Why are there so many........

recalls? (lately)

it is actually alarming –

: BMW F800 - fuel tank
: BMW R 1200 (GS) (R) (ST) – routing of the front brake lines
: BMW K1200 (S) (R) - EWS
: Ducati 1098 - sprocket
: Buell 1125R – rear wheel lockup
: Suzuki Hyabusa – Ignition switch wiring harness
: Kawasaki ZZ14 – frame failure
: Honda Fireblade – fuel tank

now before all start running to dealers, these are worldwide recalls and applicable to certain year models/vin numbers only.

Our local situation and if you ride a BM…………..if your bike is effected, it will be dealt with automatically during the next workshop visit.

Admittedly, some issues are extremely serious and potentially dangerous like for instance this Kawasaki ZX14 who suffered from the frame failure mentioned in the recall




Is it because?

We are feeling the effects of our demands as buyers.

we want to see a new bike every year, we want the newest technology available. If a manufacturer decides to stick with a trial and tested model like for instance the Honda VFR800, the bike struggles to sell, why……..is it perhaps because we don’t buy proven technology……we want new?


Manufactures are quite happy to pull a Microsoft (sorry DotP) for economic gain.

no more proper R&D. They adopt the newest technology on the bikes as soon as it is available and turn the production switch on. Let them dollars flow in ………as soon as possible.

Dealers are not complaining either

this is a bit of a guess as I’m not sure how the “under warranty” repairs work but surely someone needs to foot the bill for such work……perhaps already built into the price?

Whichever way you analyse it, it’s a vicious circle

This post does not apply to any specific manufacturer...!

Manufacturers outsource much of the parts of a new vehicle.
Gearboxes and drive trains are made by firms like ZF, suspension units from Armstrong, White Power, Alternators from Bosch, etc, etc.
So if the supplier produces a bad batch that is not detected before incorporation onto the vehicle, it is released into the market.

So when does the faulty part start coming to the attention of the maker?
When more and more customers bring them in for warranty attention is when the maker gets to hear of it. So, what do they do - recall every one produced? This is both expensive and injurious to the brand's reputation, so most makers will put a 'service policy' or 'service notice' out and when a customer brings in the vehicle, the service dealer checks for the fault and fixes it without charging the customer.

Others notify dealers to do the repair or exchange the part when and if the customer requests it. A motorcycle I once owned had just such a 'customer request' exchange policy on the front wheels - but nobody told me about it. I only found out about it (on the Internet) after I had sold it, with the original wheel still working well!
Some makers just ignore the fault, believing in letting sleeping dogs lie until
actual failure takes place. Many such faults will not emerge as an actual failure before the vehicle is sold on as used or written off in an accident and broken up as used spares.
Ever more unscrupulous makers will vehemently deny actual patent defect failures under the title of 'driver action' or 'rider error' - and insist on the innocent customer paying for a replacement - hopefully out of a different batch or parts...!
To be fair, some customers also have underhand methods.
"I was just pulling off from the traffic lights when the whole gearbox fell out", while they were actually out competing at a drag strip..!
Makers have had bad batches and they were kept quiet - Gearboxes with output shafts out of alignment, pourous casings, terrible brakes, etc.etc. Why else would they change the design?
"New and improved?" Maybe they've just fixed what they know was defective.

Buyer Beware...! Be informed - visit the internet, ask questions, talk to other customers. Each maker and each model has its issues. Some are quirks inherent to the design, some are actual defects. Know your rights and be knowledgeable - then you won't get walked over..!

By the way, for info on USA recalls on the R1200GS and Adventure, refer to the following site...

http://www.r1200gs.info/misc/recalls.html

Some may apply to your bike too...?

(Tip: Go too Google and type "Recalls" + your bike make and model - Google will find them if they are out there)