Cracked Rear Axle

Cracked Rear Axle *WITH PIC*

I posted a thread about a month ago about a bent rear axle and finally have the answer. I finally got the bike back from the dealership this week. The axle actually has a crack about 2/3 the way around it. The mechanic didn't even act like it was a big deal. I will need to take some pictures and find a way to post them on here. I kinda think this is a big deal.
The part and labor was only $231. Not sure how this crack happened, but not safe at all. Thinking about contacting Honda somehow just so they are aware of this.

PJ

 

Wow good thing it was spotted when it was never heard of that one, all though just as spooky, I've seen broken rear swing arms.

 

Did the mechanic say whether or not this has happened on other VFR's? That's kinda scary... disaster waiting to happen!

And thanks for the follow-up posting. It's always nice to find out what happens with technical issues.

 

Cracked, and not bent, huh? I'd like to see that.

Pics, please.

 

just took some pics. pics came out very well and you can definately see the crack. will try and post them later. not sure exactly how to post them. i can email them to someone and them they can post them...
recap for those who haven't seen the other post i had about this problem. the bike was never wrecked that i know of. i bought it with 3000 miles about 5 months ago (maybe longer). its an 2003. i seriously doubt this happened on its own. there are no other parts on the bike that are damaged and no parts that look like they are "newer" than the rest. unless this happened right when the bike was bought and parts were replaced then...not sure...

 

As far as posting pics are concerned - just start a free imageshack.us account and upload the images there from your hard drive.

Use the provided URL's when posint your next reply, and preview the post to make sure they are showing up.

Easy.

 

here is one of the pics. its cracked about 2/3 the way around the axle and the crack goes all the way through. you can see the crack from inside the axle, not gonna try and take a pic of that.


By pjswoodshop, shot with COOLPIX L3 at 2008-04-29

 

That looks like it needs to be forwarded to Honda Of America and get some $$ back !!

 

Wow.



Just, Wow.

And I agree - Honda needs to see this. What if there are other bikes experiencing the same problem? Will they wait until someone's back wheel breaks off and kills a VFR rider?

Did the dealership mention anything about having ever seen this before?

 

I agree completely. It would also be interesting to find out what caused it to begin with, as the crack is running through the fillet that is there to help PREVENT it from cracking.

 

when the guy at the dealership gave it to me it had alot of grease on it, so the service manager never saw the crack at first. i wiped it off when he gave it to me and then i told him that there was a crack in it and he didn't seem to worried or surprised. he isn't the most expressive or talkative person to deal with anyway. then i left the dealership and came home and cleaned the part up so i could get a better look at it.
when i get some time tonight (hopefully) i am gonna check into who i need to contact about this. it would be great to get my money back, but at least honda would know about this and maybe check into it. maybe prevent some accidents.
i am still shocked everytime i look at it because i rode the bike hard a few times right before the bike went in for the problem. that could have been bad!
thanks for everyones input...

PJ

 

Along with notifying Honda in writing and with pics, you might also consider forwarding same info to NHTSA (the FEDS who handle vehicle related recalls).

The above suggestions are made with the assumption that the dealer service techs didn't damage said axle by dropping it, etc...

As much as I hate lawyers, a good one might prove beneficial in getting a quick and satisfactory resolution.

Please keep us updated.

 

I'm betting the bike went down at some point(or have you owned it since new?).

If you don't know, you should really have your bike checked out by a GMD Computrack shop, your swingarm could be bent too!

 

PJC,
Thanks for taking the time and effort to post the picture. I'm sure everyone is watching closely to see if you get any further resolution from Honda. That’s a scary crack, I would certainly take Seb's suggestion and have the bike looked at a frame shop. Have you tried to get a history on the bike? Something like CarFax? Good luck and hope you get a response from Honda.

Action

 

the bike is a 2003. I am the 3rd owner. not sure who the first owner was, but he traded it in at honda of houston with about 2700 miles. dan, the 2nd owner picked it up there. after 6 weeks of owning the vfr he contacted me about my VTX that was on craigslist. he agreed to buy my bike. during a conversation after he was buying the bike i told him i was looking for a honda interceptor. he told me he just got one and loves it. the only thing was that he was "older" and the women he dated were not thrilled about riding it. the women preferred to ride with his buddies that had cruisers. he mentioned a trade and i agreed. i dont think he knew of any problems with the bike because he wasnt eager to get rid of it. i got it form him with a little over 3000 miles and put about 4500 more on it since.
the bike never vibrated, no signs of any damage that could be noticed when riding. someone riding behind me noticed the back tire "wobbling." not sure know long this has gone on, when or how it could have happened. i will go ahead and get a carfax report on it to easy my mind.
getting the money back for the repairs isnt may main concern... just want to get it to honda so the can see it. i will let ya'll know how the report comes out when i get it.
if this thing becomes too big of a problem i will trade it in and move on to another bike. i do not want to keep putting money into this thing. hope everything is ok because i love the bike.

 

Dude -

I highly doubt this bike will give you any more problems like this. I'd wager that your axle is a fluke.

Notifying Honda of the situation may help other VFR owners with the same issue. I'd guess it's some sort of metallurgical failure or something similar to that. A fluke.

 

HOLY FLYING BATSHIT BATMAN!!! :fear:

To say that was a disaster waiting to happen would be an understatement of epic proportions. I'm in agreement, I don't see how on earth someone could break that part without damaging something else on the bike. So I'm thinking it's a defective part. I tell you this, I'm looking at my axle this weekend when I wash the bike.

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2: