NHTSA Recall Notice [rear brake]

[VirginiaJim]

Twit.

[MrPepsi]

Plus, Jim's avatar is cooler.

[maxtog]

[...]"drop the bike off and leave it here, probably 2-3 days we don't have the parts" [...] My question is how pervasive was/is this issue?

Like others have said (and me in the past), the issue is real, but the odds of it causing a problem are probably miniscule.  I, personally, would never leave my bike at some dealer just waiting for parts, and fortunately my dealer ordered them just by my calling them... plus I waited a looong time (over a year?) until I had some other (more valid) reason to take the bike in before I even called to have them order the recall parts.

[B.D.F.]

Cooler? COOLER? Mine has actual, delivered- from- the- heavens, SNOW! Now I think we can all agree, snow is pretty cool stuff and more so with a motorcycle on top of it (extra points if it is still vertical).

Brian

Plus, Jim's avatar is cooler.

[B.D.F.]

Yep, that is what I thought doing the first recall- it was a fool's errand and unnecessary. But look what I found in mine.... seriously.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f82/BDF08012008/Originalrearbrake.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f82/BDF08012008/Thestone.jpg

I still agree that the odds are well against ever having a problem but you have to imagine the look on my face when I was changing my own linkage and found that little fella'.

Brian

Like others have said (and me in the past), the issue is real, but the odds of it causing a problem are probably miniscule.  I, personally, would never leave my bike at some dealer just waiting for parts, and fortunately my dealer ordered them just by my calling them... plus I waited a looong time (over a year?) until I had some other (more valid) reason to take the bike in before I even called to have them order the recall parts.

[lather]

When I first heard about this recall I went and checked my brake lever and sure enough a pebble fell out!

My closest dealer is 35 miles away and the chances of me getting a ride from there to home and back are very close to nil. To ask my wife to do it would mean serious pay back, like going shopping with her. I think I'd rather pitch a tent in the dealers parking lot.
So my solution to the recall has been to use the rear brake only on Mother's Day and Halloween. That  has worked out ok so far, 138,432 miles.

[maxtog]

Yep, that is what I thought doing the first recall- it was a fool's errand and unnecessary. But look what I found in mine.... seriously.

Ouch- that is scary

I still agree that the odds are well against ever having a problem but you have to imagine the look on my face when I was changing my own linkage and found that little fella'.

OK, I didn't mean to sound too flip about it- people really should take heed of the recall and get their bikes fixed.  Although the odds are tiny, the damage and injury it COULD cause is pretty serious.  In my case, I don't ride in rock/pebble-prone areas and don't put on a lot of miles either.  I was willing to gamble a bit for the sake of convenience.   But, ya know, safety and convenience are rarely on the same side...

I am glad mine is "fixed"

[B.D.F.]

I was absolutely flippant about it- I thought it was the stupidest recall on the planet. Then the pebble fell out and I still think it is pretty foolish but then again.... :-)

The real unfortunate part about this whole issue is that they did not fix it with the first recall. And they fell down on the matter due to violating very simple rules such as 'ever opening' (which lets things work their way out of mechanisms instead of deeper into them and getting stuck) and 'avoid parallel surfaces where one moves in relationship to the other'. The first one is understandable but after a federally mandated recall, I would think they would have put their 'A' team on the problem rather than that kid with the wet ink diploma. Their third solution does not violate any obvious 'rules' and does look like a real improvement.

Hey, they built a really bad bridge one time in Tacoma too but they did not do it twice. 

Brian

<snip>

OK, I didn't mean to sound too flip about it- people really should take heed of the recall and get their bikes fixed.  Although the odds are tiny, the damage and injury it COULD cause is pretty serious.  In my case, I don't ride in rock/pebble-prone areas and don't put on a lot of miles either.  I was willing to gamble a bit for the sake of convenience.   But, ya know, safety and convenience are rarely on the same side...

I am glad mine is "fixed"

[Conrad]

When I first heard about this recall I went and checked my brake lever and sure enough a pebble fell out!

My closest dealer is 35 miles away and the chances of me getting a ride from there to home and back are very close to nil. To ask my wife to do it would mean serious pay back, like going shopping with her. I think I'd rather pitch a tent in the dealers parking lot.
So my solution to the recall has been to use the rear brake only on Mother's Day and Halloween. That  has worked out ok so far, 138,432 miles.

