If your motorcycle has been recalled and you are not sure what to do, check out What To Do If Your Motorcycle Is Recalled.

Buell is recalling model year 2009 XB12Ss motorcycles. The front brake line may contact the front tire. This contact could cause a hole to develop in the front brake line, allowing brake fluid to leak. This condition might cause an ineffective front brake and lead to a crash. Dealers will inspect the front brake line and if undamaged, install a guide on the line. If the line is damaged, it will be replaced and re-routed. Either repair will be performed free of charge. The recall began on September 21, 2009. Owners may contact Buell Distribution Company at 1-414-343-8400.

Yamaha is recalling certain model year 2005 motorcycles manufactured between October 2004 and April 2005. The throttle position sensor can fail. Failure of the throttle position could cause the engine to stall which could result in a crash. Yamaha will notify owners and replace the throttle position sensor free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about October 7, 2009. Owners may contact Yamaha at 1-714-761-7300.

Honda is recalling certain model year 2002 VTX1800 motorcycles manufactured between August 14 and October 4, 2001. The swingarm may not have been properly welded. The swingarm could break while riding causing the rider to lose control, possibly resulting in crash. Honda will notify owners and dealers will inspect the weld and, if necessary, replace the swingarm free of charge. The safety recall began on September 25, 2009. Owners may contact Honda Motorcycle Customer Service at 1-866-784-1870.

Ducati is recalling model year 2010 f1098s Streetfighter motorcycles. The electronic control unit ground screw may have been improperly tightened during production which can cause the engine to stall. Stalling while driving can increase the risk of a crash. Dealers will retighten the ground screw free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during October 2009. Owners may contact Ducati dealer’s at 1- 800-231-6696.

Ducati is also recalling certain model year 2008 Desmosedici RR motorcycles. Due to insufficient distance between the tail guard and the exhaust system, the tail guard could overheat. Overheating of the tail guard could create a potential fire hazard. Ducati will notify owners and dealers will repair the motorcycles free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin in October 2009. Owners may contact Ducati toll-free at 1-800-231-6696.

A trip back in time. Different Strokes for Different Folks coined by Sly of the Family Stone in his song from the seventies aptly applies to the world of motorcycling. For every American-made bike fan there is an equal if not greater fan of the metric variety of motorcycle. For every fan of the cruiser class their will be a fan of the Sport Bike class and if street weren’t enough we have off road as well. Speaking of dirt bikes, chances are very good the majority of today’s street bikers (That’s you) came to the sport via the dirt roads and back trails you traveled as a youth while on a trail bike.

Speaking for myself, I was first introduced to world of riding while at the farm of our family friends the English’s. They had a Honda Automatic Trail 50 which they used to ride around the farm. On more than one visit to the farm, I was given the chance to ride around on this bike which if memory serves me right was a light green. Again if memory serves me right they also had a pale pink maybe pale red one too. Later in my early teens a couple of my neighborhood buddies purchased with the help of Mom and Dad trail bikes of their own. Mark purchased the 100 and Bruce purchased the 125. Now here’s the fuzzy part, I recollect them both being Suzuki bikes, the 100 was yellow and the 125 was red. I have tried to look up each of the bikes but without having an exact date I can’t be sure of the make. (Maybe someone can help me out here and comment on what was being sold during the early seventies which fits, my profile).

Since I’m not in contact with Bruce or Mark I can’t ask them. Regardless of what make they were we would ride them all day long during the summer months and after school.

The place we did most of our riding was what we fondly all called The Trails. These trails were located in beautiful Ferndale, WA. Our house was on Seamount Drive and was the first among many housing developments built to support the employees of the newly constructed Mobil refinery. My Mom and Dad had moved their in 1958 so Dad could go to work as an engineer for the Mobil refinery. When 1959 came around I was born. My Dad after nearly 30 years retired in 1987. Anyhow these trails were a patchwork quilt of overgrown grassy unused farm land and forested areas which abutted our neighborhood. It consisted of more than a hundred acres of trails, roads and the such which made for excellent riding be it on bicycles or motor bikes along with the occasional auto or tractor.

