Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Tag

NHTSA

Browsing
Recall

Recall: Honda Gold Wing Airbags

By No Comments

If you follow the four-wheeled world at all, you will know that there has been a massive recall for vehicles equipped with Takata airbags. The recall affects roughly 34 million vehicles in the United States, at last count, though more seem to be added each week, my own four-wheeler included.

The size of the recall is due mostly to the fact that Takata makes the majority of vehicle airbag systems, and their design is fairly universal. In fact, it’s so universal that Takata even powers the airbags found on the Honda Gold Wing, which brings us to this story.

For the same reason that millions of cars are being recalled, American Honda is recalling 2,701 Honda Gold Wing motorcycles that were equipped with an airbag feature.

Keep Reading
By
Recall

Triumph Street Twin Recall

By 2 Comments

You know what they say about first generation motorcycles…well, it looks like its teething problems for the Triumph Street Twin too, as the retro-styled street bike is being recalled for electrical/fuel problems.

According to Triumph’s recall notice with NHTSA, certain 2016 Triumph Street Twins (manufactured between September 7, 2015 and November 21, 2015) might have a defect in how they were wired.

Triumph says that the wiring in the fuel tank, which powers the fuel pump, may have damaged insulation; and as a result, the fuel may enter the wiring and travel down the harness, outside of the tank, and drip from the connector at the main harness. This can lead to a fuel leak, which could ignite.

Keep Reading
By
Dirt

Recall: Husqvarna TR650 Terra and TR650 Strada

By 3 Comments

Remember the Husqvarna TR650 Terra and the Husqvarna TR650 Strada? The ill-fated dual-sport models, along with the Husqvarna Nuda 900, came out just before Husqvarna was sold by BMW Motorrad to KTM’s Stefan Pierer.

In the USA, those models are now the responsibility of KTM North America, and as such Team Orange is recalling 1,015 units of the Terra/Strada duo.

The recall centers around bikes built between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013, which stall for an reasons that are still being determined.

Keep Reading
By
Recall

Recall: 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R

By 4 Comments

The 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R hasn’t been available for very long, but the venerable superbike already has its first recall. Affecting 805 units, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is being recalled for faulty steering damper bracket mounting bolts, which might break due to being over-tightened.

The recall affects ZX1000RGFAL, ZX1000RGFL, ZX1000SGFAL, and ZX1000SGFL models of the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, which were manufactured between October 28, 2015 and January 18, 2016.

Since the steering damper bracket could detach and interfere with the steering of the motorcycle, thus increasing the risk of a crash, Kawasaki USA has registered a recall with the NHTSA.

Keep Reading
By
Recall

Suzuki Recalling Over 68,000 Bikes for Electrical Issues

By 8 Comments

Suzuki Motor of America has issued a massive recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which affects 68,344 motorcycles. The range of bikes varies considerably (full list after the jump), but the recall stems around the same electrical issue.

According to the recall paperwork, Suzuki’s recalled motoryclces have a defect in the circuit board for their regulator/rectifier power module, which as a result may not charge the battery sufficiently.

Keep Reading
By
Recall

Honda Shadow Recall Affects 22,000+ Motorcycles

By No Comments

Honda has a fairly massive recall going for various iterations of its Honda Shadow cruiser model. In total, 22,142 motorcycles are affected by the Honda Shadow recall, ranging from 2010 to 2016 model years.

At issue is an engine vibration that may cause the bank angle sensor wire to rub against the wire harness joint connector. This can result in a loss of the sensor signal, which in-turn can cause the engine to stall and pose a safety hazard.

Keep Reading
By
Recall

Recall: Honda VFR1200F

By 2 Comments

Honda is recalling 1,825 Honda VFR1200F (2010 & 2012-2013 model year) motorcycles for a faulty universal joint in the driveshaft, which may have been manufactured or assembled incorrectly.

Because of the defect, the driveshaft’s universal joint bearings may prematurely wear, which can cause the universal joint to separate or break.

As you can imagine, if the universal joint separates, it could cause the motorcycle to stall. Even worse, if the universal joint breaks all-together, it could interfere with the swingarm, which could lock the rear wheel. Both scenarios create a safety issue, and thus a recall has been issued.

Keep Reading
By
Recall

Officially Official: 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 Recall

By 6 Comments

We have known that Yamaha USA is recalling all of the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 superbikes it sold this year, for quite some time, and hopefully today we can end our coverage of that situation, as NHTSA has finally published the recall for the R1 on its website.

As expected, the recall touches roughly 3,000 units (2,921 to be precise), and will involve Yamaha dealers dropping the four-cylinder engine from the motorcycle, and replacing the entire gearbox – a roughly 16-hour job for the service technician.

The recall affects all 2015 YZF-R1, YFZ-R1C, YZF-R1MF, and YZF-R1MFC models, which were made between August 1, 2014 and June 1, 2015. This recall of course does not affect any 2016 models, which will have the issue address while still at the factory.

Keep Reading
By
News

US Congress Passes Favorable Laws for Motorcyclists

By 34 Comments

Don’t say that the 114th US Congress hasn’t done anything for you, as the American Motorcyclists Association (AMA) is happy to report that our legislature has passed a $305 billion highway bill – The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act – which has a number of favorable provisions for motorcyclists.

The big wins come in the form of funding for recreational off-road trails, and the prohibition against motorcycle-only checkpoints, two growing concerns that the AMA has been involved in fighting.

Keep Reading
By
Recall

Recall: BMW C600 Sport Scooters

By 1 Comment

BMW Motorrad is recalling 1,953 units of its BMW C600 Sport scooters, model years 2013-2015, according to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The recall comes about as the BMW C600 Sport’s front brake hoses may kink or crack when turning the handlebars to the full left position repeatedly.

As is logical to deduce, a kink or crack in the brake hoses could lead to a loss of brake fluid and/or braking ability, which in turn could pose a safety concern for an operator.

Keep Reading
By
Recall

Honda Goldwing Recall for Faulty Back Brake, Again

By 1 Comment

Honda still seems to be having trouble with the brakes on its venerable tourer, the Honda Goldwing, as Big Red is once again recalling the Goldwing for a rear brake that continues to drag after it has been applied and released.

This edition of the recall affects over 145,000 motorcycles, ranging in model years from 2001 to 2015. Three Goldwing variants are included in the recall: the GL1800, GL1800A, and GL1800B.

Keep Reading
By