MV Agusta USA is recalling a grand total of 22 machines, because their fork axle carrier may have damaged threads, which can cause excessive play of the wheel clamping screw.
The recall affects only the F3 800, F3 800 RC, and Dragster 800 RC models from the MV Agusta 2018 model year lineup.
To remedy the situation, MV Agusta USA will notify affected owners, and MV Agusta dealers will inspect the threaded holes in the fork axle carriers, and if necessary replace the fork leg, free of charge.
I had to re-read the recall notice twice to make sure I was seeing things correctly – Suzuki actually changed something on the venerable DR-Z400 that necessitated a recall.
Jokes aside, this recall only affects 2018 model years DR-Z400SM & DR-Z400S motorcycles, and concerns their rear brake light.
According to recall documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the resin that fills the rear brake light may have adhered to the internal electrical contacts, and as such may cause the rear brake light not to illuminate.
Both of BMW Motorrad’s tiniest bikes are the victims of the German brand’s latest recall, as both models suffer from an issue with their chassis. In total, 2,376 motorcycles are affected by this recall.
According to recall documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the G310 platform has an issue with its frame and/or its kickstand, where repeated use or loading of the kickstand can see it become damaged.
Over time, the section of the frame that encases the kickstand bushing could eventually break, which could lead to an injury of the rider and/or passenger. As such, a recall has been started for the two motorcycle models.
The Indian Motorcycle Company is recalling a bunch of 2017-2018 Indian Scout motorcycles right now, which includes the Scout Sixty and and Scout Bobber variants.
All told, 4,185 motorcycles are affected by a recall that concerns the anti-locking brakes system (ABS), which may have air left in the system after the assembly process.
Since air in the brake lines can impact a motorcycle’s braking ability, Indian has decided to recall the affected machines, in order to ensure rider safety.
When it comes to fire hazards, Ducati hasn’t had the best track record in 2018, with the Panigale V4 already getting recalled for concerns with fuel igniting.
Now, the Ducati Supersport sees a recall because of a possibly flammable situation, as some 2017 & 2018 models have fuel-carrying hoses improperly routed, which could lead to the hoses melting and the fuel catching fire.
In total, the recall affects 1,462 units of both the Supersport and Supersport S models.
I always get a chuckle when I hear someone speculate as to why Tesla should, or eventually will, make an electric motorcycle.
Sharing such a notion betrays the fact that the speaker knows nothing about these two very different business sectors. The comparison isn’t even apples to oranges…it is more like apples to blowfish, but I digress.
The truth is Tesla is never going to build an electric motorcycle, and now Elon Musk has made that absolutely clear, but his reason for not pursuing an EV two-wheeler is perhaps the most important element in this equation.
I had to scroll back through our coverage to make sure it wasn’t my imagination, but it does seem like the Polaris Slingshot gets more than its fair share of safety recalls with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Well today, add another one to the list, as Polaris is recalling certain 2017-2018 Polaris Slingshot, Slingshot SL, Slingshot SLR, Slingshot SL Icon, and Slingshot GT LE motorcycles autocycles.
Potentially affecting 4,342 vehicles, the brake pedal on these Slingshot models may have been installed incorrectly, which could cause the brake pedal to separate from the brake master cylinder.
If that were to happen, the rider/driver (your state’s laws may vary) would lose braking ability, which is an obvious safety hazard.
Episode 78 of the Two Enthusiasts Podcast is out, and in it we talk about an omnibus list of topics.
As such, the show begins with some racing news, both for the Isle of Man TT and for the World Superbike Championship, with a conversation about Bosch’s safety thruster technology stuffed somewhere in-between those topics.
The conversation then turns to some timely news, namely the continued rumors that Honda is readying a V4 superbike, MV Agusta is building a Moto2 bike, Ducati will return to Pikes Peak, and Alta Motors entering the Erzberg Rodeo.
We then shift gears into a long conversation about the rising trend of motorcycle fatalities, when compared to total on-road vehicle deaths.
The show finishes with a look at how profitable halo superbikes can be for motorcycle manufacturers, and how that could be the future of sport bike sales.
You can listen to the show via the embedded SoundCloud player, after the jump, or you can find the show on iTunes (please leave a review) or this RSS feed. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well.
We hope you will join the conversation, and leave us some audio comments at our new email address: twoenthusiasts@gmail.com.
Owners of 2018 model year Triumph Street Triple motorcycles should take note of the latest recall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as it concerns 1,242 units from the British brand.
Affecting the R and RS Street Triple models, the recall stems from the left-hand side combination switch, which might malfunction when saturated by water. This can cause the turn signal switch and the headlight switch to malfunction.
You are driving down a road with questionable conditions, and as you round a bend, you see a minefield of gravel the path of your motorcycle.
For anyone who has ridden the backroads of America, this scenario should be one that is familiar, and while a certain amount of rider skill can navigate you to safety, if you hit a gravel patch while leaned-over, the physics simply aren’t on the side of the motorcycle.
According to the CNET though, the folks at Bosch want to change that, and it seems that Bosch has a novel concept in the works – straight from NASA and the space program. The idea is both simple and complex. It is compressed gas thrusters.
Every year the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) releases data about motorcycle fatalities in the United States. The results are never that surprising, and despite some fluctuations year-to-year, the basic takeaways are always the same.
Motorcyclists are way more likely to die (28x more likely per mile traveled) than automobile drivers and passengers; fatal motorcycle crashes are more likely to involve alcohol than other vehicle fatalities (25% vs. 21% for passenger cars); and motorcycle fatalities closely correlate to new motorcycle sales.
The figures are of course important, but reporting the results is an exercise in playing a broken record, over and over again. Except for one statistic that caught our eye this year: motorcycle fatalities as a percentage of overall vehicle fatalities.