2005 Suzuki VL800 Owner Complaints

BIKE LOST ALL POWER, NO LIGHTS NOTHING AND WON'T START.

NHTSA ID

11233221

Incident

Jul 17, 2019

Mileage

10,600 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUZUKI VL800. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE WIRING HARNESS MELTED AND WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT THE COST OF $800. ONE YEAR PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, HE RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V566000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH) AND IMMEDIATELY SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS REPEATEDLY INFORMED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 11,000.

NHTSA ID

10249325

Incident

Sep 26, 2008

Mileage

11,000 mi

I HAVE 2 2005 SUZUKI C50 BOULEVARDS MOTORCYCLES. I ADDED A LIGHT BAR MADE BY SUZUKI. IT ATTACHES ELECTRICALLY TO A PLUG PROVIDED BY SUZUKI INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT CAN. WHEN USED, IT OVERLOADS THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING HEAT, MELTING PLASTIC INSIDE. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM ON THE 2004'S (VL800 VULSIA) WHICH RUN OFF A CARBURETOR. THE 2005'S ARE FUEL INJECTED, AND REQUIRE A FUEL PUMP. I BELIEVE THE IGNITION SWITCH IS THE SAME ON BOTH. THOSE THAT HAVE THE LIGHT BAR ON THE 2004'S AND EARLIER DO NOT REPORT THIS PROBLEM. THOSE WITH 2005 AND UP, DO REPORT THIS PROBLEM. REFERENCE VOLUSIARIDERS.COM, AND SEARCH ON IGNITION SWITCH. IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THE 2005'S ARE DESIGNED TO HANDLE THE ADDITIONAL LOAD OF THE FUEL PUMP AND THE LIGHT BAR. THE SWITCH CAN FAIL WHILE IN OPERATION, AND LOSS OF POWER CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I CAN RESEARCH THE FAILURE DATE, BELOW IS A GUESS. THE REPAIR REQUIRES THE INSTALLATION OF A RELAY, USING THE HEADLIGHT WIRE TO TRIGGER THE RELAY. THE POWER IS FED FROM THE BATTERY, NOT THE PLUG IN THE HEADLIGHT CAN FURNISHED BY SUZUKI. *TR

NHTSA ID

10221322

Incident

Sep 1, 2007

Mileage

20,000 mi

THE REAR HUB ON THE SUZUKI C50 WAS FULL OF CRACKS,ESPECIALLY AROUND THE SPOKE HOLES. THEY WERE GETTING WORSE. IF THE HUB DISINTEGRATED IT WOULD KILL ME AND MY WIFE. THIS WAS NOT A ISOLATED INCIDENT,THE WEB WAS FULL OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. I HOPE SOMEONE DID NOT HAVE TO GET KILLED FROM THIS DEFECT TO HAVE THEM RECALL IT. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD ONLY 1500 MILES ON IT , AND WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I COUNTED 30 SEVERE CRACKS IN THE LEFT SIDE HUB AROUND THE SPOKE HOLES. SO NOW WE COULD NOT RIDE IT BECAUSE THE HUB WILL COME APART ON US . IT WAS A DANGEROUS DEFECT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10191401

Incident

May 21, 2007

Mileage

1,500 mi

RIDING MY 2005 SUZUKI BOULEVARD S50 MOTORCYCLE (LESS THAN 10,000 MILES) TO WORK THIS MORNING WHEN THE ODOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING. THE CONSEQUENCES WAS THAT I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW FAST I WAS GOING IN MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. SUZUKI CLAIMS IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM, BUT THE BIKE IS NOT USED EXCEPT FOR TRANSPORTATION TO WORK AND BACK AND SHOULD NOT HAVE PROBLEMS IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10187047

Incident

Apr 4, 2007

Mileage

9,500 mi

MY 2005 SUZUKI C50 MOTORCYCLE HAS DEVELOPED CRACKS IN THE FRONT AND REAR HUBS OF THE WHEELS. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS LESS THAN 2000 MILES ON IT. I FOUND THE CRACKS AFTER LEARNING ABOUT THEM ON THE INTERNET. THESE CRACKS APPEAR TO BE VERY COMMON WITH THIS BIKE. SUZUKI SHOULD INVESTIGATE AND EITHER REPLACE THE RIMS OR NOTIFY THE OWNERS IF THIS IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE CONCERNED WITH. I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE RIDING MY BIKE WITHOUT FEAR OF A WHEEL BREAKING APART. *JB

