GL1800 frame crack issue - any related fatalities?

[patentcad]

Does anyone know if the frame crack issue on the GL 1800 Goldwings resulted in any actual fatalities or serious injuries? Very curious. Can't find anything about that on the Internet.

[Mellow]

I've never heard of any fatalities.. I think I've heard of some wrecks but that pretty much followed hitting a large pot hole first...have you checked www.ridersrally.com

[Burger]

I researched this issue as thoroughly as possible and I didn't read or hear of a single fatality. In fact I didn't read of any injuries sustained either... only of some pretty upset people who like Joe said, didn't like what happened when they hit a large pot hole.

Why the question?

Regards,

[Highrider]

I discussed this with the factory managers last year in Marysville. Their goal was to address all of the 2003 models involved with this recall. At that time they had about 85 - 90% of the bikes located and about 70% corrected. By now I would think they had this issue cleaned up.

[motomac]

Actually, I've followed Riders Rally since Sept 2000. I remember there was one person that hit a large chuck hole and broke his frame. No injuries, no fatalities. After that there was a lot of coulda, shoulda, wouldas, but as far as I know noone else had a broken frame. Some reported cracked frames, but noone had broken the frame. Honda finally issued the recall and everyone was supposed to get their frames inspected that fell into a certain number group. Then later, another letter came out and everyone that had an 1800 was supposed to get their frame inspected. There were a lot of frames rewelded, but I'm not sure there were that many cracks. Most that were rewelded were borderline welds and ground out and rewelded but not actual cracks in the weld or the frame.

[TPadden]

Does anyone know if the frame crack issue on the GL 1800 Goldwings resulted in any actual fatalities or serious injuries? Very curious. Can't find anything about that on the Internet.

I wouldn't expect anyone to find any information. As a pilot in the Marine Corps, I was involved in fatal aircraft mishap investigation - then as a police officer, in motor vehicle accident investigation; believe me there is no correlation.

With motorcycle fatalities there really is little or no investigation of the wreckage and the rider can't tell you why he "lost control". With serious injury - there again is no wreckage investigation other than what an insurance adjuster does - so that means none (law enforcement just wants it hauled away and the road cleared <g>). There is never any determination of whether the damage caused the wreck or the wreck caused the damage. Excessive speed, alcohol involvement, and helmet usage is really all that anyone is officially concerned about in "loss of control" accidents.


Tom
Weeki Wachee, Fl.
Gainesville, Mo.

[Bob Hughes]

I missed the recall years owning an '01 and an '05 GL1800 but the problem was the skill of the welder making a certain type of weld for the type of aluminum used. They rewelded all of the effected bikes at no charge on recall. I never heard of a serious injury and I have followed GL1800 boards since day 1. I sure hope nobody died of it.

The very first cracked frame that I heard of happened to Michael Potter in Melbourne Florida who was coming from bike night at Dunkin Donuts, I know, I was about a half hour ahead of him. I avoided the hole that did in his frame and it was a whopper. I am surprised that he stayed up after hitting it. Anyway he was fine but his frame was toast, it stayed together but lower pieces of it were broken off. This later became an incendiary issue on the Goldwing boards, it even gave overheating a run for it's money as the big gripe.