2001 HONDA GL1800 Tires Problems

METZELER ME880 MARATHON, 180/60R16, FOR HONDA GL1800 REAR TIRE OUT OF ROUND CAUSING MOTORCYCLE TO SHIMMY. TIRE WAS INSTALLED SUMMER OF 2009. SHIMMY BEGAN AFTER TIRE MILEAGE ABOUT 5,000. THERE WAS NO DETECTABLE DEFLECTION IN TIRE, BUT PROBLEM STEADILY GOT WORSE. TIRE WAS CHECKED FREQUENTLY, PRESSURE CHECKED DAILY (KEPT AT 42PSI). AT ABOUT 9500 MILES ON TIRE, SHIMMY GOT WORSE, AND TIRE FOUND TO HAVE OVER 1/2 IN. RADIAL AND AXIAL RUNOUT. THIS IS THIRD METZELER ON MY GL1800. 1ST ONE, SUMMER OF 2006, HAD SLIGHT SHIMMY FROM START, LASTED ONLY 925 MILES - BLOWOUT FROM ROAD DEBRIS. HAD THAT TIRE REPLACED BY HONDA DEALER IN FERGUS FALLS, MINNESOTA. REPLACEMENT TIRE HAD NO SHIMMY UNTIL ABOUT 800 MILES. SHIMMY WORLENED UNTIL DANGEROUS CONDITION AND TIRE REPLACED WITH DIFFERENT BRAND. E-MAIL SENT TO METZELER WITH NO RESPONSE. *TR

THERE IS A NOTICEABLE WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END OF MY 2001 HONDA GL1800 AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. IT WASN'T THERE WITH THE FIRST TIRE I HAD, DUNLOP. IT HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS THE FRONT TIRE AGES. THIS IS SUBMITTED IN SUPPORT OF ODI#10135765. *NM

Mileage: 17,000

MOTORCYCLE TIRE: AVON VENOM FOR HONDA GL1800 GOLDWING REAR TIRE 1.TIRE CRACKED AND TREAD SEPERATED- LESS THAN 5000 MILES 2. TIRE HAD BULGE IN TREAD, READY TO SEPERATE-LESS THAN 5K MILES 3. TIRE IS GETTING BULGE IN IT, CAN FEEL WHEN RIDING-LESS THAN 2000MILES ALL OF THESE WERE REPLACED BY AVON. I OWN A SMALL MOTORCYCLE SHOP AND HAVE HEARD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.*AK SOME ONE WILL DIE BECAUSE OF THESE TIRES. I ASKED THE REP. AT AVON IF THIS WAS A PROBLEM AND HE DENIED THERE IS A PROBLEM. I ALSO ASKED IF I SHOULD NOTIFY MY CUSTOMERS OF THE DANGER, HE REPLEID "NO". PLEASE FELL FREE TO CALL ME TO DISCUSS THESE TIRES.

FAILURE OF REAR TIRE ON MOTORCYCLE. SEPARATION OF SIDEWALL FROM TREAD. *AK

Mileage: 30,050

WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLES AT 50MPH NOTIFIED TIRES TREAD SEAPRATION. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.. [XXX] PLEASE PROVIDE MODEL- - - - - - - SIZE- - - - - - - - AND THE DOT- -- - - - - - AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FRONT TIRE ON MOTORCYCLE DEVELOPED CUPPING CONDITION AT 3000MILES. OPERATING PRESSURES ALWAYS MAINTAINED AT 40PSI. HONDA'S REPLY (WITHOUT CHECKING THE TIRE) WAS "NOTHING DEFECTIVE WITH TIRE--NO REPLACEMENT IS AUTHORIZED". CUPPING ON A MOTORCYCLE CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS HANDLING CONDITION RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. HONDA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CORRECTION OF (DESIGN) PROBLEM. OTHER RIDERS CONTACTED REPORTED SIMILAIR PROBLEM WITH SAME MODEL MOTORCYCLE AND TIRE.*AK

THE TIRE HAS SEVERE WEAR (CUPPING). THIS WEAR IS OCCURRING AFTER ONLY 5000 MILES. AFTER I REPORTED THE PROBLEM IN DECEMBER, HONDA HAS MADE A POLICY OF NOT REPLACING TIRES FOR PREMATURE WEAR. THIS CONDITION CAUSES POOR HANDLING.*AK

