What 31 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Gl1800a

ON COLD START-UPS(EVEN IN THE SUMMER IN FLORIDA), THE MOTORCYCLE WILL STUMBLE OR HESITATE UNTIL WARMED UP. THIS CAUSES INCONSISTENT AND UNPREDICTABLE THROTTLE CONTROL IN SLOW TURNS. I HAVE NEARLY DROPPED THE MOTORCYCLE MULTIPLE TIMES AND ALSO HAVE ENCOUNTERED PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC AND NOT HAVING PREDICTABLE THROTTLE CONTROL TO GET GOING SAFELY. VERY DANGEROUS!

NHTSA ODI 10785837

THE ENGINE STUMBLES AND LOSES POWER AT APPROXIMATELY 1500RMP AND MAKES THE MOTORCYCLE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10641998

EVERY DAY WHEN LEAVING MY DRIVEWAY I START THE MOTORCYCLE. THEN DRIVE THE 50FT. TO THE STREET AND TURN LEFT. DURING THE TURN THE MOTORCYCLE BEGINS TO COUGH AND STUMBLE LOOKING FOR THE THROTTLE POSITION ALMOST FALLING OVER INTO THE STREET. TO AVOID THIS HAPPENING I MUST TURN THE THROTTLE SEVERAL TIMES TO INCREASE THE ENGINE RPM'S AND THEN MANAGE TO KEEP THE MOTORCYCLE FROM OVER COMPENSATING AND CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE HONDA DEALER AND THEIR RESPONSE IS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND OR THE MOTORCYCLE IS OPERATING WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS. THEN STATING THAT ALL 2012 GOLDWING MOTORCYCLES ARE EXHIBITING THIS SAME CONDITION. BASICALLY THIS FUEL INJECTED, COMPUTER CONTROLLED ENGINE IS THE SAME AS ANY AUTOMOBILE ENGINE AND NONE I AM FAMILIAR WITH EXHIBIT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10549745

WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON THE HIGHWAY, AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE FRONT TIRE PICKED UP A SMALL, UNSEEN PIECE OF ROAD DEBRIS AND FLUNG IT INTO THE OIL FILTER LOCATED ON THE LOWER FRONT END OF THE MOTOR CYCLE BODY. THIS ACTION CAUSED THE FILTER TO BE PUNCTURED, RESULTING IN A LARGE QUANTITY OF OIL TO BE EJECTED FROM THE BIKE AND SLUNG ALONG THE ENTIRE BOTTOM OF THE MOTORCYCLE INCLUDING THE EXHAUST, THE REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY, AND THE REAR TIRE. I BECAME AWARE OF THE SITUATION WHEN I NOTICED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRRORS A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE BIKE. I THEN LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LAMP ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. LUCKILY, I WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND ALREADY STARTING TO SLOW DOWN. WHILE IN THE STOPPED POSITION I SAW A LARGE POOL OF OIL ON THE ROAD COMING FROM UNDER THE BIKE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND MOVED THE BIKE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THE HOLE IN THE OIL FILTER AND SAW THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE BIKE AND THE REAR WHEEL WERE COVERED IN THE OIL. I FEEL HONDA OWES IT TO ITS CUSTOMERS TO FIX THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY SAFETY CONCERN BY SIMPLY INSTALLING AN INEXPENSIVE BELLY PAN ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BIKE. THIS WOULD SERVE TO PROTECT BOTH THE EXPOSED OIL FILTER AND THE EXPOSED COOLANT RESERVOIR. EITHER OF THESE EXPOSED ITEMS COULD, AND HAVE, EASILY GET PUNCTURED BY A ROCK OR OTHER DEBRIS AND SHOWER THE REAR TIRE AND BRAKE CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. I'VE CONTACTED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT. THEY HAVE DECLINED ANY ACTION. I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH HONDA'S RESPONSE TO SUCH A SAFETY CONCERN. HOPEFULLY, SOMEHOW THIS WILL BE ADDRESS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED, OR WORSE. I WILL BE ORDERING AND INSTALLING A BELLY PAN ON MY BIKE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10546878

MOTORCYCLE HAS A HESITATION WHEN APPLYING THROTTLE. THIS HAPPENS FROM A COLD START AS WELL AS DURING ENGINE WARM-UP AND OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS AT NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THIS ENGINE HESITATION CAN RESULT IN AN ENGINE STALL WHICH CAN RESULT IN A CRASH IF THE MOTORCYCLE IS IN A LOW SPEED TURN. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON MOST 2012 AND 2013 HONDA GOLDWING MOTORCYCLES. I CONSIDER THIS HESITATION TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN VARIOUS GOLDWING ONLINE SITES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10523890