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Thread: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

  1. #1
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    Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    so here is the scoop if anyone knows anything to help me out that would be great.

    I have a 2005 Rc51 with 5K miles on it, I don't beat the bike but I am not the most gentle rider. who is on a sport bike?

    over 3 weeks ago the bike started to rev out and the clutch stopped grabbing like it should, I didnt think it was major so I started to head home on it and it got worse and worse. The next day I take the bike into a shop near to the house and at that timet he bike couldn't do more then about 8 mph...

    well they have it for over 2 weeks and honda says that the Exploded clutch plate is my fault and that they aren't going to cover it under warranty. The dealer recomends a full tear down on the engine. The dealer finds that most of the main oil ports are clogged with clutch pieces. Good thing I had it opened up. Now the parts to rebuild the bike are on back order! and they don't have a clue when I will see my bike again.

    As for honda I have talked to multiple people, bike shops, service managers and they all say its wasn't my fault about the clutch plate and I shouldn' have to pay for the rebuild. so far we are at $2,200.00 for parts and labor!

    At this point I will still have the bike fixed since I don't feel like paying off a paper weight for the next few years.

    But I will NEVER EVER buy another Honda again. I hope this gets back to them and I will never recomend a honda to anyone I know or care about....
    If anyone has heard of this happening before or knows someone I can contact other then their shit customer relations line please feel free to drop me a note paul1971_2000@yahoo.com

  2. #2
    Senior Member Airreed's Avatar
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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    Did you take it back to the stealership you bought it at, or another shop?
    2011 Ducati 848 Evo "Bautista"
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  3. #3
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    Just waiting for Notto to see this...

    Anyway, clutches are funny things. They are easily abused, so dealers are very shy about doing the work under warranty. You may need to plead your case to Honda directly, and go above the shop.

  4. #4
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    HONDA SUCKS!!!!!! I know I have one...

    But what's going on with you is SUCH shit! I agree with Ralphy! Talk to Honda America. Hope you get this fixed!
    Newton

  5. #5
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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    I don't get it. I buy a wet clutch bike...I take it out and do the usual things with it...like say slip the clutch for all its worth doing a GOOD street start, I clutch it up a couple dozen times or more, maybe it see's Bandimere, maybe not, and I'm surprised when the plates wear down, come apart, circulate with the engine oil and grenade or nearly grenade the motor?

    And then, when a warranty repair is made on the plates coming apart and gumming up the works, I'm surprised that Honda just won't give me a new one?

    Do the words "personal responsibility" fit in here anywhere, or am I just WAY off base?

    PS: ( Sportbike Ownership Count : 11 Clutches replaced on all of them combined: 0 )

  6. #6
    Easily distracted by shiny objects and bouncy things jplracing's Avatar
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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    Are you just taking the dealerships word for the fact Honda won't cover the warrently repair or is this what the regional honda rep has said?

    If just the dealership ... I would take it straight to Honda

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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    Quote Originally Posted by troythetroll";p="226585
    I don't get it. I buy a wet clutch bike...I take it out and do the usual things with it...like say slip the clutch for all its worth doing a GOOD street start, I clutch it up a couple dozen times or more, maybe it see's Bandimere, maybe not, and I'm surprised when the plates wear down, come apart, circulate with the engine oil and grenade or nearly grenade the motor?

    And then, when a warranty repair is made on the plates coming apart and gumming up the works, I'm surprised that Honda just won't give me a new one?

    Do the words "personal responsibility" fit in here anywhere, or am I just WAY off base?

    PS: ( Sportbike Ownership Count : 11 Clutches replaced on all of them combined: 0 )
    Since when does this guy have any history of stunting, drag racing, or any other abuse? Is there something I'm not aware of here, or are you just making broad assumptions and being an ass for no reason?

  8. #8
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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    Ralph, stop trying to read between the lines based on some misconception related to whoever tagged that silly description to my name. This guy said

    Quote Originally Posted by pthunder";p="226533
    I have a 2005 Rc51 with 5K miles on it, I don't beat the bike but I am not the most gentle rider. who is on a sport bike?
    "Not being the most gentle rider" can mean nearly anything. I don't accuse this guy of being some kiddie stunna at all, however, I can conceive an "aggressive" rolling away from the line routine which, given 5000 miles, can lead to the plates needing replaced, and when not recognized and replaced in time, leading to the material itself jamming up the oil plumbing on the bike. Because the only description we were given of use was "not the most gentle rider", my question...

    Quote Originally Posted by troythetroll";p="226585
    Do the words "personal responsibility" fit in here anywhere, or am I just WAY off base?
    was reasonable. I could spot a slipping clutch pretty quickly and I consider myself a mechanical incompetent. I would recognize that a slipping clutch which might be shedding material most certainly is not good for the engine internals, that said particles might get transported around the system and with luck, not destroy it.

    This sounds completely verified by the rest of the story.

