2002 Honda GL1800

WHILE RIDING BRAND NEW MOTORCYCLE IN TRAFFIC MY TEMPERATURE GUAGE "REDLINED". I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD FAIRLY QUICKLY WHERE I WAITED 30 MINUTES FOR TEMP TO COME DOWN. I THEN PROCEEDED WHEN MOTORCYCLER COOLED ENOUGH. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO CONTACT DEALER AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THEY ARE CLOSED SUNDAYS AND MONDAYS. I AM A MEMBER OF A LARGE "GOLDWING CLUB" AND HAVE READ ABOUT OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. HONDA'S REPLY IS THAT THE BIKE IS NOT OVERHEATING IT IS JUST A "PERCEPTION" THAT IT IS. THS WAS NO PERCEPTION ... THE GUAGE PEGGED OUT OVER THE REDLINE AND THERE WAS MUCH HEAT COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. THE GL1800 HAS AN AL BLOCK AND I AM CONCERNED THAT DAMAGE MAY BE DONE BY THE "PERCEIVED" OVERHEATING. HONDA WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE SITUATION AS I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEM AND THE ANSWERS THEY RECEIVE FROM HONDA. HOPEFULLY THE NHTSA WILL BE ABLE TO FORCE HONDA TO FIX THIS VERY REAL PROBLEM. THE VENT TUBE IS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF REAR TIRE! IF THE BIKE STARTS TO SPEW COOLANT IN FRONT OF TIRE THIS WILL BE A VERY SCARY, SLIPPERY RIDE! HELP. *AK

THIS MOTORCYCLE PEGS THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE IN THE RED WHENEVER IT IS IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC. IT HAS OVERFLOWED COOLANT ON ONE OCCASION. THIS IS VERY SCARY AND UNSAFE DUE TO THE COOLANT OVERFLOW BEING IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE. HONDA OF AMERICA REFUSES TO ADMIT THIS IS A PROBLEM AND WILL NOT REPAIR IT. I HAVE READ MANY MANY REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE. IT SEEMS TO BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL SUPOSE IT WILL TAKE SOMEONE HAVING AN ACCIDENT BEFORE HONDA WILL TAKE NOTICE. I HOPE NOT.*AK

THIS NEW GENERATION HONDA GOLDWING MOTORCYLE RELEASED FOR MODEL YEAR 2001 HAS A COOLING DESIGN DEFECT THAT CAUSES THE ENGINE TO DANGEROUSLY OVERHEAT WHEN CAUGHT IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. YESTERDAY, (JUNE 30, 2002) MYSELF AND TWO OTHERS ALSO HAVING 2002 GOLDWINGS WERE RETURNING FROM A TRIP AND FOUND OURSELVES IN A MAJOR TRAFFIC BACKUP IN A ROAD CONSTRUCTION AREA ON US INTERSTATE 35 SOUTH OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. ALL 3 GOLDWINGS OVERHEATED IN THE STOP AND GO, SINGLE LANE CONDITIONS. THERE WAS NOWHERE FOR ANY OF US TO SAFELY PULL OVER TO SHUT THE MOTORCYCLES OFF TO COOL. WE WERE ULTIMATELY FORCED TO DRIVE ON THE NARROE TEMPORARY RIGHT SHOULDER AT HIGH ENOUGH SPEEDS TO ALLOW THE RUSHING AIR TO COOL THE ENGINE ENOUGH TO KEEP IT FROM BLOWING UP. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS THOSE CAUGHT IN THE TRAFFIC BACKUP THOUGHT WE WERE TRYING TO DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER TO ELLUDE THE CONGESTION AND PEOPLE STARTED PULLING THEIR VEHICLES OUT IN FRONT OF US AS WE PROCEEDED ALONG THE SHOULDER STRIP. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD CONDITION WITH THIS SPECIFIC MODEL BIKE THAT HONDA IS FULLY AWARE OF YET REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT. THEY WON'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. HONDA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TELL EVERYONE CALLING IN ABOUT THIS ISSUE TO NOT WORRY ABOUT RIDING IT WITH THE TEMPERATURE NEEDLE IN THE RED ZONE UNLESS IT SPEWS COOLANT...EVEN THOUGH THE COOLANT OVERFLOW TUBE DISCHARGES THE COOLANT ON THE GROUND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE REAR WHEEL, WHICH IS ALSO A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AS THE ANTIFREEZE CAN CAUSE THE REAR TIRE TO LOSE GRIP ON THE ROADWAY. BY OFFICIALLTY ADVISING US ALL TO JUST KEEP RIDING WITH THE TEMPERATURE NEEDLE IN THE RED ZONE, HONDA IS DIRECTLY CONTRADICTING THE DIRECTIVE IN THE OWNERS MANUAL THAT STATES IF THE TEMPERATURE NEEDLE ENTERS THE RED TO ZONE TO IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. CONTINUING TO DRIVE WILL VOID THE WARRANTY. I HOPE YOU WILL HELP US ALL. IT'S HARD TO FIGHT A BIG CO WITHOUT HELP!*

THROTTLE STUCK OPEN IN THE MATTER OF FULL THROTTLE VERY HIGH RPMS . DRIVER LEFT THE ROADWAY . A GRASS AND DIRT SHOULDER IN ATTEMPTS TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN CAUSING 12 POINTS OF INITIAL CONTACT UNTIL VEHICLE AND DRIVER LANDED OFF ROADWAY NOT ENTERING A TRAFFICWAY AHEAD . INJURIES WHERE SERIOUS AND EMS WAS NOTIFIED .ACCIDENT # 020600158

