2001 Honda GL1800 Owner Complaints

On 06/26/2021, Approx 4pm. Traffic heavy. Speed 20 mph or less. This caused consistent brake use. Rear brakes locked up. I was very close to the right edge of the road and bike stopped. I quickly activated emergency flashers and avoided any incident. This bike has ABS. There was a service recall performed about 4 yrs ago- at Barneys MC shop, St Petersburg- related to brakes. I was able to shut off the bike twice. Pumped/tapped FR/R brakes twice and the brakes finally released. No further incident. Will have bike inspected tomorrow. No warning lamps. This bike has very low mileage at 21,000.

NHTSA ID

11422482

Incident

Jun 26, 2021

CHAMPION SIDE CAR TRIKE KIT FRAME FAILURE ON A GL1800 WITH ONLY 28.K MILES AND NO ACCIDENTS.

NHTSA ID

11000691

Incident

Jun 13, 2017

Mileage

28,500 mi

I BOUGHT A 1800 HONDA GOLDWING TOURING BIKE 2-3 YEARS AGO HAD A BRAKE RECALL AND STILL DO? MINE WAS WORKED ON TWICE? AFTER I BOUGHT I DROVE IT 54 MILES THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP PULLING ME IN THE DITCH? FLIPPING THE BIKE AND SENDING IT END OVER END TOTAL? THAT WAS ALL DON,T BEFORE I GOT OUT OF THE ER AND HOSPITOL....UPDATED 06/21/17 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND SOLD. UPDATED 08/04/2017*JS

NHTSA ID

11000149

Incident

Jul 21, 2015

Mileage

52 mi

ON 3/27/17 DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING IN MY GARAGE, I REMOVED THE SIDE COVERS AND FOUND THE FRAME WAS BROKEN COMPLETELY APART ON BOTH SIDES OF THE MOTORCYCLE. FRAME BRAKE WAS IN THE LOWER TUBE SECTION OF THE REAR TRIANGLE OF MAIN FRAME DIRECTLY AFT OF THE WELD. THIS IS A KNOWN WEAK SPOT, SINCE HONDA REINFORCED THIS AREA OF THE ALUMINUM FRAME IN MID-2004. THIS BREAK WAS REPORTED TO HONDA POWERSPORTS CUSTOMER SERVICE IN TORRANCE, CA ON 3/28/17. HAD THE BROKEN FRAME INSPECTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY AUTHORIZED HONDA SERVICE MANAGER 3/31/17. NOW WAITING TO HEAR FROM HONDA.

NHTSA ID

10970451

Incident

Mar 27, 2017

Mileage

179,971 mi

HAD BRAKE RECALL WORK DONE AT HONDA DEALERSHIP. AFTER THAT & HAS TEMP GOT HOTTER I DEVELOPED A EXTREMELY VIOLENT BRAKE SHUTTER.RETURNED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY NOTIFIED HONDA AND ATTEMPTED TO REWORK THE BRAKES BUT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET GOLDWING BRAKE SHUDDERING & FOUND OUT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM & HONDA IS AWARE OF IT.CALLED HONDA CS TOLD THEM WHAT IT WAS DOING. THEY INFORM ME IF I READ MY OWNER MANUAL ON BRAKE OPERATIONS THAT IT'S OPERATOR ERROR .I HAVE OWNED THIS BIKE SINCE IT WAS NEW. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT BRAKE COMBINATION YOU USE FRONT/REAR /SIMULTANEOUSLY IT CREATES THE SHUTTER. THIS STARTS WHEN THE TEMP GETS ABOVE 80 DEGREES IT DOES NOT MATTER SLOW OR HIGH SPEEDS IN CURVES OR TURNING A CORNER OR ONTO A PARKING LOT YOU HAVE TO RELEASE THE BRAKE TO GET IT TO STOP. THIS PROBLEM DID NOT START UNTIL AFTER THE RECALL WORK WAS DONE.THERE IS STILL SOME KIND OF BRAKE PROBLEM WITH THE GOLDWING GL 1800. I GUESS IT WILL TAKE SOMEONE GETTING KILLED BEFORE HONDA DOES SOMETHING ABOUT. I WISH YOU'D DO SOME RESEARCH ON THE BRAKE SHUTTERING. JUST LOOK UP GOLDWING BRAKE SHUTTER IT STARTED 2002 AND GOES TO 2015. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS FILED A COMPLAINT?

