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What 7 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Honda Gl1800

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (7)Crash / fire / injury (2)Brakes (4)Engine (2)Fuel system (2)Suspension (1)

Newest first · 7 complaints

Sep 20, 2017Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HONDA MOTORCYCLE. THE VEHICLE MODEL WAS UNKNOWN. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR BRAKES DRAGGED UNTIL THEY WERE HEATED UP AND THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL OTHER TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (SUN ENTERPRISES, INC., 8877 N. WASHINGTON ST., THORNTON, CO 80229), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SAME DEALER THREE TIMES, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AT 866-784-1870, BUT THE CONTACT HEARD A RECORDED MESSAGE. THE DEALER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 0.

NHTSA ODI 11024612

Sep 9, 2016Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HONDA GL1800. WHEN THE REAR BRAKES WERE ENGAGED, THE VEHICLE SHUTTERED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V700000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING PROPERLY; HOWEVER, BOTH BRAKE HANDLES NEEDED TO BE USED AT THE SAME TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 10905000

Jul 6, 2016Brakes1 injury

AFTER PERFORMING THE REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER RECALL THERE IS A PRONOUNCED CHATTER OR VIBRATION TO THE MOTORCYCLE WHEN THE REAR BRAKES ARE APPLIED. REAR BRAKES ARE APPLIED UNDER CERTAIN SLOW SPEED MANEUVERS OR WHEN TURNING SHARPLY AT SLOW SPEED. THIS ISSUE WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HONDA. THE DEALERSHIP THOUGHT IT WAS AN ISSUE AND CHANGED THE BRAKE PADS TWICE AS WELL AS BLED THE SYSTEM DOWN AGAIN, NO CHANGE. HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS CONTACTED AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE AND THAT BOTH BRAKES MUST ALWAYS BE APPLIED. (THIS IS UNTRUE.) IF THE BIKE IS MOVING AT GREAT SPEED, WHERE BOTH BRAKES ARE APPLIED THIS ISSUE DOESN'T SEEM TO MANIFEST. IF IT DOES HAPPEN, IT KEEP OCCURRING UNTIL THE FRONT BRAKE HAS BEEN APPLIED PRIOR TO RE-APPLYING THE BACK BRAKE. THIS BEHAVIOR WAS NOT PRESENT PRIOR TO THE RECALL BEING PERFORMED ON THE REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER.

NHTSA ODI 10883145

Jul 6, 2016EngineFuel system1 injury

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.

NHTSA ODI 10883150

Jun 13, 2016SuspensionBrakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HONDA GL1800. WHILE RIDING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE SYSTEM STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE WAS RECENTLY REPAIRED PER A RECALL TO REPLACE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. ALSO, WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT FELT AS THOUGH HE WAS RIDING OVER MULTIPLE TRAIN TRACKS AND FELT UNSAFE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 10873922

Aug 31, 2015Engine

THROTTLE SURGES AND/OR HESITATES AT SLOW SPEEDS TILL ENGINE WARMS UP. QUITE DANGEROUS AND COULD LEAD TO CRASH.

NHTSA ODI 10760402

Sep 28, 2014Fuel system

WHEN YOU FIRST START UP RIDING, THE BIKE HAS A STUMBLE, HESITATION, WHEN YOU ACCELERATE UP TO SPEED, FEELS LIKE IT IS TRIPPING OVER ITS OWN FEET. HAS BEEN DOING THIS COLD STUMBLE THING SINCE BRAND NEW.. GOT HOME 22 APRIL 2014 NOW HAS 17600 MILES, AND STILL STUMBLES, HESITATES WHEN FIRST ROLLING UP TO SPEED... *TR

NHTSA ODI 10639635

Working with the data? Download all 7 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 11, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2014 Honda Gl1800 verdict →