The effects of the Öhlins suspension recalls continue to amount, and to no one’s surprise it has finally come to affect the Italian superbikes of Ducati.
As such, Ducati North America is recalling certain 2014 model year Ducati 1199 Panigale S, Ducati Panigale R, and Ducati Superleggera motorcycles for faulty rear shocks.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association’s (GHSA) projections, motorcycle fatalities are set to fall for the second year in a row.
The GHSA report projections come from data set in 2014, and it suggests that once tallied, we will know that 4,584 fatalities occurred in 2014.
That figure is 1.8% less than 2013’s fatality count of 4,668. This is the second year in a row that motorcycle fatalities have dropped, and only the third decrease in fatalities since 1997.
While this trend is good news, the GHSA is quick to point out that motorcycle fatalities are still 26% higher than they were 10 years ago, a staggering figure since other motor vehicle fatalities are 28% lower.
Another bike is affected by the Öhlins suspension failure, as American Honda has submitted what it calls the Honda CBR1000S (that’s the CBR1000RR SP for everyone else) for recall with the NHTSA.
In total 504 units are affected by Honda’s recall, which applies to 2014 motorcycles made between December 9, 2013 and to March 28, 2014, and to 2015 motorcycles made between October 20, 2014 and February 27, 2015.
The Öhlins suspension recall continues to affect motorcycle manufacturers, as Triumph is now recalling two of its models, the Daytona 675 R and Speed Triple R, for faulty Swedish shocks.
For Triumph, the recall only affects 566 units — those models that were built between January 1, 2014 and April 1, 2015 — and it will commence on May 15th of this year.
When Öhlins announced that it was recalling certain aftermarket shocks and steering dampers earlier this year, the obvious question was whether it would affect motorcycles that were equipped with the Swedish suspension from the factory, namely the new Ducati 1299 Panigale and the Yamaha YZF-R1M.
While a recall was expected for both machines, so far we only have word from Yamaha USA that the R1M will be recalled to replace the Öhlins shock. The recall only affects 350 units for Yamaha, a figure that likely indicates the total number of R1M motorcycles in the USA.
KTM North America is recalling 409 units of its 2015 KTM 690 Enduro R motorcycles for a rear brake line that may have been damaged during the assembly process.
The recall affects only bikes made between November 1, 2014 and February 28, 2015, and specifically deals with the rear brake line that goes from the ABS pressure modulator to the foot brake cylinder. The alleged damage is caused by contact with the spring clamp of the crank case ventilation hose.
Because a damaged brake line may cause the loss of rear braking ability, and thus increase the likelihood of a crash, KTM has filed a recall with the NHTSA.
Harley-Davidson has issued a recall with the NHTSA that affects 45,901 motorcycles, all of which might have a faulty clutch master cylinder that doesn’t have enough force to disengage the clutch, especially if the motorcycle hasn’t been operated in a while.
The recall affects the following models, all of which were manufactured between April 28th, 2014, and October 24th, 2014: Electra Glide Ultra Classic, Electra Glide Ultra Classic – Twin Cooled, Ultra Limited, Police Electra Glide, Street Glide, Street Glide Special, CVO Street Glide, Electra Glide Ultra Classic Low, Ultra Limited Low, Electra Glide Ultra Classic Low – Twin Cooled, Road Glide Special, Road Glide, and CVO Road King.
Italian electric motorcycle company Energica is reporting that its Ego sport bike is now ready to be legally sold in the United States, since it has now passed NHTSA accreditation and EPA certification.
This means that the US market now has a new player in the two-wheeled EV world — one that we can confidently say has some well-executed technologies and a powerful on-road presence (read our full review here).
Yamaha Motor USA issued a recall for several motorcycles — FJ-09, FZ-09, FZ6R, Super Ténéré, Super Ténéré ES, and YZF-R6 — that were manufactured between September 1, 2014 and November 17, 2014.
The cause of the recall, which affects 4,900 units, is an incorrectly manufactured shift cam segment stopper, which has a sharp edge instead on the inside of the bend, instead of a smooth radius.
Because of this, the stopper can crack and possibly fracture where the edge is sharp, which in turn would cause the transmission not to shift properly.
If you’re an first-generation Ducati Multistrada 1200 owner (2010–2014), then this recall is for you.
Ducati North America is recalling 5,962 units of the adventure-sport machine, all because the inner sleeve of the opening throttle cable may move and prevent the full closing of the throttle.
A particularly dangerous potential event, if the throttle can’t be fully closed, there is risk that the rider could lose control of the motorcycle and possibly crash.
If you’ve bought an Öhlins shock or Öhlins steering damper in the last year and half or so, you may want to check your part’s serial number as it may be affected one of the two recalls Öhlins just issued for the company’s aftermarket suspension pieces.