    Now, which is the more reasonable assumption, from Hondas perspective? That a clutch, which regular people can get to last bazillions of miles ( sometimes ), suddenly self destructed for no good reason, or, it was used in a "non gentle" fashion and simply did what it does when slipped more than its design allows for?

    Is it possible the clutch randomly self destructed? Sure. Have I ever even HEARD of it before? Nope...but it might be possible. Can I understand why Honda might be more than a little suspicious about WHY the clutch came apart? You betcha. Was asking the question about personal responsibility unreasonable? I don't think so.... if a mechanical incompetent like me knows what happens when a clutch fails and how to tell its failing, am I responsible for what happens next or is the manufacturer of my bike?

  9. #9
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    Fair enough. But "not the most gentle rider" can simply mean taking off from lights, and eh ... exploring the speed laws from time to time. It doesn't imply abuse, especially on a bike built for speed. And I didn't read anything between the lines, you're the one who used the term "clutched it up" and referred to Bandimere.

    It doesn't sound like he wore the clutch down. There are two components to the friction of a clutch (well there are a lot of parts, but we'll start with these): Clutch plates, and clutch "fibers". The plates are steel; they do not wear down. The fibers, which are generally cork impregnated in blocks onto a metal plate, can wear with abuse. From the sounds of his report a clutch plate exploded. I have seen these fail a lot, moreso when a clutch is overheated - but it is entirely possible that a flaw in the metal caused a premature failure.

    If he was just out cruising around and it failed like he says it did, his clutch fibers weren't going out. He'd have noticed it getting worse for a while, and they wouldn't just suddenly stop gripping.

    Barring no abuse to the bike to accellerate this, a mechanical failure of the metal plate resulting in it coming apart is completely believable. I'm certainly not going to pull the stunta abuse card on the guy though without knowing if he did it.

    I can see why you thought what you did, however.

  10. #10
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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    Quote Originally Posted by rforsythe";p="226629
    Barring no abuse to the bike to accellerate this, a mechanical failure of the metal plate resulting in it coming apart is completely believable. I'm certainly not going to pull the stunta abuse card on the guy though without knowing if he did it.

    I can see why you thought what you did, however.
    Sure you can. And why is that? Because clutches, fiber and steel, don't usually just "fail". Well...on Matt's Suzuki they do...but thats a different issue than Joe Average street rider.

    And when someone is willing to admit right up front that they aren't gentle to their machines, well, that can mean alot, or nothing, when applied to just a specific part failing. When Honda discovered that 929's when launched in anger at the dragstrip could crack the clutch basket, they issued one of those stop, don't sell, until fixed orders.....on a bike like the RC51....after some 4 or 5 years of production...if it was a defect of manufacture, Honda is as likely as anyone to have recognized it already and fixed it if it is anything other than just a one off defect.

    Seems kinda unreasonable to blame Honda for manufacturing a crappy product when as far as I know 51's don't have a reputation for anything other than overheating occasionally.

  11. #11
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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    Quote Originally Posted by troythetroll";p="226663
    Quote Originally Posted by rforsythe";p="226629
    Barring no abuse to the bike to accellerate this, a mechanical failure of the metal plate resulting in it coming apart is completely believable. I'm certainly not going to pull the stunta abuse card on the guy though without knowing if he did it.

    I can see why you thought what you did, however.
    Sure you can. And why is that? Because clutches, fiber and steel, don't usually just "fail". Well...on Matt's Suzuki they do...but thats a different issue than Joe Average street rider.

    And when someone is willing to admit right up front that they aren't gentle to their machines, well, that can mean alot, or nothing, when applied to just a specific part failing. When Honda discovered that 929's when launched in anger at the dragstrip could crack the clutch basket, they issued one of those stop, don't sell, until fixed orders.....on a bike like the RC51....after some 4 or 5 years of production...if it was a defect of manufacture, Honda is as likely as anyone to have recognized it already and fixed it if it is anything other than just a one off defect.

    Seems kinda unreasonable to blame Honda for manufacturing a crappy product when as far as I know 51's don't have a reputation for anything other than overheating occasionally.
    It is likely that Honda does not even make the clutch or plates and it is farmed out. It is possible to have a bad clutch plate. The problem came when he did not pull over. He toasted the plate and smoked the others. So even if it was a defect, he looks like he was abusive to it. When a bike is under warranty and you find something not quite right, take it to the shop immediately. It covers you in case of failure the shop did not catch. It also is a record that there was a problem that could have been in the making. In this case the shop would have seen the oil clean, the clutch slipping and possibly took it apart to find a problem and document the condition of the clutch at that time.