NHTSA ID

10885934

Incident

Jun 11, 2016

Mileage

23,153 mi

ENGINE STOP SWITCH IS OVERLY SENSITIVE. IF MOTORCYCLE HITS A BUMP THE ENGINE MAY SHUT OFF. IF SWITCH IS TOUCHED IT WILL STOP ENGINE.

NHTSA ID

10838942

Incident

Jan 20, 2016

Mileage

156,000 mi

I PURCHASED MY 2001 GOLDWING 1800 USED FROM A LOCAL DEALER IN PLAINFIELD, CT. THE GOLDWING WAS SOLD TO ME WITH THE STEREO SYSTEM INSTALLED WHICH INCLUDED THE 5 DISC CD CHANGER UNDER THE REAR TRUNK. FROM DAY 1 I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS CD CHANGER NOT WORKING CORRECTLY, BECOMING JAMMED UP WITH ALL 5 DISCS IN ONE SLOT, ETC. I HAD TAKEN OUT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM THE DEALERSHIP BUT ALL THEY EVER TOLD ME WAS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. THEY DID PROVIDE ME WITH A PRINT OUT OF ALL OF THE WORK DONE FOR THE PREVIOUS OWNER WHICH ALSO SHOWED THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE CD CHANGER BUT THEY REPLACED IT TWICE FOR HIM YET NOTHING WAS EVER DONE TO HELP WITH MY PROBLEM EXCEPT " WE ARE LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM." SINCE THEN THE DEALERSHIP HAS FOLDED AND A NEW OWNER IS RUNNING THE PLACE AND OF COURSE THEY ARE NOT BACKING ANYTHING THAT THE OLD DEALERSHIP DID OR SAID ( CAN NOT BLAME THEM THERE THOUGH!) I WAS TOLD BY SOMEONE THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF A RECALL ON THE CD CHANGER WHICH IS MADE BY PIONEER, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO GET THIS FIXED, REPAIRED, REPLACED, ANYTHING?? *TR

NHTSA ID

10395158

Incident

Apr 15, 2009

Mileage

60,000 mi

METZELER ME880 MARATHON, 180/60R16, FOR HONDA GL1800 REAR TIRE OUT OF ROUND CAUSING MOTORCYCLE TO SHIMMY. TIRE WAS INSTALLED SUMMER OF 2009. SHIMMY BEGAN AFTER TIRE MILEAGE ABOUT 5,000. THERE WAS NO DETECTABLE DEFLECTION IN TIRE, BUT PROBLEM STEADILY GOT WORSE. TIRE WAS CHECKED FREQUENTLY, PRESSURE CHECKED DAILY (KEPT AT 42PSI). AT ABOUT 9500 MILES ON TIRE, SHIMMY GOT WORSE, AND TIRE FOUND TO HAVE OVER 1/2 IN. RADIAL AND AXIAL RUNOUT. THIS IS THIRD METZELER ON MY GL1800. 1ST ONE, SUMMER OF 2006, HAD SLIGHT SHIMMY FROM START, LASTED ONLY 925 MILES - BLOWOUT FROM ROAD DEBRIS. HAD THAT TIRE REPLACED BY HONDA DEALER IN FERGUS FALLS, MINNESOTA. REPLACEMENT TIRE HAD NO SHIMMY UNTIL ABOUT 800 MILES. SHIMMY WORLENED UNTIL DANGEROUS CONDITION AND TIRE REPLACED WITH DIFFERENT BRAND. E-MAIL SENT TO METZELER WITH NO RESPONSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10358058

