2001 Honda GL1800 Engine Problems

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

THIS VEHICLE HAS A LONG HISTORY OF HEATING TEMPERATURES THAT GO INTO THE RED ON TEMP GAUGE FREQUENTLY. TWO TIMES THE MOTORCYCLE HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE THAT CAUSED THE COOLING SYSTEM TO LOOSE COOLANT AND TO CAUSE A VERY DANGEROUS SLICK CONDITION AT THE REAL TIRE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL DEALERS AND A HONDA REP IN CA. THEY ALL SEEM TO QUIETLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A PROBLEM EXISTS BUT REFUSE TO RECOMMEND A REPAIR OR FIX FOR THIS REAL PROBLEM. IN MY OPINION, IT IS GOING TO TAKE A FATAL ACCIDENT OR SEVERALPERSONAL INJURY LAWSUITS BEFORE HONDA ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY. THE PROBLEM IS REAL, AND WIDE SPREAD. THE FIX IS DISTANT AND NOT ON THE HORIZON. PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE GETS BURNED OR WORSE YET KILLED. DT

NHTSA ID

769960

Incident

Nov 20, 2002

1-MOTORCYCLE ENGINES REACHES EXTREME TEMPS. WHEN CONDITIONS ARE: ROAD CONSTRUCTION, ACCIDENT, ASSEMBLY/ACTIVITY GATHERING OR RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC LIMITS TRAFFIC SPEED TO BETWEEN 0 AND 20 MPH. WITH FREQUENT CHANGE IN SPEED AND FEW FULL STOPS. THE RADIATOR FANS DO ACTIVATE, BUT ARE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN A 'SAFE" OPERATING TEMP AS INDICATED BY THE ENGINE TEMP. GAUGE GOING FULLY INTO THE RED AND LARGE AMOUNT OF RADIANT HEAT BEING FELT BY THE OPERATOR. THIS CONDITION CAUSES THE OPERATOR TO SEEK A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROADWAY, SOMETIMES ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS. THEREBY CUTTING ACROSS OTHER LANES OF TRAFFIC AND BECOMING POTENTIALLY TO UNLAWFUL "SHOULDER RIDERS" (THIS HAS OCCURED RESULTING IN A NEAR MISS WHILE "COOLING DOWN" ON THE SHOULDER OF I-287 IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY ENROUTE HOME FROM LAKE GEORGE, NY FROM AMERICADE 2001) HONDA DEALER WAS ADVISED OF THIS AND TWO ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. SPEEDOMETER: HAS STUCK AT 45MPH ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN I WAS TRAVELING A BOTH LESSOR AND GREATER SPEEDS. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPS WERE HIGH, IN THE MID 90'S. COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH COOPER'S HONDA SERVICE MANAGER. HIS REPLY WAS BRING THE BIKE IN WITH THE SPEEDOMETER STUCK AND WE'LL LOOK AT IT". SPEEDOMETER HAS NOT YET STUCK LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO SHOW THE DEALER I AM TRUTHFUL ! DT

NHTSA ID

769796

Incident

Jun 8, 2001

CONSUMER STATES WHEN VEHICLE IS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC OR IN FIRST OR SECOND GEAR, TEMPERTURE GAUGE WILL BE IN THE RED ZONE, WATER TEMPERTURE WILL BE 265. CAUSING VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. NLM *JB

NHTSA ID

8020139

Incident

Jul 3, 2001

ENGINE OVERHEATS AT SLOW SPEEDS IN ANY GEAR. THIS CAUSES VEHICLE TO HAVE TO BE PULLED OVER IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURY. MR

NHTSA ID

768057

WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 HONDA GOLDWING IN CITY TRAFFIC PROCEEDING AT APPROX. 15-20 MPH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE ON THE COOLING SYSTEM GOES INTO THE RED ZONE, INDICATING IT IS TOO HOT. THE BIKE HAS TO BE STOPPED AND ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN, TO PROCEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED APPROX. 4 TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE BIKE AND ALL UNDER THE SAME TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. COOLANT FLUID LEVEL HAS BEEN CHECKED AND IS OKAY,THE COOLING FANS DO COME ON UNDER 15 MPH ONLY. I HAVE BEEN TO FOUR HONDA MOTORCYCLE DEALERS AND BEEN TOLD, THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM AND TO JUST DRIVE IT. NLM