  12. #12
    Exposed Member Lifetime Supporter Bashed's Avatar
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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    In my 5+ years of owning a RC51 I have seen personally
    4 cases of clutch problems.2 were delaminating fiber plates,
    1 was a broken fiber plate,and 1 was a broken outer basket.
    I will say that none of these problems were on my personal
    bike but others that I have encountered.I currently have over
    35,000 miles on the original clutch.I clutch up in 2nd and 3rd,
    abuse it off the line as much as I can it being a hydro and all.
    I must of gotten lucky.My right rad sprung a leak @ 29,000,
    and I have broken a seat cowling bracket due to use,no crash.
    Thats it,no other problems.I guess it's a crapshoot either way,and I understand pthunder's plight as I once owned a Buell with worse
    continuing problems than he is now experiencing.My advice is
    fix it and then decide to sell or keep riding it.Everybody has different
    tolerance levels.Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
    Late Bash
    * Bash, Bashasaurus, Ms Bash, his neighbors or friends are not responsible for any incidents, accidents, or accusations, that might result from you being squidish, squid like, squirting ink, or waving your non-covered tentacles about in a squidy fashion. Nor is he or his associates responsible for any citations as a result of you hanging with SoCo. Any attempt to coerce, blame, question, or pin your loser-riffic behavior on any of us, or those who are considered us for the night, as well as people we like, to include Salma Hayek and Nicky Hayden, among others, will result in a profanity stricken series of post that mock and taunt you incessantly, as well as many of us adding such insults to our signature lines. Avoid taking SoCo before bedtime. Do not use if you experience faintness, dizziness, inverness, difficulty urinating or blotchy skin. If I steal a line, quote, avatar or image from a post you make on the internet, you're not getting credit.*

  13. #13
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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    So here is the scoop and to answer a few Questions. When I said I am not the most gentle rider, I like to go fast but I don't stunt the bike, I have lifted the front on it maybe 4 times total in the time I had it. It's still at the shop. Over 30 Days and no bike!
    I have talked to honda directly multiple times. They Drop shipped parts from Japan to fix it and it was supposed to be ready this friday so I went to the shop to see how it was going and they told me they need to replace all 6 gears in the transmision and they don't have the parts and don't know when they are getting them.

    all things aside I am paying to rebuild the bike out of my own pocket my fault or not. This is completely insane that my bike has been down for well over a month!.

    I have called the Regional manager for american honda and still no response from them! Jeff Dever..... and yes I will be calling again and again.

    as for the clutch plates... there was plenty of clutch material left on the plates and they had not worn to the plate itself.

    so at the time the engine has been totaly rebuilt, including new bearings, new oil pump and new clutch. now I have to wait for the tranmission parts. last quote was over $2,200.00 and counting.

    I have riden with a couple of the CSC riders we did the dinner at little anita's on colorado and if I remember I was at the back of the pack if that tells you how aggressive of a rider I am. This much engine damage should not have happened. I have friends that constantly wheelie and beat there bikes with no issues.

    so this is my one and only honda/paper weight and as it goes on I tell more and more people I know to Never buy from honda. I wonder how much that will cost them in the end....

    thanks for all the good and bad comments....

    Paul

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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    Wow...this keeps getting uglier and uglier. Is everyone certain that its the clutch fiber material that caused all these issues? I realize oil starvation is a nasty thing, but all 6 gears? I would have thought the gears had all the oil they needed even if some of the galleys were clogged and starved most of the motor?

    People race these bikes and it doesn't appear to have a reputation of blowing up any more than any other type of racebike...which is pretty hard use for a machine any way you look at it.

    Its not like Honda tries to make bad motorcycles on purpose...so I don't think I'd dismiss the entire company outta hand for a single bad apple..everyone makes bad apples, some more than others, which is why some people are particular about keeping oil change receipts and proof of maintenance while the warranty is in effect to try and counteract the manufacturers tendency to blame it on the rider, if something happens.

  15. #15
    Gold Member Yearly Supporter McVaaahhh's Avatar
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    I'm cuious as to what shop you took your bike to?

    Sounds to me like they're screwing around on you. I would be pretty pissed off myself, so just keep calling and annoying the crap out of the Honda rep and keep telling him how you feel like you're getting shafted and this should be covered by the warranty and that sort of thing. Be nice and professional and maybe you can get Honda to cover it.

    Good luck man!
    '02 RC-51 - Street
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  16. #16
    Senior Member Mista Black's Avatar
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    the clutch is faulty... it just is.

    i abuse the hell out of my bike and ride it way harder than BMW ever intended for normal use. it's a dry clutch and i have every expectation it's gonna hit 100k (or close to it) before it needs to be replaced (if it even needs it that soon).

    they owe you a clutch.
    Jeff Black
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    Currently bikeless, but will be BMW shopping again come springtime.

  17. #17
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    Re: Honda warranty and still no bike!!

    I cant believe they wont fix it for you , I took my bike to Sun Honda and they covered me on a blown water pump that was totally my fault and on a race bike wich is pretty much unheard of .And my warranty had also just expired. I would contact Honda directly or try Sun . I have bought all of my bikes at Sun and always will now . Good Luck

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