The UBS bolt broke off ( according to honda mechanics who worked on the bike) causing the motorcycle to lose all power instantly. The engine basically fell apart. I was traveling 55 miles an hour on a two lane curvy mountain road with virtually no shoulder and traffic in both directions. With no power I tried to pull off the road But could not as my first reaction was to grab the brakes, causing traffic to come dangerously close behind me. with on coming traffic I had no choice but to try and get off the road. There was a 6 to 8 inch drop off onto the grass (no shoulder) at this point I lost control of the motorcycle and struggled to keep from falling over- injuring my left leg, right arm, and left neck. Honda dealers and Honda have told me this is a problem they are aware of and have had several other cases of failure in the same way. The vehicle has been with the Honda dealership since April 29, 2024 This is a very serious and life threatening problem of which Honda is aware. My injuries are still on going.
Honda GL1800 loss of power problems
10 of the 626 owner complaints about the Honda GL1800 describe sudden loss of power, most of them for the 2003 model year.
- owner complaints
- 10
- worst model year
- 2003
- typical mileage
- 7,900
By model year
- 20181
- 20141
- 20131
- 20122
- 20081
- 20071
- 20032
- 20021
Often reported together
What owners say
2003 honda goldwing. Consumer writes in regards to motorcycles sudden power loss and brake system failure accident. *smd
Since the bike was new it has a severe stumble at low speeds when the engine is not at full operating temperature. The motorcycle acts as if it's not getting enough air or fuel or both and will lose power. If you attempt to compensate by adding more throttle it will take off suddenly, sometimes with near disastrous results. This has happened since new and three times I was in mortal danger, once with my wife on the back of the bike. (she will not ride on this bike any more and I will be getting a new one.) the dealership has tried many things at the direction of honda customer service, including new plugs, now fuel injection, and reflashing the ecu. Nothing has resolved the issue. Honda cs first suggested letting the motorcycle warm up to full operating temperature...near 20 minutes even in warm weather. They then advised me to get couples counseling if my wife won't ride with me due to the issue. Last, they suggested that I not drive in locations where I have to maintain less than 10mph. (I work at a hospital that is within a school zone on a military base.) in the end honda has denied that there is any issue.
Drops in/out of 5th gear every 1-3 minutes. Gears 1-3 occasionally drop in/out and consistently make a light grinding sound, including neutral. This vehicle is out of warranty but I think honda should be responsible for fixing it because I consider it a safety issue. If a rider should suddenly lose power on a busy interstate, there is a significant risk of a rear-end collision due to rapid and unexpected engine deceleration.
Motorcycle exhibits a cold start stumble. At around 1700-2200 RPM (in any gear) the engine stumbles / near-stalls. This loss of power is especially dangerous on a motorcycle where reliable power / speed is necessary to maintain riding stability especially in low speed maneuvering. Loss of power two-up with a passenger, leaned over at 25 degrees, at ~0-5 MPH, in second gear...extremely dangerous...have almost crashed more than once. In many gl1800 and other motorcycle user forums this is a known and much discussed dynamic which honda has to-date ignored / dismissed.
On leaving when engine is cold, leaning do left leaving driveway engine hesitates or cuts out causing loss of power, which bike almost tipping completely over.
Vehicle appears to lose power between 1500 and 2000 RPM's. Bike was warm. Bike hesitates under acceleration between 1500 and 2000 RPM's potentially contributing to an accident due to loss of power under normal acceleration.
Last year I complained about the transmission popping out of gear, when I took it in, I was told there was nothing wrong with it, and they could not look into the case unless it went out. This year it started to pop out of gear even more, and in july it popped out of gear again and took the transmission and drive shaft. It was repaired under warranty, but after the repairs I was told that honda had other complaints that were similar or doing the same thing, but they were not highlighting advertising it. In other words, they did nothing until it went out completely, and that occurred while I was driving it, it could have cause an accident with loss of power.
Tl*- the contact stated that the 2003 honda gold wing gl 1800 lost power while driving at 70 MPH. The contact checked to make sure that his feet were located in the correct position while on the motorcycle. The contact cruised to 30 MPH and the lights on instrument panel turned back on , and the motorcycle started back up on its own. The contact didn't try to restart the motorcycle, it dod so on its own.
2002 goldwing radio will lose power 2 or 3 times while driving. Then when stopped and turned off, upon trying to restart there is no power to the digital control console or starter. Have to remove positive battery cable and re-attached to regain power to crank bike.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021 GL1800 Goldwing motorcycles. The primary drive gear bolt on the crankshaft may break, which can result in an engine stall and lock up the rear wheel.
- Risk
- An engine stall and rear wheel lockup can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the primary drive gear bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 30, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑866‑784‑1870. Honda's number for this recall is KQ9.
Recall number 24V820000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: engine control module (ecu/ECM): software
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2022 GL1800 Gold Wing motorcycles equipped with manual transmissions. An ignition timing software error for the engine control unit (ECU) may reduce engine performance, which can result in an engine stall.
- Risk
- An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 28, 2022. Owners may contact American Honda Motor Co customer service at 1‑866‑784‑1870.
Recall number 22V449000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: motorcycles equipped with a newly designed engine stop switch. The engine stop switch is sensitive to accidental contact or strong jolting, such as hitting a pothole or riding over railroad tracks,which could cause the engine to cut out momentarily or even shut off.
- Risk
- Sudden loss of engine power could lead to a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a contact plate, e-clip, and 2 contact plate springs. Owner notification began april 19, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact honda at 1‑310‑532‑9811.
Recall number 01V162000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: motorcycles equipped with a newly designed pulse rotor. The crankshaft pulse rotor, a device used for ignition timing, could fail and cause the engine to stall.
- Risk
- This sudden loss of engine power could lead to a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a redesigned pulse rotor. Owner notification began april 19, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009.
Recall number 01V133000 · Recall details
Questions about the Honda GL1800 loss of power
Which Honda GL1800 years have sudden loss of power problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2003 (2 complaints), 2012 (2 complaints) and 2002 (1 complaints).
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