NHTSA ID

767651

Incident

May 14, 2001

TEMPERATURE GUAGE MOVES TO RED ZONE AND ENGINE APPEARS TO OVERHEAT WHEN TRAVELING 12-17 MPH. *AK

NHTSA ID

767550

Incident

Aug 15, 2002

MOTORCYCLE HAS A OVERHEATING PROBLEM AT SLOW 15 TO 25 MPH.I HAVE LOST COOLANT .MY MAIN CONCERN IS FOR MY PASSENGER AND MY SAFETY. I RIDE IN LOS ANGLES TRAFFIC AND SOMETIMES CAN'T GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.AND WHEN MOVING SLOW IN TRAFFIC U CAN'T BE LOOKING DOWN TO C IF IT PUKING COOLANT ON THE GROUND .THIS IS ONE SAFETY ISSUE THE OTHER IS THE SAFETY OF TRYING TO GET OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY WHEN THERE ARE FOUR LANES OF BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC.I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH HONDA UNTIMELY MANNER OF TAKING CARE OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

NHTSA ID

767490

HONDA GOLDWING OVERHEATS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC LESS THAN 15 MPH, REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE MOTORCYCLE TRAVELING AT JUST 10-15 MPH WILL BEGIN TO OVERHEAT. ON TWO OCCASIONS WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, THE TEMPERTURE GAGE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE RED ZONE , FEARING ENGINE DAMAGE, I PULLED OVER UNTIL BIKE COOLED DOWN. I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY AND DROVE SURFACE STREETS UNTIL FREEWAY TRAFFIC RESUMED AN ACCEPTABLE SPEED.*AK

NHTSA ID

767485

Incident

May 1, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

767479

Incident

Sep 16, 2002

OCCURRED DURING TRIPS UP HILL, BEHIND SLOW TRAFFIC 20 MPH OR LESS, OR IN SLOW TRAFFIC IN NATIONAL PARKS, SPEED AGAIN LESS THAN 20 MPH. TEMPERATURE CREPT INTO THE RED OR HOT. VEHICLE HAD TO BE STOPPED AND LET COOL DOWN.*AK

NHTSA ID

767445

Incident

Jul 15, 2002

DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC MY MOTORCYCLE'S TEMPERATURE GUAGE BEGAN RISING INTO THE 'RED' AREA AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS OF 5-15 MPH STOP AND GO TRAFFIC - THIS IS A WELL KNOW ISSUE ON THE WWW.GL1800RIDERS.COM GENERAL MESSAGE BOARD.*AK

NHTSA ID

767443

Incident

Aug 9, 2002

UNDER SLOW TRAFFIC CONDITIONS THE VEHICLE WILL OVERHEAT AND HAS HAPPENED TO MANY OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. IT IS REPRODUCABLE ON ANY MOTORCYCLE OF THIS MODEL. *AK

NHTSA ID

767437

Incident

Aug 6, 2002

ENGINE OVERHEATS IN SLOW TRAFFIC. TEMP GAUGE GOES INTO RED ZONE, NO COOLAND LOSS BUT COOLANT SMELL IS STRONG, HONDA SAYS THERE IS NO PROPLEM