THE FRONT TIRE CUPS SEVERELY BY 3500 TO 4000MILES.MY AIR PRESSURE IS CHECKED VERY OFTEN AND IS KEPT BETWEEN 38 & 40 LBS COLD. IF YOU CHECK GL1800 WEB SITES YOU WILL FIND LOTS OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THE FRONT END WOBBLE THIS CAUSES. HONDA DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM AND SAYS 4000 MILES IS ACCEPTABLE MILEAGE.THE TIRES WILL WEAR LONGER THAN 4000 MILES BUT ARE UNSTABLE. I HAVE REPLACED MY TIRES 3 TIMES AND THEY ALL HAVE SEVERE CUPPING BY 3500 MILES. LOOKING AT OTHER 2001 GOLDWINGS I HAVE YET TO SEE ONE THAT DID NOT HAVE A CUPPED FRONT TIRE. *AK (TIRESIZE: 130/70 R18)

THE FRONT TIRE CUPS SEVERELY BY 3500 TO 4000MILES.MY AIR PRESSURE IS CHECKED VERY OFTEN AND IS KEPT BETWEEN 38 & 40 LBS COLD. IF YOU CHECK GL1800 WEB SITES YOU WILL FIND LOTS OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THE FRONT END WOBBLE THIS CAUSES. HONDA DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM AND SAYS 4000 MILES IS ACCEPTABLE MILEAGE.THE TIRES WILL WEAR LONGER THAN 4000 MILES BUT ARE UNSTABLE. I HAVE REPLACED MY TIRES 3 TIMES AND THEY ALL HAVE SEVERE CUPPING BY 3500 MILES. LOOKING AT OTHER 2001 GOLDWINGS I HAVE YET TO SEE ONE THAT DID NOT HAVE A CUPPED FRONT TIRE. *AK (TIRESIZE: 130/70 R18)

THERE IS AN AIR LEAK BETWEEN THE TIRE AND RIM ALONG THE TIRE BEAD. THE TIRE LEAKS 3 PSI IN AN 8 HOUR PERIOD. THE LEAK OCCURS IN ALONG A LINE APPROXIMATELY 1/2 WAY AROUND THE WHEEL ON ONE SIDE AND IN TWO PLACES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIM.*AK (DOT NUMBER: ENB9 TIRESIZE: 180/60R16)

MOTORCYCLE WOBBLED AT 40 MPH WHEN DECELERATING. ALSO, PROBLEM WITH TIRES. HAD NOT CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

FRONT TIRE IS CUPPING, AND HAS FLAT SPOTS ALL OVER THAT IS CAUSING VIBRATION WHEN VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. TIRE ONLY HAS 6000 MILES ON IT.*AK

THIS MOTORCYCLE RADIAL TIRE HAS DEVELOPED "SQUIRM" ( THE FRONT END WOBBLES LEFT/RIGHT) AS THOUGH THE RADIAL PLIES HAVE SEPARATED. I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS ON ANY VEHICLE SINCE THE VERY FIRST RADIALS APPEARED ON CARS. I PREVIOUSLY HAD RADIAL MICHELINS ON ANOTHER MACHINE AND HAD NO SUCH EXPERIENCE. CAN YOU HELP?*AK (DOT NUMBER: ENU2 TIRESIZE: 130/70R18)

WITHIN THE FIRST 3000 MILES ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR STARTED SHOWING UP, NOW AT 5000 MILES THE TIRE IS CUPPED TO WHERE IT CAUSES SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH HANDLING. I DON'T THINK A TIRE SHOULD BE WORN AND CAUSING WOBBLES AT SO LOW OF A MILEAGE. I AM SEEING THIS ON ALL THE NEW 2001 GOLDWINGS THAT I SEE AND TALK TO THE OWNERS. *AK (TIRESIZE: 130/70R18)

MOTORCYLCLE HAS A SPEED WOBBLE, WHICH IS UNASTABLE AT APPROXIMATELY AT 40 MPH, THE DEALER SAYS THAT FRONT TIRE WAS THE POSSIBLE CAUSE, CONSUMER DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE TIRE CAUSING THE PROBLEM, AND IF IT IS IT SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE WARRANTY WAS REFUSED BY MANUFACTURER.*YH

FRONT TIRE ON THIS MOTORCYCLE IS SEVERELY CUPPED. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND RECEIVED NOTHING BUT DOUBLE TALK. THIS TIRE IS THE ORIGIAL EQUIPMENT ON A NEAR-$20K MOTORCYCLE. TO DATE THERE ARE NO OTHER MANUFACTURERS OF THIS SPECIFIC TIRE SIZE FOR THIS MOTORCYCLE. AT SPEEDS BELOW 30 MPH THE FRONT END SHAKES/WOBBLES CREATING WHAT I FEEL IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION. BOTH HONDA AND BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. NEARLY EVERY OWNER OF THIS NEW MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER IS TELLING ME TO INFLATE THE TIRES TO A HIGHER PRESSURE THAN MY OWNER'S MANUAL STATES. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THE DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE. OVER INFLATION WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE AN EMAIL RESPONSE FROM BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO FORWARD IT. THANK YOU.*AK (DOT NUMBER: NONE TIRESIZE: 130/70R18)