The front tire on my motorcycle, a dunlop roadsmart size 120/70zr-18, suffered a catastrophic failure while traveling on the freeway. Visual evidence suggests the belt separated under the tread, then split the tire carcass resulting in about a 3 inch gash and a rapid loss of pressure. It does not appear to be the result of hitting a road hazard. Luckily I managed to get the motorcycle off the road safely. I have detailed photographs of the failure at http://usmotogpfans.com/pix/main.php?g2_itemid=117. The tire is being held at a motorcycle dealership who did my repairs, belleville honda in belleville il. The failure looks nearly identical to this one experienced by another rider using the same tire model, brand and size: http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1001288&postcount=33 here's an even more spectacular one: http://www.st1300.us.com/showpost.php?p=5430 and several others: http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showpost.php?p=999875 http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1000715 http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1096975 http://www.st1300.us.com/showpost.php?p=5399 this exact tire model and size appears to be prone to these catastrophic failures. The manufacturer has been made aware and has thus far taken no action. I hope the federal safety agency can force some response before someone gets killed. Btw, your web interface does not include the correct tire size, so I was not able to enter the right figure. It was 120/70zr-18. The closest your site allows me to enter is 125/70zr-18, which doesn't exist in this tire model. I entered it anyway, as there was no other way to get past the screen.
The worst 2003 Honda ST1300A problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical3
- Tires2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical3
- Tires2
Recalls 3
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- Certain motorcycles equipped with combined-brake systems have a proportioning control valve (pcv) that mechanically proportions brake force when the rear brake is applied. A seal in some pcvs is improperly shaped, and brake fluid leakage may occur.
- Risk
- If the motorcycle continues to be used after a leak occurs, the rear brake would eventually become inoperative. A loss of rear brake force could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear brake forleakage. If leakage is confirmed, the dealer will replace the pcv free of charge. The recall began on january 31, 2005. Owners may contact honda at 866‑784‑1870.
Recall number 05V010000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- On certain motorcycles, the main wire harness has a ground distribution connector that is incorrectly assembled. Some electrical circuits may overheat and short, including the fuel pump.
- Risk
- If the fuel pump stops working, the engine will stall without warning, which could cause a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the ground distribution connector for overheating damage. If any damage is found, the wire harness will be replaced. If no damage is found, the connectors will be assembled properly. The recall began on december 8, 2004. Owners should contact honda at 866‑784‑1870.
Recall number 04V568000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- On certain motorcycles, the routing of some wire harnesses may allow a connector to contact and chafe against the fuel tank.
- Risk
- Eventually the chafing may cause a short circuit and blow an ignition system fuse. The engine will then stall without warning, which could cause a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the wire harness connector position and check for damage. If any damage is found, dealers will replace the necessary parts. If no damage is found, dealers will reposition the connector, and make sure adequate clearance exists. The recall began on december 8, 2004. Owners should contact honda at 1‑866‑784‑1870.
Recall number 04V549000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Honda ST1300A 6
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Dealer message
- Dealer message
- Load carrying capacity reduced label for all honda vehicles.
- Honda: warranty extension-vehicle warranty mileage. class action lawsuit alleging that the odometers on...
- Safety recall to replace the ground connector gap on all 2003-2004 ST1300/a models. honda. tt
- Linked braking system (lbs) proportional control valve (pcv) leakage safety recall. tt
What 2003 Honda ST1300A owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I had the front dunlop roadsmart tire of my motor cycle develop a large blister after a ride of approx. 60 miles.(total tire mileage is 13,800m) the blister size is 4 inches long, 2 inches wide and 0.5inches high. This caused a dangerous vibration through the motorcycle and badly affected the handling of the motorcycle. The tire size is 120/70/zr18. The pressure was set at the recommended pressure by the manufacturer (42psi) and there were no road hazards encountered at the time the blister occurred. A complaint e-mail was sent to dunlop on 6/22/2010 requesting comments on this blister but to date no reply has been received.
(1) no failure has occurred yet. (2) potential failure - the main wire harness has a ground distribution connector. The connector was improperly wired and could overheat. If the connector overheats, power to various circuits could be lost. As aresult, a loss of critical lighting or engine power could occur without warning, which could cause a crash. (3) nothing has been done by the dealer to correct this problem - according to the dealer the parts needed to repair this failure are not available till july 2005 thus the dealer is unable to remedy the defect within a reasonable period of time (60 days from the date I first contacted the dealer for repair).
Parts are not available for honda recalls the federal safety agency 04v568000 and 04v549000. Recalls came out over 90 days ago. They have had my bike for over 30 days. Dealer cannot do work because of lack of parts. I feel honda not living up to intent of the recall in failing to provide expedient repair.
Honda motorcycle wiring harness safety recall. *nm recall campaign : 04v568000. The consumer stated that he is having difficulty getting honda to comply with the safety recall of his motorcycle. The consumer stated that the problem centers on the fact that american honda issues parts required by the recall to the selling dealer. American honda will not send parts to the local dealer, they will only send parts to the selling dealer and the consumer purchased the motorcycle in ohio, and he does not live there.
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Questions about the 2003 Honda ST1300A
Is the 2003 Honda ST1300A reliable?
Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 2003 Honda ST1300A, 1.7 times a typical ST1300A model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Honda ST1300A?
Electrical system, with 3 complaints. Next is tires (2).
How many recalls does the 2003 Honda ST1300A have?
3 recalls, covering service brakes, hydraulic and electrical system.
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