Warning: Hondas fall apart (poor customer service)

[Shep]

Lazyrider

So when Honda designed the CB900 and the conrods snapped, or the CX500 with the crankshafts failing or the VF750 with the chocolate cams or the early RC30,s with crankshafts failing again !!!! or the numerous instances on various models where Honda simply cannot make a cam chain tensioner the owners should simply shut up and stop complaining and not have a nanny state attitude !!!! Honda have got it wrong on numerous occasions before, they still fail to be able to make a reliable regulator/rectifier unit.

Dave is 100% right for a part to fail 3 times in 2.5 years is simply called

CRAP DESIGN and in this case not fit for its intended purpose, no argument, FACT.

Memo to Honda = GET THE DESIGN RIGHT or replace badly designed part FOC

[Cabby]

F**k me.....I agreed with Shep.....

[Darren27]

Gaskets and their fitting cost money. If Honda could do away with them they would.

They can and they should. My last bike didn't use gaskets, so why do Honda?

Other Varadero owners have had this problem - not me, 1999 bike 55,000 miles no exhaust gasket problem - they have, using their own imagination and ingenuity, overcome the problem with a minimum of fuss. They have not tried to import the 'nanny state' - everything that goes wrong has to be someone else's fault - into their motorcycling.

My 2005 V5 with 13000 miles has just had the gasket fail. The number failing clearly shows that the design is either not fit for purpose or should be subject to a maintenance schedule. As Honda have chosen to exclude mentioning the gasket in the handbook for maintenance (and to be honest what could you do to it anyway) I think it is safe to assume that the failure rate is due to poor design.

[Dee Duble Yuh]

...not me, 1999 bike 55,000 miles no exhaust gasket problem - they have, using their own imagination and ingenuity, overcome the problem with a minimum of fuss. They have not tried to import the 'nanny state' - everything that goes wrong has to be someone else's fault - into their motorcycling.

I'm impressed. You're my hero.

[VTwin]

I have always found small design flaws in my bikes but take great pleasure in putting something right that Mr Honda hasn't quite got perfect.Those gaskets fail a lot, I had a few go on my X11 and then a BlackBird, both my Varaderos haven't suffered, yet, but will pull this one apart next winter now it's been highlighted.

A friends Ducati has a similar problem but he calls it "character"!

Latest design flaw/recall, Kawasaki ZZR1400 main frames breaking at rear engine mount collapsing the rear suspension!!

New Hayabusa ignition switch wiring falling apart.

BMWW F800gs rear sprocket nuts working themselves loose (see MCN today) and one other I know of.

[Dee Duble Yuh]

Perhaps it depends on whether you see your Varadero as a hobby to be fettled on weekends, or a form of transport to be ridden. In general Ducatis fall into the former category (some exceptions); I need the latter. I don't expect to have to go around the bike fixing stuff and tightening up fasteners on a regular basis.

[VTwin]

I don't expect to have to go around the bike fixing stuff and tightening up fasteners on a regular basis.

Time to get a car perhaps!

[Loudpedal]

Guys it could be a lot worse.


It could be a BMUU



Then you would have problems

It cost me £5 odd for a packing gasket and part of a sunny afternoon in my driveway to fix mine. 05 bike with 14,000miles (now updated to 08 )
I think the bigest part of the problem is that the joint is hard to get at even when working at the pipes. So normal checking is missed.


Loudpedal

[LazyRider]

Guys it could be a lot worse.


It cost me £5 odd for a packing gasket and part of a sunny afternoon in my driveway to fix mine. 05 bike with 14,000miles (now updated to 08 )

There speaks a rider of ingenuity, imagination and mechanical dexterity - proper biker

[Loudpedal]

There speaks a rider of ingenuity, imagination and mechanical dexterity - proper biker

Must be my round at VUK then Barry.



Loudpedal