NHTSA ID

10163668

Incident

Jul 4, 2006

Mileage

1,253 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH MAKING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER PEG DETACHED RELEASING THE PASSENGER; A 12 YEAR OLD CHILD. THE PASSENGER WAS SECURED BY THE CONTACT WHILE TRAVELING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERS WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FRAME AND BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO AIR. THE DEALER ALSO EXPRESSED THAT THE BROKEN FRAME COULD HAVE BEEN PART OF A MANUFACTURER RECALL AND NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER SCHEDULED A INVESTIGATOR TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

10163615

Incident

Jul 20, 2006

Mileage

5,050 mi

A GENUINE SUZUKI TACHOMETER CAUSES THE SUZUKI C50 BOULEVARD MOTORCYCLE TO STALL AND QUIT AFTER 20-30 MINUTES OF NORMAL OPERATION. THE TACHOMETER PART NUMBER IS 990A0-72001. SUZUKI IS AWARE OF THIS BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE. THREE DEALERS WERE INVOLVED IN FIXING THIS PROBLEM OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS. THE FIRST DEALER COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, THE SECOND DEALER FIRST INSISTED THAT THE MUFFLERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (FOR WHICH THEY CHARGED ME) AFTER VERIFYING THIS FIX WITH SUZUKI. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALER FINALLY DISCONNECTED THE TACHOMETER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TACH WAS NOT A SUZUKI PART. THE THIRD DEALER DISMANTLED THE TACH AND CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A GENUINE SUZUKI PART WHILE INSPECTING THE BIKE FOR A WIRING HARNESS SAFETY RECALL. WHEN THEY CALLED SUZUKI, THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE TACHOMETER WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH FUEL INJECTED C50'S. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE SUZUKI ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR THE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM THAT CAUSES EXACTLY THE SAME STALLING PROBLEM. SUZUKI HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE TACHOMETER. AT LEAST THREE DEALERS DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS DEFECT WHICH IS JUST AS SERIOUS AS THE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM. MY MOTORCYCLE RAN FINE FOR 20 OR THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE IT STARTED STALLING. I BOUGHT THIS MOTORCYCLE FROM A FRIEND WHO WARNED ME THAT THE BIKE HAD THIS PROBLEM BUT THE STALL PROBLEM STILL CAUSED ME TO DUMP THE MOTORCYCLE TWICE ON THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. AN OWNER WHO HAS THE SUZUKI TACH INSTALLED WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF THIS AND IF HE OR SHE HEADS OUT ONTO A FREEWAY, STALLING THE BIKE COULD BE FATAL. SUZUKI HAS OFFERED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE TACHOMETER AND IS ARRANGING TO HAVE BRACKETS ORDERED SO THAT THE TACH CAN BE REMOVED. BUT I STILL THINK THAT CURRENT OWNERS AND DEALERS NEED TO BE ALERTED TO THE PROBLEM. *NM

NHTSA ID

10154190

Incident

Sep 20, 2005

Mileage

8,560 mi

MY 2005 SUZUKI C50 MOTORCYCLE HAS DEVELOPED CRACKS IN THE FRONT AND REAR HUBS OF THE WHEELS. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS LESS THAN 500 MILES ON IT AND IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. IN NOTIFYING SUZUKI OF THE PROBLEMS THEY CONVEYED TO ME THAT THIS IS NOT A DEFECT AND WHERE NOT LIABLE. BUT MY NEIGHBOR'S WIFE HAS THE SAME STYLE BIKE AND HERS HAS THE SAME CRACKS ON BOTH HUBS. I HAVE NOT WRECKED THE BIKE ,I'VE BARELY RIDDEN IT IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS. I'VE HEARD FROM A DIFFERENT BIKE DEALER THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS AND SUZUKI KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND IS DOING NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION. THIS PROBLEM CAN LEAD TO THE AFFECTED WHEELS COMING APART WHEN RIDDEN. NOW I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU,BUT HAVING MY WHEELS FALL APART GOING SAY 55 MPH IS NOT A FUN TIME TO ME. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT SUZUKI IS WAITING FOR...MAYBE THEY ARE HOPING THIS GOES AWAY OR MAYBE IT WILL TAKE SOMEONE GETTING KILLED OR MAIMED BEFORE THEY ISSUE A MUCH NEEDED RECALL. ALL I WANT IS MY BIKE FIXED OR THEM GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK. RIGHT NOW I HAVE A VERY EXPENSIVE LAWN ORNAMENT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10150003

Incident

Feb 10, 2006

Mileage

477 mi