2008 HONDA ST1300A

THIS BIKE HAS A 'LINKED BRAKE SYSTEM', SIMILAR TO THAT IN USE BY THE GOLDWING. (IN FACT, THE GOLDWING HAS AN ACTIVE RECALL BECAUSE OF THIS BRAKE SYSTEM.) THIS IS TO REPORT THAT THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER SECONDARY MASTER CYLINDER (SMC) HAD ACCUMULATED WATER AND CORRODED TO THE POINT THAT MY REAR BRAKES WOULDN'T RELEASE. IN 2008, HONDA RE-ENGINEERED SOME ASPECTS OF THIS SMC (ESSENTIALLY CREATED A DRAIN TROUGH), THOUGH IT DID NOT HELP. I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE BRAKE FLUID CHANGE AND TOOK MULTIPLE PICTURES. EVERY PERSON WHO HAS SEEN THESE PHOTOS HAVE BEEN HORRIFIED TO SEE THE CONDITION OF THE SMC AND THE PISTON THAT PORTS FLUID TO THE REAR BRAKES. THIS FAILURE UPSET THE HANDLING OF THE BIKE, AND ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL CRASHES (I INITIALLY DISMISSED THE NEAR CRASHES TO UNSEEN ROAD DEBRIS OR A TIRE PROBLEM). THESE BRAKES ARE NOT SAFE ON THE ROAD OR THE TRACK. MY BIKE IS BEING SERVICED UNDER WARRANTY BY HONDA. *TR

THE REAR BRAKE ON MY MOTORCYCLE STARTED STICKING/GRABBING AND NOT RELEASING FROM TIME TO TIME.THEN IT STARTED TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN TO THE POINT WHERE I HAD TO BRING IT IN TO THE HONDA DEALER FOR REPAIR.ON NOVEMBER 5, 2011 THEY RECEIVED MY MOTORCYCLE FOR SERVICE AND IT WAS NOT RETURNED TO ME UNTIL FEBRUARY 9, 2012. THE HONDA DEALER INFORMED ME THE STICKING/GRABBING PROBLEM WAS "FIXED". WHEN I INQUIRED WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM THEY COULD NOT TELL ME BECAUSE THEY HAD REPLACED SO MANY DIFFERENT PARTS THAT THEY COULDN'T PIN POINT WHAT THE PROBLEM REALLY WAS. DURING THE THREE MONTHS THAT MY MOTORCYCLE WAS IN FOR SERVICE I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND IT IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM ON THE HONDA ST1300. OVER THE YEARS HONDA EVEN HAD A REDESIGN OF SOME OF THE PARTS USED IN THIS BRAKING SYSTEM BUT TO THIS DAY DENY TO ME THAT IT IS A CONSTANT RECURRING PROBLEM. I REALLY HOPE THAT THE NHTSA CAN TAKE THIS AS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND HELP IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. THANK YOU! *TR