I HAVE AN OVER HEATING PROBLEM WITH MY GOLD WING MOTORCYCLE. DEALER HAS DONE ALL HE CAN DO TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. HE HAS BEEN GREAT. BIKE WILL GIVE A INDICATION OF OVERHEATING BY THE TEMPERATURE DIAL GOING INTO THE RED OR HOT ZONE. HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HONDA AS THE DEALER SAYS HE CAN DO NOTHING MORE FOR ME. I HAVE LOST COOLANT FLUID ON 2 OCCASIONS. RESPONSE TO ME FROM HONDA IS THAT THE BIKE WILL DO THAT AND TO DRIVE IT AND NOT WORRY ABOUT IT UNLESS THERE HAS BEEN FLUID LOSS. IT OCCURS WHEN DRIVING AT 10-15 MPH IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC. ONCE SPEED GOES UP TO 30 MPH OR SO, GAUGE WILL SLOWLY COME DOWN. HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD BY HONDA THAT WHEN IT OCCURS THAT I SHOULD "PULL OVER AND LET BIKE COOL DOWN". MANY OTHER 01-02 GOLD WINGS HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND THE OTHER ONERS ARE GIVEN THE SAME ANSWERS THAT I GOT. IF THERE IS COOLANT LOST IT GOES DOWN OVERFLOW TUBE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF REAR WHEEL AND IS A SAFETY HAZARD. ALSO IN MANY PLACES YOU CANNOT JUST "PULL OVER AND STOP" DUE TO LACK OF SHOULDERS AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AMONG GOLD WING OWNERS. HONDA REFUSES TO ADMIT THERE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM. FANS BLOW AIR OUT FRONT OF BIKE UNTIL SPEEDS REACH 15 MPH THAN FANS TURN OFF. IF YOU ARE DRIVING AT 15 MPH IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC AND THERE IS A 15 MPH TAILWIND THERE IS NO AIR FLOW AND BIKE OVERHEATS. IF YOU ARE ON A HILL AND DUE TO TRAFFIC ARE FORCED TO REMAIN IN 1ST GEAR, BIKE WILL OVERHEAT IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES CAN BE DUPLICATED ON ANY 01-02 HONDA GOLDWING.*AK

AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 15-25MPH OVER A CONSTANT 5 TO 10 MINUTES PERIOD (TRAFFIC SITUATIONS) RESULTS IN THE OVERHEATING CONDITION (THE GUAGE READS IN THE RED ZONE). I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE IF THE AN OVERHEAT CONDITION RESULTS IN THE BIKE DISCHARGING ANTI-FREEZE, IT IS DISCHARGED IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE WHICH COULD CAUSE REDUCED ROAD TRACTION. THIS CONDITION IS CAUSING RIDERS TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN SOMETIMES DANGEROUS SITUTATIONS. HONDA RESPONSE IS TO IGNORE THE GAUGE AND RIDE ON EVEN THOUGH THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS OTHERWISE.*AK

THESE NEW GENERATION HONDA GL1800 GOLDWINGS (2001-2002) APPEAR TO HAVE A CONGENITAL DESIGN DEFECT IN THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM. THE ENGINE HAS TWO SIDE MOUNTED FANS THAT ARE CONTROLLED TO COME ON WHEN THE BIKE IS TRAVELLING AT 15MPH OR SLOWER BECAUSE THE RUSH OF AMBIENT AIR IS TOO SLOW TO COOL THE ENGINE BY ITSELF AT THOSE SLOW SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM EXISTS WHEN THE BIKE IS TRAVELING BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY 16 MPH AND 25 MPH. THE SPEEDS IN BETWEEN THE POINT WHERE THE FANS ARE CONTROLLED TO KICK IN (15MPH OR BELOW) AND THE POINT WHERE THE AMBIENT AIR IS FLOWING OVER THE ENGINE FAST ENOUGH TO COOL IT WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE FROM THE FANS. (25MPH) AFTER ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES OF DRIVING IN THESE CONDITIONS SUCH AS ONE REGULARLY FINDS IN HEAVY SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTS TO RAPIDLY CLIMB INTO THE RED "DANGER" ZONE. BOILOVER CAN OCCUR DEPENDING UPON WHETHER ONE IMMEDIATELY PULLS THE BIKE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO LET IT COOL,(WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS ON URBAN EXPRESSWAYS) OR FIND A WAY TO GET ON TO ANOTHER ROAD SOMEHOW WHERE SPEED CAN BE INCREASED TO COOL IT DOWN. THE COOLING SYSTEM DOES AN ADEQUATE JOB IN ALL OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES I'VE ENCOUNTERED SO FAR...OUTSIDE OF WHAT OCCURS FROM BEING IN THESE CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE AN ONGOING SPEED OF BETWEEN 16-25 MPH. TO THIS POINT, HONDA SEEMS CONTENT TO DISMISS THE ISSUE AS NOT BEING A PROBLEM. THEY NEED TO THERMOSTATICALLY TRIGGER WHEN THE FANS COME ON, BASED ON TEMPERATURE NOT SPEED OF TRAVEL, JUST LIKE THE DESIGN THEY HAD ON PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF GOLDWING MOTORCYCLES. THEY WORKED JUST GREAT.*AK