2004 Honda VTX1300

RADIAL BALL BEARING FAILURE ON FINAL DRIVE HUB. FAILURE UNDER NORMAL WEAR ON 3 DIFFERENT MOTORCYCLES, ALL FAILURES HAPPENED UNDER 5000 MILES AND EVEN REPLACEMENT PARTS NEW FROM OEM HAD FAILED BEARINGS BEFORE INSTALL. PART NUMBER IS 91053-MN5-003 (BEARING) AND 42630-MCH-000 (DRIVE FLANGE). THIS PROBLEM IS BEING REPORTED BY DOZENS ON A HONDA VTX INTERNET BOARD. MANY ARE FINDING THAT EVEN NEW OEM PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE AS NEW PARTS BEFORE INSTALL. SOME HAVE LOOKED INTO WHY THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS AND IT IS BELIEVED THE TOLERANCE IN THE FLANGE IS INCORRECT, CAUSING THE BEARING TO DEFORM UPON BEING PRESS INTO THE FLANGE HUB. ALSO NOTE THAT THE MODEL IS NOT ON THE LIST FOR HONDA MOTORCYCLES ON THIS BOARD. I SELECTED HONDA VTX 1300 AS THIS IS THE MODEL FOR THIS COMPLAINT, BUT THE MOTOR SIZE SHOULD BE 1800.

AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR THE FRONT END STARTS TO SHAKE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO ON DECELERATION TO ABOUT 30. SINCE THIS IS ON A MOTORCYCLE AND THERE ARE ENOUGH DANGERS RIDING I FEEL THAT THIS PUTS ME IN THAT MUCH MORE DANGER. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MAKE OF MOTORCYCLE AND THEY ALSO HAVE CONFIRMED THIS SAME PROBLEM. *JB

I HAVE VERIFIED THAT MY SPEEDOMETER IS OFF BY AT LEAST 10% BY USING RADAR AND A GPS. SINCE THIS IS ON A MOTORCYCLE AND THERE ARE ENOUGH DANGERS RIDING I FEEL THAT THIS PUTS ME IN THAT MUCH MORE DANGER DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAVE TO LOOK DOWN AT THE SPEEDOMETER, THEN TAKE THAT NUMBER AND CALCULATE MY ACTUAL SPEED. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MAKE OF MOTORCYCLE AND THEY ALSO HAVE CONFIRMED THIS SAME PROBLEM. *JB

STEERING PROBLEM - STEERING WHEEL/HANDLEBARS: FRONT HANDLEBARS WOBBLE TO THE POINT OF BEING UNCONTROLABLE AT BETWEEN SPEEDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. THIS HAPPENED RECENTLY WHILE EXITING A HIGHWAY AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND END UP GOING OFF OF THE HIGHWAY. IT IS USUALLY NOT AS NOTICABLE WHEN YOU HOLD ON TO THE HANDLEBAR TIGHTLY WITH BOTH HANDS, BUT WHEN YOU HOLD IT WITH ONE HAND, OR IF YOU SHOULD HAVE AN OCCASION TO LET GO ALL-TOGETHER SUCH AS IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, YOU MAY DEFINITELY HAVE AN ACCIDENT IF TRAVELING AT SPEED OF 35 TO 45 MILES PER HOUR, DUE TO THIS OBVIOUS AND COMMON DEFECT IN THIS POPULAR MOTORCYCLE. NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THE SAME FAILURE AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED, WITH AT LEAST ONE HAVING CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT IN THE STANDARD STATE OF DENIAL. I HAVE TRIED AT THE SUGGESTION DIFFERENT AIR PRESSURES IN THE FRONT TIRES TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE ALSO RECENTLY BEEN ABLE TO NARROW THE SPEED DOWN TO MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR RIGHT AROUND 40 MPH.*AK THE CONSUMER WAS GOING AROUND A CORNER AT 45 MPH AND HAD AN ACCIDENT INTO A BARROW PIT. AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED IT STILL HAD PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED ANOTHER MOTORCYLE THE SAME AS THE FIRST AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TC

10% DIFFRENCE IN SPEEDOMETOR. I FEEL WHIL IT IS WRONG I WOULD BE INJURED BY LOOK AT IT WHILE RIDING AND TRYING TO CALCULATE THE DIFFRENCE IN SPEED...AM I GOING TO FAST FASTER THAN THE SPEED LIMIT ALLOWS...WILL IT RESULT IN A CRASH AS I TRY TO GIGURE THE DIFFRENCE OF SPEED ... THE DEALER IS UNWILLING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM... I HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT ON SEVERAL OCASSIONS ONE MOST RECENT. *AK

SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT THE BIKE, THE SPEEDOMETER HAS READ HIGH BY ABOUT 10% (CHECKED BY GPS). IF THE SPEEDOMETER READS 60MPH, I AM ACTUALLY GOING ABOUT 54MPH. DOING THE CALCULATIONS IN MY HEAD TO GET AN ACCURATE SPEED READING ARE A DISTRACTION AND TAKE MY CONCENTRATION OFF THE ROAD. WHEN I FIRST GOT THE BIKE, THAT SPEEDOMETER PUT ME IN A BAD SPOT WITH CARS PASSING ME AT THIER NORMAL TO HIGHER SPEEDS WHILE I WAS UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT. A BAD AND DANGEOUS COMBINATION THAT COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITH INJURIES OR FATALITIES. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. LETTERS TO HONDA HAVE BEEN INEFFECTIVE.*AK