The honda gl1800 has exhibited a braking problem since 2001. Sometime, when using the rear brake, a shuddering takes place that feels like you are driving over rumble strips. It is enough to shake the windshield and mirrors. It can be felt through the rear brake pedal. It happens more often in hot weather. There are forums for the gl1800 and they all have many posts of people experiencing it on different year models. Many have taken their motorcycles to the dealers while under warranty (including myself). A wide variety of fixes have been attempted with nothing really fixing the problem. Honda's area service tech said the rear brake disc rotor needed to be replaced at my own expense. (about $800). However, I have already read on these forums where the disc rotors had been replaced and still didn't fix the problem. Honda's latest response is that 1. It is just a characteristic of the motorcycle and 2. Using more front brake will stop the problem. Both of those statements are true, however, some of the gl1800's never experience the problem and more importantly, sometimes it is best not to use too much front brake under certain riding conditions and could be dangerous. This is a 20k-24k dollar motorcycle. The brakes should work without shaking the motorcycle. Requiring the front brake to be used just to stop this vibration is just ignoring the real problem. A prospective buyer may be hesitant to buy a motorcycle with this symptom, thus lowering the resale value. Honda's mc warranty manager politely told me that there was nothing else honda would do. I would like to see honda finally investigate and fix this problem with a recall. A car manufacturer would never get away with this and neither should a motorcycle manufacturer. Included is just one link to a forum on this problem. Http://gl1800riders.com/forums/showthread.php?118643-rear-brake-shudder.
The worst 2009 Honda GL1800 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Brakes1
- Transmission1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes1
- Transmission1
Recalls 5
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2010 and 2012-2016 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing motorcycles. These motorcycles have air bag inflators assembled as part of the air bag module that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the rider resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Honda Motorcycle Customer Support at 1‑866‑784‑1870. Honda's number for this recall is KJ1.
Recall number 18V045000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2006-2009 and 2012 Honda GL1800 (Goldwing) motorcycles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A," Honda is recalling certain 2006-2009 Honda GL1800 (Goldwing) motorcycles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, if not included in Zone A or Zone B above, Honda is recalling certain 2006-2008 Honda GL1800 (Goldwing) motorcycles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the operator resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Honda Motorcycle Customer Support at 1‑866‑784‑1870. Honda's number for this recall is KE5.
Recall number 17V031000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor, Inc.) is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Honda GL1800 (Gold Wing) motorcycles manufactured February 8, 2006, to May 14, 2009 originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 Honda GL 1800 (Gold Wing) motorcycles manufactured May 10, 2007, to May 14, 2009 originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Motorcycles not originally sold or ever registered in either Zones A or B are not subject to this safety recall. These motorcycles are equipped with an air bag inflator assembled as part of the air bag module, used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the rider resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag module containing the inflator, free of charge. Honda distributed an interim notification to owners on July 19, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑866‑784‑1870. Honda's number for this recall is KA8.
Recall number 16V347000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- What is wrong
- American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2010 and 2012-2015 GL1800, 2001-2005 GL1800A and 2013-2015 GL1800B motorcycles. The rear brakes of the affected motorcycles may drag after the brakes are released.
- Risk
- A rear brake that drags may increase the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, extended riding with the rear brake dragging could generate enough heat to result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary brake master cylinder and the rear brake master cylinder, and flush the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on December 7, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑866‑784‑1870. Honda's number for this recall is JV6. Note: This recall supercedes recall 14V‑472.
Recall number 15V700000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- What is wrong
- Honda is recalling certain model year 2001-2010, and model year 2012 gl1800 goldwing motorcycles. Under certain conditions, there is a possibility that the combined braking system's secondary master cylinder may cause the rear brake to drag.
- Risk
- Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash, and riding the motorcycle with the rear brake dragging may generate enough heat to cause the rear brake to catch fire.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the secondary master cylinder and if necessary, replace it, free of charge. The safety recall began on january 6, 2012. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1‑866‑784‑1870.
Recall number 11V567000 · Recall details
See all 5 recalls for the 2009 Honda GL1800
Defect investigations
Southern Honda Powersports
the federal safety agency opened Audit Query (AQ) 12-001 to determine whether Southern Honda Powersports (Southern Honda) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, had complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 (Safety Act) and its implementing regulations. The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a motor vehicle or equipment manufacturer notify its dealers of defects related to motor vehicle safety and non-compliances with federal motor vehicle safety standards.In turn, a dealer may not sell and deliver a new vehicle subject to a recall unless the recall remedy has been performed.(see 49 U.S.C. 30120(i); 49 C.F.R. 573.11)the federal safety agency issued an information request to Southern Honda on May 14, 2012 to which they responded on July 6, 2012.the federal safety agency?s inquiry led it to believe that Southern Honda had failed to complete the requirements of five recalls that required inspections and/or repairs of motorcycles prior to their sale or delivery.the federal safety agency believes that 329 motorcycles affected by recalls had not been inspected and/or repaired prior to their sale and delivery between 2007 and 2012.The agency is unaware of any deaths or injuries involving these vehicles.the federal safety agency concluded that it had a potential civil penalty claim against Southern Honda for violations of the Safety Act.Southern Honda denied any violations of the Safety Act.In order to settle this matter, Southern Honda agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $125,000, to be paid in five annual installments.This AQ is closed.
AQ12001
Technical service bulletins for the 2009 Honda GL1800 23
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Honda has sourced a new supplier for the 2009 ~ 2017 GL1800 Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The...
- Dealer Message
- Dealer Mesage
- Honda is launching a safety recall of 2012-2015 GL1800/a and 2013-2015 GL1800B/bd motorcycles, and is...
- Dealer message - on december 11, several sections of s/b GL1800 #23 were revised to include information...
- Newsletter - the repair procedure for the secondary master cylinder (SMC) recall is very involved, so make...
- Dealer message
- Honda is launching a safety recall of 2012-2015 GL1800/a and 2013-2015 GL1800/b/bd motorcycles, and is...
- Dealer message - the service bulletin in support of the safety recall of 2001-2015 GL1800/a and GL1800B/bd...
- Honda is launching a safety recall of 2001-2015 GL1800/a and GL1800B/bd motorcycles
What 2009 Honda GL1800 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
2009 honda goldwing jumps out of over drive gear under load.
Compare the 2009 Honda GL1800
Other model years
2001200220032004200520062007200820092010201220132014201520162018201920202021202220232024
Questions about the 2009 Honda GL1800
Is the 2009 Honda GL1800 reliable?
Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2009 Honda GL1800, fewer than a typical GL1800 model year.
What is the 2009 Honda GL1800 year score?
The 2009 Honda GL1800 scores 90 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Honda GL1800: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Honda GL1800?
Brakes, with 1 complaint. Next is transmission (1).
How many recalls does the 2009 Honda GL1800 have?
5 recalls, covering air bags and service brakes, hydraulic.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Honda GL1800 brakes?
Yes, 2 recalls: 15V700000, 11V567000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Honda GL1800 have bad brakes?
The Honda GL1800 model years with the most brakes complaints are 2008 (11 complaints) and 2010 (11 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2009 Honda GL1800?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history