all the words that you never want to see in a recall announcement, “explode” probably ranks pretty high on that list.

But, this is exactly what we saw for this recall that affects the 2009-2016 Honda Gold Wing models equipped with an airbag, as the “air bag inflator may explode,” according to the recall headline.

This recall is of course part of the ongoing set of recalls that affect vehicles equipped with Takata airbags – of note, the new 2018 Gold Wing Tour Airbag model does not use a Takata-made airbag.

In total, this recall only affects 960 units (2009-2010 and 2012-2016 model years), though this is the third time that Honda has had to issue a recall for its Gold Wing models, because of Takata.

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