Since we had plenty of time on our hands we would even build our own trails through the brush and trees. These trails featured everything from Dead Mans Hill to various almost forgotten forested trails along some nasty ravines. It also had a main rutted dirt road which meandered through the whole of the area. It also featured a run off stream from a swamp along with multiple entry points some of which we barely ever used because they headed off into whole new territories. As a kid you couldn’t have asked for a better place to spend your days exploring and riding. Fortunately for me The Trails were less than 5 minutes walk up the street from my house and only 30 seconds from Mark’s front door.

One day while we were out riding Bruce was feeling rather charitable toward me and decided I should have a crack at riding his bike solo. So after clamoring aboard and running through the basics of shifting and braking I set out. Everything was going great that is until I grazed a tree while trying to slow down the bike and I knocked off the Odometer knob. Subsequently Bruce wasn’t so charitable and I was relegated to riding on the back from that point on.

One of my fondest memories during those years was the time everyone in the neighborhood who owned a motorcycle decided we would do a group ride and ride all the way out to Custer and go swimming in Giles Pond. Giles Pond was a good 10 miles or more from where we lived and when I went there on my bicycle I would use the roads. Well somehow or another Mark H another neighbor boy knew of a way to get their without using the roads. So after we all gathered at the trail head rider and passenger alike Mark H. led the way for our mini caravan of 6 various makes, models and years of trail bikes along the back trials, dirt roads and farm land and the occasional country road to our destination. When we got to the pond we decided to strip off our cloths and swim across the pond which was a good distance. Once we hit the far shore and had a quick rest we swam back to the bikes and got dressed and then rode back the same way we came.

Later while in high school I would drive my car down to my cousin Scott’s home located off 196th in the Tacoma area. We would ride around the byways of Puyallup on his Honda CB 450. By the time 1980 rolled around I decided it was time to buy my own bike. So, after I located the bike I wanted through the local newspaper, I drove over and put down a $50.00 retainer on it. I then went to my bank and pulled out $500.00 and negotiated a loan for the remaining $700.00. After enlisting a friend to drive me back over to Redmond I was then able to purchase my first bike.

It was a thing to behold, a used 1978 Yamaha 650 Twin Special with only 5000 miles on it. It featured a tear drop black tank and Chromed metal side covers thanks to the previous owner who was into Harley’s. He had purchased the Yamy for his wife who was now ready to own her own Harley, hence the need to sell the bike to me. So after handing him the cash he handed me the title and keys and off I rode.

If your motorcycle has been recalled and you are not sure what to do, check out What To Do If Your Motorcycle Is Recalled.

Yamaha is recalling 9,300 MY 2006-2009 FJR1300 motorcycles. The internal switch wiring could become disconnected. If this occurs electrical current flow will be stopped and the engine could stall. If the engine stalls, the operator may be unable to start or restart the engine increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will replace the ignition switch free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before January 16, 2009. Owners may contact Yamaha at 1-800-962-7926. This recall was the subject of an Engineering Analysis, EA08-025, conducted by the Office of Defects Investigation.

American Suzuki (Suzuki) is conducting a safety improvement campaign involving 26,082 MY 2005- 2006 GSX-R1000 motorcycles. Cracking or breakage of the motorcycle frame can occur in certain extreme situations where unusually high stress is placed on the frame. Repeated hard landings from hazardous maneuvers such as extreme or extended wheelies or other stunts may generate sufficient stress to cause this problem. If the frame becomes broken during extreme use, a crash could occur. Dealers will inspect the frame for cracks. If no cracks are found, a frame reinforcement brace will be attached to the frame using bolts and epoxy adhesive. Should cracks be found during the inspection, the frame will be replaced with a new frame that has the reinforcement brace installed. The campaign began on January 21, 2009. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-714-572-1490. However, Suzuki has informed NHTSA that it will provide the modifications described above free of charge.

Piaggio is recalling 740 MY 2008-2009 Aprilia Scarabeo 100 motorcycles. In the evaporative emission system there are hoses connecting the fuel tank to charcoal canister through which the evaporative emission passes. It has shown that the emission hoses to the canister were pinched and/or crimped. In other cases the hoses in and out of the charcoal canister were installed backwards, the roll over valve for the fuel tank was installed incorrectly, and in other cases there was dirt in the carburetor and still others had faulty float valves in the carburetor. The engine may flood with fuel causing difficulty in starting and the possibility of stalling. It is also possible for fuel to leak from the carburetor onto the ground. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire. Dealers will double check the installation of the evaporative emission systems hoses and components to ensure that there are no restrictions. The emission system hose will be re-routed and the installation of one way valves as per approved re-routing instructions will ensure that the system is assembled and operating correctly. The remedy is free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during February 2009. Owners may contact Piaggio at 1-212-380-4431.

Piaggio is recalling 1,260 MY 2008-2009 Aprilia Scarabeo 200 motorcycles. The float level in the float bowl of the carburetor was not set correctly in production, dirt and the varnish residue of dried gasoline not allowing the float needle to seat correctly, and a blockage of the evaporative emission hoses that did not allow the float bowl to vent correctly. The carburetor was not able to maintain correct or constant pressure in the float bowl. Inconsistent pressure in the float bowl would either push too much or not enough fuel to and through the jets for any one throttle position which does not allow the carburetor to correctly meter fuel to the engine. The engine may flood with fuel causing difficult in starting and poor performance. It is also possible for fuel to leak from the carburetor onto the ground. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire. Dealers will re-connect the hoses to eliminate the connection of the emissions system to the carburetor. This remedy is free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during February 2009. Owners may contact Piaggio at 1-212-380-4431.

Piaggio is recalling 458 MY 2008-2009 Aprilia Scarabeo 200 motorcycles. These motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 “Glazing Materials.” The incorrect DOT standard equipment handlebar mounted windshield that was provided was installed. Both DOT and Euro specifications were sent for installation. This does not meet the requirements of the standard. Dealers will replace the windshield component according to DOT specifications free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during February 2009. Owners may contact Piaggio at 1-212-380-4458.

If your motorcycle has been recalled and you are not sure what to do, check out What To Do If Your Motorcycle Is Recalled.

Helmet City is recalling 2,266 motorcycle helmets, Model #50, Sizes XS through XXL. These helmets fail to conform to the impact requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218, “Motorcycle Helmets.” These helmets were manufactured in China. In the event of a crash, the wearer of one of these helmets may not be adequately protected, possibly resulting in personal injury. Helmet City will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant helmets. The recall is expected to begin during October 2008. Owners may contact Helmet City at 1-888-550-3731. 08E-059

Polaris is recalling 2,444 MY 2008 Victory Vision motorcycles. The terminal nuts that secure the main power supply wires could be loose at the circuit breaker, which can cause an unexpected loss of electrical power to the motorcycle. Also the current fuel ignition map pre-programmed into the engine control module (ECM) can cause engine stalling. Either condition could cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a loss of control of the motorcycle or a crash. Dealers will inspect and tighten the circuit breaker terminal nuts and re-program the ECM free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during October 2008. Owners may contact Polaris/Victory at 1-888-704-5290. 08V-446

Triumph is recalling 372 MY 2008 Sprint ST motorcycles. There is a possibility that the single bolt that is used in the 3 positions on the rear suspension drag link assembly can become brittle and fracture. The bolts were manufactured in Great Britain. The bolts involved are the (1) drag link to drop link bolt, (2) drag link to frame bolt, and (3) drop link to rear suspension unit bolt. The head of the bolt may detach causing the drag link assembly to come apart resulting in loss of rear suspension, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will remove and discard the 3 bolts and replace them with new bolts. The recall is expected to begin during November 2008. Owners may contact Triumph at 1-678-539-8782. 08V-457

Yamaha is recalling 4,800 MY 2007 XF50 and XC50 motorcycles. A crack may develop on the connecting rod. If the engine continues to be run, the crack will develop further and the connecting rod may break. If the connecting rod breaks, the engine will stop and cannot be restarted increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will disassemble the engine and the crankshaft will be replaced with one that has a properly heat-treated connecting rod. The recall is expected to begin during October 2008. Owners may contact Yamaha at 1-800-962-7926. 08V-461

Kawasaki is recalling 604 MY 2008 Vulcan VN900C8F, VN900D8F, and MY 2009 VN900B9F, and VN900B9FL motorcycles. Fuel can leak from between the tank filler neck and the fuel cap gasket. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire. Dealers will replace the fuel tank. The recall is expected to begin during October 2008. Owners may contact Kawasaki at 1-949-770-0400. 08V-473