Incident

Aug 20, 2009

MOTORCYCLE, HONDA GOLDWING, 2001 LEFT FRAME CRACK: THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF FRAMES BEING CRACKED AND UPON INSPECTION OF MY MOTORCYCLE FRAME I NOTICED THAT I HAVE THE IDENTICAL CRACK IN MY FRAME. THE CRACK IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE LEFT PASSENGER FOOTREST AND IS VISIBLE BY REMOVING THE REAR TIRE AND VIEWING IT FROM UNDER THE BIKE. THE CRACK EXTENDS DOWN FROM A WELD THAT ATTACHES THE LOWER LEFT REAR SUPPORT TUBE TO THE CENTER SECTION OF THE FRAME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10325068

Incident

Apr 11, 2010

Mileage

93,457 mi

THE VEHICLE IS A 2001 HONDA GL1800 MOTORCYCLE WITH 56300 MILES. VEHICLE WAS RECALLED FOR POSSIBLE WELD DEFECTS IN THE FRAME SEVERAL YEARS AGO. VEHICLE PASSED INSPECTION. NO WELD DEFECTS OR CRACKS WERE FOUND AT THAT TIME. UPON DOING CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE OVER THE PAST 10 DAYS I DISCOVERED A CRACK IN A FRAME WELD. THE CRACK IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF A WELD AND EXTENDS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 INCHES. THE CRACK IS AT THE JUNCTION OF A TUBULAR PROTRUBANCE OFF THE MAIN FRAME AND TUBULAR SUPPORT FOR THE MOTORCYCLE SEAT. THE ALUMINUM TUBULAR SUPPORT IS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MOTORCYCLE. I HAVE NOTIFIED AMERICAN HONDA IN CALIFORNIA. THE MOTORCYCLE IS AT THE FOX VALLEY HONDA DEALERSHIP IN AURORA, ILLINOIS. FOX VALLEY HONDA IS NOTIFYING THE DISTRICT MANAGER WHO WILL EVALUATE THE FRAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10258275

Incident

Feb 1, 2009

Mileage

56,300 mi

I'VE BEEN KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE FRAME ISSUES SINCE I HAVE AN EARLY '01 STANDARD. DURING THE ONE RECALL THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE WELDS WERE TOO SMALL AND HAD THEM REPAIRED PER THE SERVICE BULLETIN. THEN LATER THEY FOUND A CRACK ON THE LEFT CROSSMEMBER ABOVE THE BATTERY WHERE WE'VE SEEN OTHERS CRACKED. THE DEALER CHECKED WITH HONDA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FRAME AND HONDA SAID NO. THE DEALER DID REPAIR THE FRAME BY WELDING AND SPRAYED SILVER PAINT OVER THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. NOW THREE YEARS LATER AND OUT OF BOTH THE ORIGINAL AND EXTENDED WARRANTIES I FOUND ANOTHER CRACK. THIS ONE EXTENDS FROM THE WELD AFT OF LEFT SIDE REAR FLOOR BOARD. IT IS JUST STARTING TO GROW WITH SEVERAL CRACKS EXTENDING AFT ABOUT AN INCH. THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO CRACKS EXTENDING FROM THE WELD ON THE SUBFRAME. I HAVE CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER AND HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH NO COMMENT FROM EITHER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10244765

Incident

Aug 20, 2008

Mileage

650,000 mi

ON MY 2001 HONDA GOLDWING GL1800 MY FRAME IS CRACKED ON THE LEFT SIDE ABOVE THE PASSENGER FOOTREST. THIS CRACK WAS FOUND TODAY SEPT.22 2008. I WAS TOLD TO GO AHEAD AND REPORT THIS PROBLEM WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT. I WILL BE CONTACTING AMERICAN HONDA AS SOON AS I GO TO MY DEALER AND LET THEM INSPECT MY MOTORCYCLE. I DO NOT WANT MY FRAME PATCHED UP. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT HONDA IS AWARE OF ON ALL OF THEIR 2001 THROUGH 2004 HONDA GOLDWINGS. THE ONLY REPAIR IS A FRAME REPLACEMENT WITH AN UPDATED FRAME. THIS REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS VEHICLE HAD A FRAME RECALL IN 2002 WHICH HONDA DID A PATCH REPAIR REWELD ON THE UNDERNEATH CROSSMEMBER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10243113

