Buying a VFR1200 without the drive shaft recall completed

[jeremyr62]

I live in Ireland. I had a manual blue 2012 VFR1200 in 2015 for only 9 months. I hated it back then and couldn't wait to sell it. However time heals and what with this dude Sabsteef flashing the ECU and supposedly transforming the bike I am contemplating giving it another chance. The main reason is I like DCT , but can't get past the looks of the new NT1100. I have a NC750S with DCT but 50 odd hp doesn't really cut the mustard. So a VFR1200 with DCT and a flashed ECU would fit my use case. 

 

The big but is most of the bikes for sale in Ireland haven't had the recall done. I put this down to the absence of main Honda Dealers in Ireland. 

How big a deal is this? I assume the bikes for sale are riding just fine. 

Does anyone know what the actual part of the drive shaft that fails is and can it be prevented by maintenance?

If I knew how much it cost to get it done I could negotiate the price of the bike down to reflect this (although the seller could just tell me to go whistle). 

I wouldn't know where to start to find out how to get the recall done in Ireland.

 

[Bren]

Just a thought but what about taking a ferry over to Holyhead and get it done somewhere near there? Liverpool or so.

Or, head up north, no Honda dealer in NI? Probably a lot cheaper than buying the parts yourself (€€€€€) and having them fitted.

 

Make a bit of a trip out of it.

[Bren]

Or.....

 

https://www.hondaireland.ie/dealer-search/

 

https://www.hondaireland.ie/dealer-search/

[bmart]

Surely there's a Honda dealer in IOM!

[jeremyr62]

I doubt any of the dealers in the UK or NI would be interested in fixing a foreign bike. I could be wrong but somehow I don’t think so. As to the dealer search, most of them will just look at you funny if you mention a recall. 
I was just wondering if anyone hadn’t bothered with the recall and was just watchful waiting? 

[Oregonian]

Shaft drive failure could be fatal. 

[jeremyr62]

3 minutes ago, Oregonian said:

Shaft drive failure could be fatal. 

There are loads of unmodded bikes out there. Obviously I would prefer to buy one with the stamped frame indicating it has been done but the vast majority here are not. 

[bmart]

I can't imagine a dealer turning down the work. They get paid by Honda, no? 

[jeremyr62]

13 minutes ago, bmart said:

I can't imagine a dealer turning down the work. They get paid by Honda, no? 

Red tape gets in the way. I will have to find out for sure. 

[Skids]

M8, there is a reason why Honda asked all owners to bring their bikes in to the dealer and pay for these bikes to be modded; companies don't part with their own cash like that for nothing, nor risk tarnishing their reputation either.

 

I'm struggling to believe a Honda main dealer anywhere in the world would not be happy to take your bike in and perform the mod free of charge to you. I was even offered a loaner for the day they had it in.

 

It's your life.

 

Have you checked with Seb that he can flash the DCT model? It is a different ECU and I vaguely recall that he said he couldn't but may have overcome whatever issue it was. He has also said he's trying to flash the 800 so maybe it's ok. I wouldn't claim that his flash 'transforms' the bike though, but then it depends what it was about your first 1200 that you didn't get on with.

 

Whatever you decide, ride safe!  

[jeremyr62]

2 hours ago, Skids said:

M8, there is a reason why Honda asked all owners to bring their bikes in to the dealer and pay for these bikes to be modded; companies don't part with their own cash like that for nothing, nor risk tarnishing their reputation either.

 

I agree but there are loads of unmodded bike out there. 

 

2 hours ago, Skids said:

I'm struggling to believe a Honda main dealer anywhere in the world would not be happy to take your bike in and perform the mod free of charge to you.

An example of why Ireland is different. I had a GSX-R750K7. I heard about the front master cylinder recall, not from Suzuki I may add. I had the bike from new. I managed to find out who was doing the recall locally. I took the bike to them, they said if I wanted it done free, I had to take it to Dublin at my expense. So Suzuki would only do it for free if you took it to their assigned dealer in Dublin. The fact that this was a problem with the front brake master cylinder didn't seem to faze them or make them think this might not be a good idea. I wasn't prepared to ride the bike (or trailer it at my own expense) 200km with a potentially defective master cylinder, so I had to cough up to get it done locally. Hence my rather jaundiced view of dealers here.

 

3 hours ago, Skids said:

Have you checked with Seb that he can flash the DCT model?

His facebook page says he can.

 

3 hours ago, Skids said:

but then it depends what it was about your first 1200 that you didn't get on with.

Low speed. low gear handling. I took the 2014 VFR to Provence onto roads I know and it was horrible.

[jeremyr62]

I don't think there are any Honda Main dealers in Ireland. Just bikes shops with a tenuous link at best.

[jeremyr62]

I rang Honda Ireland. Looks like I am mistaken.  They said you just have to email technicalissues@hondaireland.ie with the VIN and they will get back to you if there are any outstanding recalls. Will see if that works.

[Dutchy]

Get a VF500F2 instead? 

[jeremyr62]

3 hours ago, Dutchy said:

Get a VF500F2 instead? 

Hoho. That ship sailed a few years ago. Still got yours I assume?

[jeremyr62]

On 6/21/2022 at 11:44 AM, jeremyr62 said:

I rang Honda Ireland. Looks like I am mistaken.  They said you just have to email technicalissues@hondaireland.ie with the VIN and they will get back to you if there are any outstanding recalls. Will see if that works.

Nope, I wasn't mistaken. No response from Honda Ireland to the seller of the bike or the prospective buyer of the bike (me).  Can't say I'm surprised.

[Skids]

Iirc there should be a stamp on the VIN on the frame if its been completed. 

 

I think. 

[V4 Rosso]

On 6/20/2022 at 11:57 PM, bmart said:

I can't imagine a dealer turning down the work. They get paid by Honda, no? 

For parts: yes. Labour? maybe half.

[jeremyr62]

They did get back to me. The bike I was interested in had no outstanding recalls. So I assume this means the drive shaft was replaced.

[bmart]

It sure seems like something the Honda Mothership would know. They're the ones who would care about a lawsuit. 

[Skids]

On 7/1/2022 at 9:32 PM, Skids said:

Iirc there should be a stamp on the VIN on the frame if its been completed. 

 

I think. 

 

Yep, above the J in the frame number down the RHS of the headstock.

[Oregonian]

Not all Honda shops (in the US at least) bothered to make the VIN stamp mark.

[Skids]

1 hour ago, Oregonian said:

Not all Honda shops (in the US at least) bothered to make the VIN stamp mark.

😖

[jeremyr62]

I bought the bike. It doesn't have the stamp on the frame. Honda confirmed it had been done though, and lo and behold, there was even confirmation in the service history the PO gave me. The bike had it done in the UK before it was imported in 2017. The reg was KX11XOV before it was imported into Ireland.

[Dutchy]

👍quite a step up from the VF500F2. Well done!