2007 Suzuki VZR1800 transmission problems

Filed Jun 15, 2026 · Transmission · PA

I got on the highway going to [XXX] on [XXX]. When I merged into traffic I almost got hit from behind because the Suzuki M109R slipped out of second gear. Fortunately the driver of the dump truck behind me noticed that I was not speeding up and he slammed on the brakes saving my life. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed May 23, 2024 · Transmission · ME

During acceleration after shifting into 2nd gear the transmission slips out and then back in sometimes causing the rear wheel to spin.

Filed Aug 30, 2020 · Transmission · 17,000 miles · WY

When you shift into 2nd gear and accelerate hard it feels like it skips and shutter hard intermittently. It doesnt do it everytime. Scary feeling. I usually shift into 1st into 3rd without accelerating in second if possible. I cant believe suzuki being a prominent bike company has not corrected this problem. I wish I had read up more on the thousands of threads about this same type problem with this bike before I purchase

Filed Feb 21, 2020 · Acceleration, Transmission · 22,000 miles · MA

Major loss of power to the ground. Mainly in second gear if I open the throttle to anything above say 20% twist of the wrist the rpms go up but bike wont gain speed while already driving. Clutch does not show signs of burning up and all seems normal there. Ive adjusted it per suzuki's manual and followed their updated method via service bulletin the next time I made adjustment. In all gears I get this slipping sensation too where the motorcycle feel like its dragging or not picking up speed along with the rpms whenever I try to use some of the bikes strong power while already driving on the highway. This potentially can put me into a dangerous situation where I cannot pickup speed to avoid another vehicle need be and plus it just plain old takes the confidence and fun out of riding this machine I spent a lot of hard earned money on. Shifting into second gear is rough and difficult at times. I always shift in low RPM (4k RPM) and ease on throttle for all gears to not abuse it. The gear indicator I had installed no longer senses what gear I am in more times than not. I suspect the shift fork for second gear along with the gear itself to be badly engineered after gather info about this issue on the m109ers.com forum. Thinking the secondary drive might be worn out when I don't abuse this bike. This bike has also had a terrible "stutter" in first gear when driving from a stand still that I noticed goes away when you park the bike with the handle bars turned to the right to stand up the bike more upright (more oil gets to the clutch stack) 24000 miles on the odometer, this is the third bike I have ever purchased out of the 5 in my lifetime. Will be filing a complaint again once I have more info and documentation.

Filed Nov 4, 2019 · Transmission · 30,000 miles · TX

Tl* the contact's wife owns a 2007 suzuki vzr1800k7 motorcycle. While driving 35 MPH, the gear intermittently shifted from first into second gear, and then downshifted into neutral without warning. The motorcycle was taken to sysco houston (10710 greens crossing blvd, houston, tx 77038, (713) 672-8080) where it was diagnosed that the gear was stuck and needed to be loosened. The motorcycle was repaired, but the failure recurred multiple times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Filed Jul 23, 2018 · Transmission · 22,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 suzuki vzr1800. While driving various speeds, the second gear slipped into the neutral position. The contact stated that the failure occurred on more than one occasion. The vehicle was taken to all ohio motorsports (23361 aurora rd, cleveland, oh 44146, (440) 786- 2230) where it was diagnosed that the second gear needed to be replaced within the transmission. The contact stated that the vehicle was in the process of being repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

Filed Jul 22, 2016 · Transmission · 40,000 miles · VA

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 suzuki vzr1800k7 (na). The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while shifting into second gear and when accelerating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Filed Feb 9, 2015 · Body, Transmission · 2,000 miles · CA

Just like other drivers, 2nd gear would drop to neutral and when suzuki repair the warranted bike, they took almost 6 months to fix it and it happen 3 more time within the next 4 years and less than 20,00 miles...along with the clutch going out 3 times and a broken swingarm the bike has been grounded longer than it's been on the road...

Filed Dec 17, 2012 · Transmission · 11,000 miles · NJ · crash · 1 injury

Was stopped at a red light. When light turned green I went to first gear then second. While trying to go to third it slipped out of gear and a car hit me from behind.

Filed Jun 8, 2012 · Acceleration, Transmission · 4,550 miles · MD

Was on my 2007 suzuki m109r and sitting at a light I was making a left hand turn after light turned green. As I made the turn I went to shift into second gear and it went into second gear then slipped back into neutral causing me to lose my concentration and almost hitting car next to me. I am a member of the m109rider message board and have found this is a very common problem with this motorcycle http://www.m109riders.com/forums/search.php?searchid=865572 this is a serious safety issue due to it happens when a rider is starting to accelerate (possibly like me in a turn or merging into traffic) and is likely to eventually cause either a serious accident with injuries or possibly death.