NHTSA ID

767433

MOTORCYCLE HAS GONE INTO THE "RED ZONE" ON THE GAUGE NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE THE FIRST TIME THAT I EXPEREINCED IT LAST SUMMER. IT DEFINITELY IS GETTING HOT, AS THE HEAT IS NOTICEABLE AND THE MOTORCYC WILL ALSO "MISS SHIFTS" WHILE RUNNING HOT. ORIGINALLY IT ONLY OCCURED WHEN I WOULD GET TRAPPED IN TRAFFIC AND WAS UNABLE TO EITHER STOP OR GO FAST ENOUGH TO COOL DOWN THE MOTORCYCLE. IT HAS PROGRESSED AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED IT UNDER OTHER CONDITIONS, SUCH AS CLIMBING THE HILL TO CAVE OF THE WINDS IN COLORADO SPRINGS AND ON A GRADE AT 40 - 50 MPH SUSTAINED SPEED IN UTAH. ONCE MOTORCYCLE HAS COOLED DOWN THE SHIFTING RETURNS TO NORMAL, BUT THE MISSED SHIFTING SEEMS TO BE GETTING MORE AND MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN HOT. (OR MAYBE THE BIKE IS GETTING HOTTER.) I ASKED MY DEALER ABOUT THIS SITUATION LAST SUMMER AND AT THAT TIME THEY SAID THEY HAD NO PREVIOUS REPORTS OF THIS OCCURING. I HAVE NOT "PUKED COOLANT" THAT I KNOW OF, BUT SINCE THE BIKE DOES HAVE AN OVERFLOW RESERVOIR I AM NOT SURE THAT IT HAS NOT OCCURED. I ALSO HAVE NOT STOPPED OR WATCHED THE HIGHWAY BEHIND ME AS THIS WAS OCCURING. I WAS ABLE TO GET A PICTURE OF THE BIKE NEAR THE RED ZONE AT ABOUT 45 MPH, BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET ANY AT THE RED ZONE AT THAT SPEED BECAUSE THE DAY THAT I TRIED WAS ALSO ONE OF THE DAYS THAT MY SPEEDOMETER WAS STICKING. SINCE THE BIKE WAS SHOWING 50 MPH WHILE STOPPPED - ACCORDING TO THE SPEEDO - IT SEEMED POINTLESS TO TRY TO TAKE A PICTURE. I HAVE NEVER TRIED TO GET THE BIKE TO OH, A MY DESIRE IS (WAS?) TO OWN THIS BIKE FOR MANY YEARS AND MANY MILES. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT HONDA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEGDE THE PROBLEM. THE SURVEY ASKED ME IF I CONTACTED HONDA AND I ANSWERED YES. THE REALITY IS THAT I TRIED LAST SUMMER AND GOT TIRED OF WAITING ON THE PHONE - SO I DID CONTACT HONDA, BUT NEVER ACTUALLY SPOKE TO A HUMAN BEING. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS OCCURING TO OTHER OWNERS, SO I HAVE NOT TRIED AGAIN. I DID FILL OUT A REPORT ON THIS SITE LAST SUMMER, BUT I DO NOT SEE IT POSTED.*AK

NHTSA ID

767367

Incident

Jul 15, 2001

ENGINE OVERHEATS AT LOW SPEED IN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR, CAUSING OPERATOR TO HAVE TO DISRUPT TRAFFIC AND PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. ALSO COOLANT IS DISPERSED FROM THE COOLING SYSTEM OVERFLOW.*AK

NHTSA ID

766775

Incident

Jul 20, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

766449

Incident

Aug 22, 2002

MOTORCYCLE OVERHEATS IN SLOW TRAFFIC CONDITIONS CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW. POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZZARD FROM COOLANT BEING EXPELLED IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE.*AK

NHTSA ID

765460

VEHICLE OVERHEATS BETWEEN 15-20MPH, CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN CONSISTENTLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

764996

Incident

Jul 30, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

761879

Incident

Oct 25, 2000

INITIAL ENCOUNTER OF PROBLEM WHEN FOR FIRST TIME PLACED IN HEAVY STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON 8/16/2001. HAS REPEATEDLY FAILED APPROX 10 TIMES SINCE. HONDA HAS BEEN GIVEN THREE ATTEMPTS TO FIX WITH NO POSITIVE RESULTS. ENGINE HAS STALLED ON NUMEROUS EVENTS. REAR WHEEL SEIZING ONCE WHILE MOVING AT ABOUT 22 MPH. BOILOVER OF COOLANT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ALSO, COOLANT DUMPS RIGHT IN FRONT OF REAR WHEEL CREATING A POSSIBLE LOSS OF CONTROL. KNOWN "TECH FACT" AS PER HONDA FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL, COOLING FANS WILL NEVER EVER COME ON ABOVE 15 MPH REGARDLESS OF TEMP.SEEKING LEGAL RECOURSE UNDER MAGNUSON MOSS WARRANTY ACT.

NHTSA ID

758374

Incident

Aug 16, 2001