2006 Kawasaki VN900B6F

MY MOTORCYCLE BEGAN TO LOSE BATTERY POWER IN MID-DECEMBER 2008 AND I THOUGHT THE BATTERY MAY BE FAILING. I REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE MOTORCYCLE STARTED EASILY FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF. ON NEW YEAR'S DAY I WENT OUT TO RIDE AND THE MOTORCYCLE STARTED SLUGGISHLY. I GOT TO THE FIRST STOPPING POINT AND IT FAILED TO START. I RECEIVED A JUMP START AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE MOTORCYCLE HOME. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND DISCOVERED THAT ON 2006 MODEL KAWASAKI VULCAN 900 CLASSIC, THE STATOR HAS A HISTORY OF FAILURE. *TR

1. IN THIRD GEAR AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WILL MAINTAIN SPEED AFTER RELEASING THE THROTTLE. 2. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH, MAYBE 5-6 TIMES A MONTH EVER SINCE OWING THE VEHICLE. THE TIME BEFORE LAST, I ALMOST RAN INTO A CAR THAT WAS BREAKING HARD IN FRONT OF ME. 3. PULLING IN ON THE CLUTCH IS THE PRIMARY WAY TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. ONCE I TESTED IT BY GOING UP A FAIRLY STEEP HILL. THE ENGINE ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE THE SAME THROTTLE AMOUNT UNTIL THE BIKE SLOWED TO AROUND 15 MPH. IT THEN FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL. *TR

PREMATURE HEADLIGHT FAILURE OCCURRED---LESS THAN 12 MONTHS FROM ORIGINAL (NEW) PURCHASE. THE PHYSICALLY LARGE HEADLIGHT HOUSING IS ATTACHED TO THE MOTORCYCLE FRAME IN ONLY TWO LOCATIONS, BOTH ON THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING. THIS ALLOWS THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING TO VIBRATE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM NORMAL ROAD VIBRATION. THIS VIBRATION IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE DURING NIGHTTIME OPERATION, SO MUCH SO THAT THE SHAKING OF THE HEADLIGHT BEAM ITSELF IS VERY DISTRACTING TO THE RIDER AND COULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY HAZARD. SINCE THE LAMP WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING ALSO VIBRATES, THIS CAUSES VERY EARLY FAILURE OF THE LAMP FILAMENT. ALSO, SINCE THE HEADLIGHT IS USED IN A "DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT" FASHION, THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHICH MAY NOT BE QUICKLY DETECTED BY THE OWNER, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE UNUSUALLY SHORT LIFETIME OF THE HEADLAMP. AND OF COURSE, A HEADLIGHT FAILURE DURING NIGHTTIME OPERATION DUE THIS EXCESSIVE VIBRATION WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS TO THE OPERATOR. THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY SHOULD BE DESIGNED WITH ADDITIONAL STRUCTURAL SUPPORT ATTACHMENT TO THE MOTORCYCLE FRAME, SO THAT THE ASSEMBLY WILL NOT VIBRATE AND CAUSE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE LAMP FILAMENT. *TR

THE THROTTLE ON MY 2006 KAWASAKI 900 MOTORCYCLE WILL PERIODICALLY STICK WHILE IN THIRD GEAR WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 25 MPH. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS OCCURRED TO ME FOUR TIMES IN A TWO HOUR PERIOD ON 8/19/2007. THIS IS VERY TYPICAL AND HAS HAPPENED TO ME DOZENS OF TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE. THIS FAILURE IS A VERY DISCONCERTING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS EVENT, PARTICULARLY ON ROAD CURVES OR IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AREAS. IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO THE MANUFACTURER AS WELL AS THE MOTORCYCLE COMMUNITY. (FOR EXAMPLE, NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF THIS SAME COMPLAINT OCCUR ON THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.KAWASAKIMOTORCYCLE.ORG/FORUM/KAWASAKI-CRUISERS/41931-900-THROTTLE-STUCK-TODAY.HTML). TO DATE, HOWEVER, KAWASAKI HAS TAKEN NO ACTION TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERS WILL NOT TAKE ACTION BECAUSE THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. FURTHER, MY PARTICULAR BIKE IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR UPDATED 02-01-08 *BF UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR

THE ENGINE SOMETIMES STAYS AT SPEED IN 3RD GEAR AT AROUND 40 MPH. THIS HAPPENS WHEN SPEEDING UP AND GETTING TO 40 THEN LETTING GO OF THROTTLE TO SLOW DOWN. IT ALSO SOMETIMES HAPPENS WHEN ENTERING AN EXIT RAMP OFF THE INTERSTATE. *AK THE QUICK FIX IS TO PULL IN ON THE THROTTLE. ALSO, ON TWO SEPARATE COLD DAYS, THE BIKE HAS ALMOST STALLED WHILE GOING UP A HILL CLOSE TO MY HOUSE. I PULLED OVER, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, RESTARTED IT AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE AFTER THAT. THE BIKE WAS WARMED UP PROPERLY AND HAD ALREADY TRAVELED ABOUT A MILE BEFORE THE EVENTS.