Incident

Sep 22, 2008

Mileage

62,800 mi

I'VE BEEN KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE FRAME ISSUES SINCE I HAVE AN EARLY '01 STANDARD. DURING THE ONE RECALL THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE WELDS WERE TOO SMALL AND HAD THEM REPAIRED PER THE SERVICE BULLETIN. THEN LATER THEY FOUND A CRACK ON THE LEFT CROSSMEMBER ABOVE THE BATTERY WHERE WE'VE SEEN OTHERS CRACKED. THE DEALER CHECKED WITH HONDA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FRAME AND HONDA SAID NO. THE DEALER DID REPAIR THE FRAME BY WELDING AND SPRAYED SILVER PAINT OVER THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. NOW THREE YEARS LATER AND OUT OF BOTH THE ORIGINAL AND EXTENDED WARRANTIES I FOUND ANOTHER CRACK. THIS ONE EXTENDS FROM THE WELD AFT OF LEFT SIDE REAR FLOOR BOARD. IT IS JUST STARTING TO SHOW WITH SEVERAL HAIR LINE CRACKS EXTENDING AFT ABOUT AN INCH IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LOCATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10239119

Incident

Aug 20, 2008

Mileage

64,999 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE FUEL INJECTOR FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE FUEL PUMP TO SHUT DOWN AUTOMATICALLY. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT AN FI LIGHT WAS SUPPOSED TO ILLUMINATE ON THE MOTORCYCLE PRIOR TO FAILURE OF THE FUEL INJECTOR; HOWEVER THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE A LIGHT ILLUMINATED.

NHTSA ID

10166755

Incident

Aug 28, 2006

Mileage

38,000 mi

THERE IS A NOTICEABLE WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END OF MY 2001 HONDA GL1800 AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. IT WASN'T THERE WITH THE FIRST TIRE I HAD, DUNLOP. IT HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS THE FRONT TIRE AGES. THIS IS SUBMITTED IN SUPPORT OF ODI#10135765. *NM

NHTSA ID

10136112

Incident

Aug 14, 2004

Mileage

17,000 mi

FRAME TUBBING FRACTURE IN THE REAR TRIANGLE OF THE MAIN FRAME ON THE EDGE OF A WELD. NOTE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE POINT ON THIS MODEL OF HONDA GOLDWING WHICH OCCURS IN THE TUBING AT THE EDGE OF THE WELD TO A FRAME CASTING.*AK NO REPAIR IS RECOMENDED ON THIS 7003 TYPE OF ALUMINUM WHEN THE FAILURE IS OUTSIDE OF THE WELD

NHTSA ID

10114054

Incident

Mar 11, 2005

Mileage

44,500 mi

FRONT BRAKE ANTILOCKED UP. WHEN HITTING A SEVERE BUMP IN THE ROAD, NOT A POTHOLE, THE LEFT FORK SEAL BLEW OUTWARD, RELEASING A MASSIVE AMOUT OF SUSPENSION OIL COVERING THE LEFT FRONT OF THE BIKE INCLUDING SATURATING THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. I REPLACED THE FAILED SEAL WITH A NEW ONE AND EXAMINED THE ANTI DIVE VALVE FOR OPERATION. IT OPERATED NORMALY AT THAT TIME, BUT ON FURTHER EXAMANATION AT A LATER DATE WAS FOUND TO AGAIN BE LOCKED UP, AND AT THAT TIME I REPLACES THE DEFFECTIVE PLUNGER MECHANISM ON THE TOP OF THE ANTI DIVE UNIT THAT OPERATES IT WITH FRONT BRAKE PRESSURE. NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATES. INITIAL FAILURE WAS IN LATE 2003, AND THE SECOND WAS IN LATE 2004. *AK

