2003 Honda VTX1300

NEW VEHICLE PURCHASED IN SEPT 2002. A HONDA MOTORCYCLE, MODEL YEAR 2003 VTX1300 RETRO WAS PURCHASED AND LATER WAS FOUND TO HAVE RED SPEEDOMETER LIGHTS FOR NIGHT RIDING. THE LIGHTS ARE DIM AND DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT, WHICH MAKES THE SPEEDOMETER USELESS AT NIGHT. I HAVE ASKED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT CHANGING THE LIGHTS AND THERE ARE NO SEPARATE PARTS AVAILABLE. I CALLED THE AMERICAN HONDA IN CALIFORNIA, THE IMPORTER, AND THEY REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALER, TO SEE IF THEY ARE WORKING CORRECTLY. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY ARE RED DIODES AND BY NATURE ARE HARD TO SEE. THERE IS NO WAY TO CHANGE THE COLOR OR INTENSITY. I HAVE A CLASS B LICENSE AND A MOTORCYCLE RATING. I HAVE NO VISION RESTRICTIONS ON MY LICENSE. I HAVE PASSED THE VISION TESTS WITHOUT GLASSES. I HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME READING THE SPEEDOMETER AT NIGHT.

THERE HAS BEEN A WOBBLE IN THE FRONT OF MY 2003 HONDA VTX 1300 RETRO FROM THE FIRST DAY I OWNED IT. I HAVE HAD THE WHEELS TRUED AND NEW TIRES INSTALLED. IT IS BETTER BUT IT STILL WOBBLES. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO SEVERAL DEALERS AND THE STOCK RESPONSE IS "WE HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT A PROBLEM LIKE THIS." OR "HONDA SAYS TO HOLD ONTO YOUR HANDLE BARS TIGHTER." THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FROM A COMPANY THAT HAS BUILT IT'S REPUTATION ON QUALITY. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE.*AK

THE SPEEDOMETER ON THIS VEHICLE IS OFF ABOUT 10 PERCENT, READING ON THE HIGH SIDE. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE NECESSARY CONSTANT MENTAL CALCULATIONS ARE A DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING IN BUSY TRAFFIC. DRIVING ACCORDING TO THE INDICATED SPEED PUTS ONE AT VERY INCREASED DANGER OF BEING REAR-ENDED WHILE OBSTRUCTING TRAFFIC. THERE IS ALSO THE LEGAL LIABILITY OF INCORRECTLY ADJUSTING FOR THE INDICATED SPEED.*AK

I OWN A 2003 HONDA VTX 1300S MOTORCYCLE AND I HAVE A WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END WHEN I DECELERATE IN THE 45-40 MPH RANGE. THIS WOBBLE ALSO HAPPENS IN TURNS AND CAN GREATLY EFFECT THE STEERING THROUGH A TURN. THIS HAS BEEN A CONSTANT SITUATION SINCE I FIRST BOUGHT THE BIKE. I'VE HAD THE WHEELS CHECKED FOR TRUE AND BALANCE AND THE STEERING HEAD BEARING CHECKED A NUMBER OF TIMES FOR THE CORRECT TORQUE. ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN DONE BY LAWRENCEVILL HONDA, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. *AK *SC

MOTORCYCLE'S TIRES WEAR DOWN UNEVENLY ON THE LEFT SIDE.*MR THE MOTORCYCLE DEVELOPED A TERRIBLE FRONT WHEEL AND FORK WOBBLE DUE TO TIRES (DUNLOP 404) THAT WORE UNEVENLY ON THE LEFT SIDE, AFTER ONLY 6000 MILES ON THE ORIGINAL TIRES, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TREAD WAS DOWN TO 2MM WHILE THE RIGHT WAS ABOUT 5MM. AT 7000 MILES THE LEFT SIDE WAS DOWN TO 1MM AND THE RIGHT WAS 4-5MM. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA VTX 1300 S RETRO. I FIRST NOTICED THE FRONT END WOBBLE AT 450 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT STARTS BETWEEN 38 TO 45 MILES PER HOUR. YOU CAN REALLY NOTICE IT WHEN YOU HOLD A CONSTANT SPEED OF 40 MILES PER HOUR. AT THIS SPEED THE HANDLE BARS SHAKE RIGHT IN YOUR HANDS. IF YOU INCREASE THE SPEED TO 50 AND LET GO OF THE BARS YOU CAN SEE THE BARS SHAKE BACK AND FORTH WITH ABOUT 5 TO 8 INCHES OF SIDE TO SIDE PLAY UNTIL YOU GET DOWN TO AROUND 35 MPH. EVEN WITH YOUR HANDS ON THE BARS YOU CAN FEEL THE SIDE TO SIDE MOTION AT THESE SPEEDS. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALER AND HE SAID HE NEVER HEARD ABOUT IT AND THEN HE TOOK OFF THE FRONT WHEEL AND CHECKED THE WEIGHTS ON THE TIRES AND TRUENESS. HE ADDED MORE WEIGHTS AND IT STILL DID IT. I KNOW HAVE 2600 MILES ON THIS BIKE WITH THE PROBLEM STILL HERE. I TOOK IT TO 2 OTHER HONDA DEALERS AND THEY WILL NOT EVEN LOOK AT IT BECAUSE I DID NOT BUY IT THERE BUT THEY SAID ANY OTHER PROBLEMS OTHER THAN THAT THEY CAN " HELP " ME WITH. THE MORE MILES THAT GETS ON THIS BIKE THE WORSE IT GETS. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. EVERYONE THAT I TALK TO THAT HAS THIS TYPE OF BIKE IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM.*AK