2002 Suzuki DL1000 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2002 Suzuki DL1000, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Body & structure240.0%
- Suspension240.0%
- Fuel system120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
BROKEN WELDS HOLDING THE TIPS OF BOTH SIDES OF THE SWING ARM OF MY 2002 SUZUKI DL1000 MOTORCYCLE. HAD I NOT SEEN THEM IN TIME, THE ENTIRE REAR WHEEL WOULD HAVE FALLEN OFF DURING RIDING. DEALER AND SUZUKI OF AMERICA SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND TOOK NO ACTION. (IF A WHEEL FALLS OFF BECAUSE OF BAD WELDING... ISN'T THAT A VERY SERIOUS EVENT WORTH LOOKING INTO?) THERE WAS NO PRIOR DAMAGE. *TR
I OWN A MOTORCYCLE WITH A WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM OF SHUDDERING BADLY BETWEEN 3,000 AND 3,800 RPM. LAST MONTH I WAS HORRIFIED TO DISCOVER THAT 4 OF THE 5 WELDS HOLDING MY SWING-ARM AXLE-MOUNTING BRACKET WERE COMPLETELY CRACKED. THE CRACK IS ON THE CHAIN-DRIVE SIDE, NEXT TO THE SPROCKET. HAD I NOT DISCOVERED THIS IT WOULD HAVE BROKE, CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL AND SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THE SWING-ARM IS ALUMINUM, AND I BELIEVE THIS FAILED AS A RESULT OF THE LONG-TERM SHUDDERING PROBLEM. THE BIKE WAS RIDDEN ONLY ON THE STREET, STORED INDOORS, LOOKS LIKE NEW. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN MAGAZINE ARTICLES AND BLOGS. SUZUKI REPLACED THE BROKEN SWING-ARM BUT REFUSED TO FIX THE SHUDDERING PROBLEM. AFTER DISCOVERING THE CRACK WELDS THE DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE DRIVE CHAIN. NEW TIRES AND A NEW DRIVE CHAIN WERE INSTALLED, NEITHER ELIMINATED OR HELPED REDUCE THE SHUDDERING PROBLEM. THIS BIKE WAS REDESIGNED IN 2003 TO ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM, SO SUZUKI HAS A FIX. I AM CONVINCED THIS MOTORCYCLE IS UNSAFE AND WILL SERIOUSLY INJURE OR KILL ME OR THE NEXT OWNER. I HAVE MANY PICTURES OF THE CRACKED SWING-ARM AND COPIES OF THE MAGAZINE ARTICLE AND BLOGS. SUZUKI CLAIMS THE SHUTTERING CAN NOT CAUSE THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER, THEY HAVE FAILED TO PRODUCE ANY EXPLANATION FOR THIS FAILURE. I HAVE OWNED OVER 100 MOTORCYCLES IN MY LIFE, AND THIS IS THE ONLY MOTORCYCLE THAT EXPERIENCED CRACKED SWING-ARM WELDS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
BROKEN WELDS HOLDING THE TIPS OF BOTH SIDES OF THE SWING ARM OF MY 2002 SUZUKI DL1000 MOTORCYCLE. HAD I NOT SEEN THEM IN TIME, THE ENTIRE REAR WHEEL WOULD HAVE FALLEN OFF DURING RIDING. DEALER AND SUZUKI OF AMERICA SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND TOOK NO ACTION. (IF A WHEEL FALLS OFF BECAUSE OF BAD WELDING... ISN'T THAT A VERY SERIOUS EVENT WORTH LOOKING INTO?) THERE WAS NO PRIOR DAMAGE. *TR
I OWN A MOTORCYCLE WITH A WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM OF SHUDDERING BADLY BETWEEN 3,000 AND 3,800 RPM. LAST MONTH I WAS HORRIFIED TO DISCOVER THAT 4 OF THE 5 WELDS HOLDING MY SWING-ARM AXLE-MOUNTING BRACKET WERE COMPLETELY CRACKED. THE CRACK IS ON THE CHAIN-DRIVE SIDE, NEXT TO THE SPROCKET. HAD I NOT DISCOVERED THIS IT WOULD HAVE BROKE, CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL AND SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THE SWING-ARM IS ALUMINUM, AND I BELIEVE THIS FAILED AS A RESULT OF THE LONG-TERM SHUDDERING PROBLEM. THE BIKE WAS RIDDEN ONLY ON THE STREET, STORED INDOORS, LOOKS LIKE NEW. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN MAGAZINE ARTICLES AND BLOGS. SUZUKI REPLACED THE BROKEN SWING-ARM BUT REFUSED TO FIX THE SHUDDERING PROBLEM. AFTER DISCOVERING THE CRACK WELDS THE DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE DRIVE CHAIN. NEW TIRES AND A NEW DRIVE CHAIN WERE INSTALLED, NEITHER ELIMINATED OR HELPED REDUCE THE SHUDDERING PROBLEM. THIS BIKE WAS REDESIGNED IN 2003 TO ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM, SO SUZUKI HAS A FIX. I AM CONVINCED THIS MOTORCYCLE IS UNSAFE AND WILL SERIOUSLY INJURE OR KILL ME OR THE NEXT OWNER. I HAVE MANY PICTURES OF THE CRACKED SWING-ARM AND COPIES OF THE MAGAZINE ARTICLE AND BLOGS. SUZUKI CLAIMS THE SHUTTERING CAN NOT CAUSE THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER, THEY HAVE FAILED TO PRODUCE ANY EXPLANATION FOR THIS FAILURE. I HAVE OWNED OVER 100 MOTORCYCLES IN MY LIFE, AND THIS IS THE ONLY MOTORCYCLE THAT EXPERIENCED CRACKED SWING-ARM WELDS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
LIQUID/VAPOR SEPARATOR BRACKET INSIDE FUEL TANK OF 2002 SUZUKI DL1000 MOTORCYCLE BROKE. UNSUPPORTED PIPE NOW SUBJECT TO FAILURE WHICH WOULD ALLOW ALL FUEL TO DRAIN RAPIDLY FROM TANK ONTO ENGINE. NOT YET REPAIRED. REQUIRES TANK REPLACEMENT. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .