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Hello folks, I am the proud ownder of a 2001 GL1800. I bought it used and paid cash for it from the Honda Dealer here in Midland, TX. While I did buy the extended warranty, it did'nt cover the frame, except for recalls. I found a crack while adding some crome next to the passengers footrest aroung the 1-1/ inch tubbing. I suspect this was caused by laying the bike over onto the crash bar. It's a heavy bike and I had to get used to it's center of gravity. I can weld and reinforce this crack without too much problem. Has anyone experienced this problem and what have you found the best solution without replacing the entire frame. I'm told the frame is made of an aluminum alloy.
Papapat

Welcome to TMW!

With regard to your question and intent to weld, I have to ask... are you qualified to do the welding or will you be looking for a specialist to do it for you?

I am a cerified welder and can do the job. It had been welded once before, before I bought the bike. I have no idea who welded it. I'm just curious if anyone has heard of a crack occurring in this area before. Could it be a design flaw?

Ok, good to hear that you are certified... puts my mind at ease.

The cracked frame issue was very common on '01-'04 Wings and a recall was issued on them. I'm surprised the Honda dealer didn't inform you about this, as this was supposed to be one of the areas checked regularly by service techs because of the nature of the flaw - it can occur at any time and is not necessarily related to a tipover of the bike. I'd suggest you bring this to the attention of the dealer and see what they say. I would also suggest you join a Gold Wing owners forum and get more detailed advice and opinions on the issue. You may be able to get the frame replaced, but I'm not sure how long the grace period is.

Gummiente wrote:Ok, good to hear that you are certified... puts my mind at ease.

The cracked frame issue was very common on '01-'04 Wings and a recall was issued on them. I'm surprised the Honda dealer didn't inform you about this, as this was supposed to be one of the areas checked regularly by service techs because of the nature of the flaw - it can occur at any time and is not necessarily related to a tipover of the bike. I'd suggest you bring this to the attention of the dealer and see what they say. I would also suggest you join a Gold Wing owners forum and get more detailed advice and opinions on the issue. You may be able to get the frame replaced, but I'm not sure how long the grace period is.

Great advice by Gummiente. It's certainly worth a try for a goodwill warranty claim if this is the case. Ducati had problems with cracked frames in their Supersports from the early to mid 1990s. Despite those bikes being from the Cagiva days and the original warranty long gone, supposedly Ducati gave them brand new frames free of parts and labor well into the early to mid 2000s as a goodwill warranty. Even as recent as the late 2000s, they paid for a new frame with the customer paying for the labor.

Since Honda is far more customer friendly than Ducati, I would think it is worth a shot to ask your local dealer to step up to the plate for you with American Honda Motor Corp.

EDIT: If this was indeed a true recall, then they will absolutely fix it for you. If it was not an official recall, you will have to ask for a goodwill warranty.