Suzuki GSX-R1000 Motorcycles Recalled Due to Serious Design Defects

On the official Suzuki website, the Suzuki GSX-R1000 is listed as a “Super Bike” and, Suzuki states: “At Suzuki, we want every ride to be safe and enjoyable”. However, in January of 2009, Suzuki issued a voluntary safety recall for all of its model year 2005 and 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycles, stating that an extraordinary safety defect in these models had been causing cracking and breakage in the front wheel/fork assembly and behind and below the steering neck of the motorcycle. This recall was issued due to the potential for severe injury or death. There was no information on deaths or injuries caused by the broken motorcycle parts noted.

As most companies do in these situations, Suzuki did not take the blame for these safety defects, but instead blamed the consumer and “hazardous maneuvers”, such as extended wheelies, repeated hard landings, jumps or front end collisions for causing the cracks to appear in the motorcyle’s frame. The company stated that under normal riding conditions, the GSX-R1000 motorcycle is safe.

Suzuki has issued the recall and requested that the motorcycles be returned to a Suzuki dealership as soon as possible. In so doing, the company must abide by the guidelines approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for inspecting and remedying the dangerous sport bikes, and either replace the frame with a new frame equipped with a reinforcement brace if any sort of cracking or breaking is detected anywhere in the frame, or, if no damage is detected, then a reinforcement brace must be attached to the current bike frame.

The recall covers more than 26,000 model year 2005-2006 GSX-R1 000 motorcycles:

• GSX-R1 0005 VIN numbers JS1GT76A*52100019 through JS1GT76A*521 10197
• GSX-R1 0006 VIN numbers JS 1 GT76A*62 100003 through JS1GT76A*621 17296

The law firm of Schuler, Halvorson and Weisser, P.A. is committed to assisting individuals in their claims against big corporations for selling defective products to public that potentially can cause serious injury or death. If you or a loved one have been injured while operating a Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycle, please do not hesitate to contact one of our dedicated and knowledgeable attorneys to represent you. Of course, the consultation is free and there is no fee until a recovery is made on your behalf.