NHTSA ID

10104604

Incident

Oct 1, 2004

Mileage

32,000 mi

MOTORCYCLE TIRE: AVON VENOM FOR HONDA GL1800 GOLDWING REAR TIRE 1.TIRE CRACKED AND TREAD SEPERATED- LESS THAN 5000 MILES 2. TIRE HAD BULGE IN TREAD, READY TO SEPERATE-LESS THAN 5K MILES 3. TIRE IS GETTING BULGE IN IT, CAN FEEL WHEN RIDING-LESS THAN 2000MILES ALL OF THESE WERE REPLACED BY AVON. I OWN A SMALL MOTORCYCLE SHOP AND HAVE HEARD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.*AK SOME ONE WILL DIE BECAUSE OF THESE TIRES. I ASKED THE REP. AT AVON IF THIS WAS A PROBLEM AND HE DENIED THERE IS A PROBLEM. I ALSO ASKED IF I SHOULD NOTIFY MY CUSTOMERS OF THE DANGER, HE REPLEID "NO". PLEASE FELL FREE TO CALL ME TO DISCUSS THESE TIRES.

NHTSA ID

10091362

Incident

Jul 24, 2004

FAILURE OF REAR TIRE ON MOTORCYCLE. SEPARATION OF SIDEWALL FROM TREAD. *AK

NHTSA ID

10049390

Incident

Nov 26, 2003

Mileage

30,050 mi

OVERHEAT/SPEWING OF COOLANT ON REAR BRAKES AND REAR TIRE OF MY GL 1800/A HONDA MOTORCYCLE. SITUATION WAS ON THE WASHINGTON DC BELTWAY, NO SHOULDER TO PULL OVER ONTO, STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. MOTORCYCLE WAS SPEWING COOLANT ON THE THE BRAKES AND REAR WHEEL, CAUSING A VERY HOT STEAM TO RISE ON OUR LEGS AND LOWER TORSO, ALSO CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL & BRAKES TO BECOME EXTREMELY SLIPPERY, AS WELL AS UNCONTROLLABLE UNDER EXISTING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. HONDA HAS NOT FULLFILLED IT'S PROMIS TO REPAIR THESE MOTORCYCLES AS OF YET!*AK

NHTSA ID

10030580

Incident

Jul 31, 2003

Mileage

9,450 mi

HONDA GOLD WING OVERHEATED AT LOW SPEEDS.*JB

NHTSA ID

10008090

Incident

Jul 3, 2002

Mileage

8,000 mi

NO SUMMARY. DT

NHTSA ID

770532

Incident

Jul 7, 2002

ENGINE OVERHEATS WHEN RIDING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES AT OR ABOVE APPROX. 80 DEG. FAHRENHEIT. COOLANT MAY ESCAPE THE RECOVERY TANK, AND LAND ON THE ROAD JUST AHEAD OF THE REAR TIRE. DT

NHTSA ID

770515

THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THE COOLING FANS ARE DESIGNED TO STOP FUNCTIONING AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 15 MPH. WHEN I RIDE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, OR SLOW TRAFFIC. THIS MOTORCYCLE IS CERTAIN TO OVERHEAT (TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS IN THE RED SECTION). I MUST PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO ALLOW THE FANS TO COME ON AND COOL THE MOTORCYCLE DOWN OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. DT

NHTSA ID

770029

Incident

Jun 1, 2002

WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLES AT 50MPH NOTIFIED TIRES TREAD SEAPRATION. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.. [XXX] PLEASE PROVIDE MODEL- - - - - - - SIZE- - - - - - - - AND THE DOT- -- - - - - - AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

8023150

Incident

Nov 20, 2002