   I'd rather have all my nose hairs pulled out one at a time than have to go shopping with my wife!!!

My dealer called me, without any prompting from me, and told me that he had the parts in for my bike and that he would do the recall while I waited.

[VirginiaJim]

For those dealers that want the bike in the shop before they order the parts, I would make sure that the parts are available and will take the 'normal' amount of time to get there.

[twowheeladdict]

For those dealers that want the bike in the shop before they order the parts, I would make sure that the parts are available and will take the 'normal' amount of time to get there.

Dealers assume our bikes are just toys and we can do without them for weeks on end.  When I told one dealer that I commute on the bike and I will bring it in when the parts arrive, they changed their tune to one of "we have to pay for the part and then get reimbursed when the work is done".  "If you don't come back, we are stuck."

I said, "Trust is a two way street.  Order the part, call me when it comes in, and I will be back."

I am in there all the time.  Freegin idiots!  They ordered the parts. 

[Rhino]

My dealer had the parts and did the recall while I waited, about 1/2 hour. I would go without this recall rather than leave my bike for a couple of days.

[just gone]

  I'd rather have all my nose hairs pulled out one at a time than have to go shopping with my wife!!!

You may reconsider if you ever try it. I got tired of trimming the darn things and started yanking a few out. Two decided to grow back
going in the wrong direction (ingrown) HURT LIKE HELL! until they finally came out,.... on the outside 
Yep they went all the way through. 
I'll go shopping, I've got Netflix on the phone and I rip Books on CD (from the library) mp3 files on it as well, with one ear
bud in and the other ear listening for SWMBO, it's no where near as painful as those wrong way hairs were.

Cooler? COOLER? Mine has actual, delivered- from- the- heavens, SNOW! Now I think we can all agree, snow is pretty cool stuff and more so with a motorcycle on top of it (extra points if it is still vertical).

Snow is cold, not cool. Sorry Brian, but the only thing cool in that Avatar is the hot chick on the pillion. 

[Conrad]

You may reconsider if you ever try it. I got tired of trimming the darn things and started yanking a few out. Two decided to grow back
going in the wrong direction (ingrown) HURT LIKE HELL! until they finally came out,.... on the outside 
Yep they went all the way through. 
I'll go shopping, I've got Netflix on the phone and I rip Books on CD (from the library) mp3 files on it as well, with one ear
bud in and the other ear listening for SWMBO, it's no where near as painful as those wrong way hairs were.

Hmmm, nairs growing the wrong way out you say? That doesn't sound too bad comparatively.   

[MAN OF BLUES]

Yep, that is what I thought doing the first recall- it was a fool's errand and unnecessary. But look what I found in mine.... seriously.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f82/BDF08012008/Originalrearbrake.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f82/BDF08012008/Thestone.jpg

I still agree that the odds are well against ever having a problem but you have to imagine the look on my face when I was changing my own linkage and found that little fella'.

Brian

When the first recall was mentioned I was awaiting my written recall notice from Kaw, litteraly 1 day after reading about this issue I made a 7 mile run for an ADV tag shot...on the return trip the bike seemed to travel slower and slower, with great effort and throttle... it took a second but when I hit the rear brakes they we're rock solid... pedal would not move.... I pressed and flicked the lever a few times sideways and such, and kicked and released forcefully before a stone (I assume..) disloged, and I had no brake response at all from the pedal... but the brakes were still dragging.. looked down and disc was glowing...
I limped home in slow caution mode, and the brake released as it cooled, but the rotor was blue toast....
I just called my dealer, he said bring it in as soon as you want, I'll order the parts and call you when they arrive...
2 days later they called me, I trailered it in, dropped it off during linch, and picked it up after work.

Painless.. fully replaced caliper, pads, rotor, fluids...everything...new.

Now, mind you that could happen anywhere at anytime on a ride... and would make for a real bummer trip.
Second recall I had done when I had my TPMS sensors replaced, under extended warranty, and both the sensors and the brake parts were ordered by my service techs prior to me bringing the bike in... again, a 4 hour service repair, all for free, and painless...

I don't get this dealer thing where you have to drop a bike for a week, so they can order a part, that has an active recall notice on it with a notification they can see when they run your vin... that's jus plain stupid...