2006 Kawasaki VN900D6F Owner Complaints

PROBLEM: BAD DESIGN OF STATOR (CHARGING UNIT OF A MOTORCYCLE) FOR KAWASAKI VULCAN 900 (YEARS 2006 TO PRESENT, INCLUDING CUSTOM AND LT MODELS) CAUSES PREMATURE WEAR, WILL SHORT OUT ENGINE, COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF MOTORCYCLE. MOTORCYCLE FORUMS ON THE INTERNET REPORT HIGH FREQUENCY OF THIS KIND OF REPAIR, FOR VEHICLES LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. FOR ME, I HAVE DRIVEN MY MOTORCYCLE ONLY A YEAR (BOUGHT USED AT 600 MILES, NOW IT HAS 15,500 MILES ON IT) AND IT NOW NEEDS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD LAST A LOT LONGER. FORTUNATELY, I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT WITH THIS MOTORCYCLE; BUT SURE COULD HAVE! *TR

NHTSA ID

10332038

Incident

May 23, 2010

Mileage

15,500 mi

STEERING FORKS ON 2006 KAWASAKI VN900 ARE OUT OF ALIGNMENT. INLINE STABILITY AFFECTED IF HANDLEBARS TURNED TO STRAIGHTEN FORKS. STABILITY IN TURNS COMPROMISED DUE TO MISALIGNED FORKS/HANDLEBARS. TIRE WEAR ON FIRST SET OF TIRES SUPPORTS STATEMENT. TIRE WEAR ON NEW TIRES WAS EVIDENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER INSTALL. BIKE HAS NEVER BEEN "DROPPED", NOR HAS EVER SUFFERED ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE DUE TO COLLISION OR ROAD HAZARD. PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO DEALER. PROBLEM HAS BEEN DENIED BY KAWASAKI. KAWASAKI DENIES PROBLEM EXISTS. KAWASAKI BLAMES DEALER BUT HAS FAILED TO OFFER TECHNICAL SUPPORT. OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED ON INTERNET FORUMS OF SAME CONCERN, KAWASAKI DENIES OTHER OWNERS HAVE RAISED THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10232779

Incident

Jan 9, 2008

Mileage

13,000 mi

I HAVE A 2006 VULCAN CLASSIC LT MOTORCYCLE. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OCCURRENCES OF THE THROTTLE STICKING WHEN I START DOWNSHIFTING TO SLOW DOWN. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED TWO NEAR MISSES FOR ME. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN OCTOBER 2007. I WAS APPROACHING A ROUND ABOUT I WAS DOWN SHIFTING TO SLOW DOWN AND THE THROTTLE STUCK WHICH FORCED ME TO BREAK HARD AND IT MADE ME FISHTAIL AND VERY MISS THE MOTORCYCLE IN FROM OF ME. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED APRIL 26, 2008. I WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AND I HAD TO MAKE A TURN, MY LIGHT WAS GREEN SO STARTED TO DOWN SHIFT FROM 3RD GEAR TO SECOND TO MAKE MY TURN, THE NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS IN THE LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY THE CAR COMING AT ME SEEN ME AND SWERVED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL I COULD GET MY BIKE IN CONTROL. AFTER THAT HAPPEN I NOTICED MY THROTTLE STICKING 4 TIMES AFTER THAT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10225818

Incident

Apr 26, 2008

Mileage

3,400 mi

I HAVE A KAWASAKI VULCAN 900 CLASSIC, AND IF RIDING IN 3RD GEAR AROUND 35-40 MPH AND LET OFF THE THROTTLE, THE MOTORCYCLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE NOT VERY HELPFUL WITH THE PROBLEM. ALSO, KAWASAKI DENIED THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10189983

Incident

Apr 30, 2007

Mileage

1,200 mi

SPEEDOMETER ON 2006 KAWASAKI 900 LT CLASSIC IS 10 MPH OFF. CONTACTED KAWASAKI AND THEY SAID ALL BIG BORE MOTORCYCLES ARE OFF. I CHECKED MY MOTORCYCLE WITH RADAR AND MY OWN CAR AND IT WAS 9-10 MPH TO FAST. I ALSO CHECKED OTHER MOTORCYCLES IN THE SAME CLASS AS MINE AND FOUND THEM TO BE FAST. THIS CAN LEAD TO CITATIONS FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10186486

Incident

Oct 15, 2006

WHILE RIDING MY 2006 KAWASAKI VULCAN 900 IN THIRD GEAR, BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH THE THROTTLE HAS A TENDENCY TO STICK AND MAINTAIN THAT SPEED EVEN WHEN I ROLLED V OFF THE THROTTLE TO SLOW DOWN. THE THROTTLE HAS DISENGAGED WHEN I BRAKE HARD ENOUGH, ENGAGE THE CLUTCH, OR REV THE THROTTLE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS AT LEAST 40-50 TIMES IN THE MONTHS I HAVE HAD THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH IS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THIS MOTORCYCLE IS FAVORED BY MANY NEW RIDERS. MY KAWASAKI DEALER CLAIMED TO CONTACT KAWASAKI ABOUT THE ISSUE AND RECEIVED NO RESOLUTION. I HAVE CONTACTED KAWASAKI ABOUT THE ISSUE AND WAS DIRECTED TO MY DEALER WITH NO APPARENT CARE REGARDING THE SERIOUS PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10186245

Incident

Mar 18, 2007

Mileage

600 mi

I OWN A 2006 KAWASAKI VULCAN 900 CLASSIC. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCEING A THROTTLE STICKING PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT THE BIKE AND NEITHER MY DEALER NOR KAWASAKI HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE THROTTLE ONLY STICKS IN 3RD GEAR AROUND 40 MPH. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10186244

Incident

Jun 22, 2006

Mileage

50 mi

KAWASAKI VULCAN 900 CLASSIC 2006 HAS A THROTTLE STICKING PROBLEM WHERE THE THROTTLE WILL NOT DISENGAGE INTERMITTANTLY WHEN IN 3RD GEAR, USUALLY CLOSE TO 35-40 MPH. DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH WILL ALLOW THE THROTTLE TO RETURN TO IDLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10186239

Incident

Mar 24, 2007

Mileage

3,453 mi

I EXPERIENCED THE 900 THROTTLE STICK PROBLEM OM MY KAWASAKI VULCAN 900 MOTORCYCLE. I WAS CRUISING ON A SIDE ROAD ABOUT 40 MPH IN 3RD GEAR. I ROLLED THE THROTTLE OFF TO SLOW DOWN, AND IT JUST KEPT GOING. I PULLED THE CLUTCH AND REVED IT A FEW TIMES AND IT WENT AWAY. IT HAPPENED 2-3 TIMES ALL WITHIN A SPAN OF 4-5 MINUTES. I DIDN'T HAVE THE PROBLEM IN ANY OTHER GEAR. MANY PEOPLE WERE REPORTING THIS PROBLEM ON THE KAWASAKI FORUM AT TTP://WWW.KAWASAKIMOTORCYCLE.ORG/FORUM/ THE THROTTLE STICK PROBLEM ALWAYS APPEARED TO HAPPEN AROUND 35-40 MPH IN 3RD GEAR. ONE PERSON SEEMED TO HAVE IT FIXED BY REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY AND THE ECU. *AK

NHTSA ID

10186238

Incident

Mar 25, 2007

Mileage

1,200 mi

2006 KAWASAKI VN900B MOTORCYCLE THROTTLE FAILED TO CLOSE WHILE IN THIRD GEAR ONLY, CAUSING UNEXPECTED CONTINUED ACCELLERATION. SELLER CLAIMED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF WIDELY REPORTED PROBEM, OR REMEDY OF SUCH. VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION FOR A MOTORCYCLE RIDER TO HAVE ENGINE CONTINUE SPEEDING WHEN THROTTLE HAS BEEN CLOSED. *AK!

NHTSA ID

10186224

Incident

Nov 30, 2006

Mileage

100 mi

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I BOUGHT A NEW 2006 KAWASAKI VULCAN 900 CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE (MODEL: VN900B6F) ON NOV 8, 2006 FROM A LOCAL DEALER AND HAVE EXPERIENCED 4 ENGINE STALL EVENTS TO THIS POINT. THE FIRST 2 EVENTS OCCURRED ON SEPARATE DAYS AFTER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED FROM A COLD STATE (AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT) AND RIDDEN ABOUT 2 BLOCKS. WHEN STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, THE ENGINE DID NOT RETURN TO IDLE, BUT INSTEAD STALLED. AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE MOTORCYCLE HAD ABOUT 200-300 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE THIRD STALL EVENT OCCURRED AFTER THE ENGINE HAD BEEN RUNNING FOR AT LEAST 1 HOUR (FULLY WARM). ON A FREEWAY EXIT, I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH AT ABOUT 50 MPH IN ORDER TO DOWNSHIFT. THE ENGINE DID NOT RETURN TO IDLE, BUT IMMEDIATELY STALLED AT THAT SPEED. THE ODOMETER HAD APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES AT THIS TIME. THE FOURTH TIME WAS NOV 28, 2006. AS I EXITED A FREEWAY, I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN, ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE EXIT. AS I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH TO DOWNSHIFT TO 2ND GEAR NEAR THE STOP SIGN, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE ODOMETER HAD ABOUT 930 MILES WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I AM FILING THIS REPORT BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT IT IS NOT JUST A COMPONENT DEFECT WITH MY MOTORCYCLE ONLY. I HAVE CHECKED INTERNET SITES PERTAINING TO THE VULCAN 900 AND FOUND THAT OTHER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME OR SIMILAR STALLING PROBLEM WITH THEIR MOTORCYCLES. THIS MOTORCYCLE MODEL ALSO CONTAINS A NEW ENGINE AND FUEL INJECTION DESIGN, JUST INTRODUCED AS OF THE 2006 MODEL YEAR. THEREFORE, I BELIEVE IT MAY BE A FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM DESIGN DEFECT OR OTHER SOFTWARE/HARDWARE DESIGN DEFECT IN THE ELECTRONIC ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM, RATHER THAN JUST AN ISOLATED COMPONENT FAILURE IN NEED OF REPAIR. OF COURSE IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THIS STALLING IS A RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE SERIES OF COMPONENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED INTO A LIMITED NUMBER OF MOTORCYCLES. I HAVE NOT YET ALLOWED MY LOCAL KAWASAKI DEALER (OR ANY OTHER KAWASAKI REPRESENTATIVE) TO ATTEMPT A DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIR. *NM

NHTSA ID

10174670

Incident

Nov 28, 2006

Mileage

500 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING INTERMITTENTLY WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND DOWN SHIFTING FROM ANY SPEED AND ANY GEAR. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CLUTCH WAS ADJUSTED. THE PROBLEM RECURRED SEVERAL MORE TIMES. THE MOTORCYCLE IS A 2006 KAWASAKI VULCAN 900 LT. *AK UPDATED 7/5/2006 - THE DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE AND THE MOTORCYCLE NO LONGER STALLS.*NM

NHTSA ID

10158758

Incident

Jun 1, 2006

Mileage

150 mi