[N4Revv]

Its exactly the same issue, with my bike too. Frame misalignment must be the cause as the team already checked forks and handlebar.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by jkpz

They mentioned they aligned the forks and did some other work (This is the 4th time they are aligning the forks, does this mean every time they aligned it turned out to be misaligned?). They also mentioned that they took a test drive and confirmed the issue is fixed.

Went to the service center (took an extra hour break from office and had to cover extra time in office, so much of my time is being wasted for this), immediately when I took the bike out I noticed the handlebar being heavy as usual to one side, and immediately when I tested for the right pull, it was still there and there was absolutely no difference, zero difference.

Fed up now.

What now? Have they accepted they fault with the video and taken the bike in? Were they able to check the coneset during any of these inspections?

Somehow I was under the impression that this is a gradual pull, but in this video - it is quite aggressively falling to the side.

Recently saw a story update from Indimotard Greasehouse in Bangalore that they were reworking a brand new NX500 fork. The bike is too new in the market for any owner to need an actual fork oil refill - so i wonder if this is something related to the same issue. May be worth giving them a call to enquire.

Story as below -

[jkpz]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

What now? Have they accepted they fault with the video and taken the bike in? Were they able to check the coneset during any of these inspections?

Somehow I was under the impression that this is a gradual pull, but in this video - it is quite aggressively falling to the side.

Recently saw a story update from Indimotard Greasehouse in Bangalore that they were reworking a brand new NX500 fork. The bike is too new in the market for any owner to need an actual fork oil refill - so i wonder if this is something related to the same issue. May be worth giving them a call to enquire.

Yup, the coneset was the first thing to be adjusted. It only made the handlebar smoother and hence the issue to be more pronounced.

They have always accepted that the issue is there.

Thanks for the info about the forks, will surely give them a call.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by jkpz

They also mentioned that they took a test drive and confirmed the issue is fixed.

I think its high time you made their expert ride the bike and you sit behind and go for a test ride. Definitely not on a road thats as busy as the footage shows. I can make out the pull to the right as you leave the bars. However, towards the end, I feel like the bike is pulling to the left as well, or, perhaps thats the camber of the road causing it to look like that.

Honestly, this is bizarre behavior. Can't quite place what might be causing the issue anymore. It seems like the spring loading inside each of those forks are different to one another.

Anyway, its good to know they have finally come to terms and have agreed to the issue being present. It will take time to resolve for sure. Cause an issue as severe as this needs a thorough investigation by Honda, before they can issue a large scale recall.

[jkpz]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I think its high time you made their expert ride the bike and you sit behind and go for a test ride. Definitely not on a road thats as busy as the footage shows. I can make out the pull to the right as you leave the bars. However, towards the end, I feel like the bike is pulling to the left as well, or, perhaps thats the camber of the road causing it to look like that.

Honestly, this is bizarre behavior. Can't quite place what might be causing the issue anymore. It seems like the spring loading inside each of those forks are different to one another.

Anyway, its good to know they have finally come to terms and have agreed to the issue being present. It will take time to resolve for sure. Cause an issue as severe as this needs a thorough investigation by Honda, before they can issue a large scale recall.

Towards the end I purposefully lean left as I wanted to show the bike automatically correcting to the right plus it is not visible but I have already grabbed the handlebar after letting go and then turns it manually using my left hand. I see that it is not visible in the video.

They had accepted the issue since the beginning. They did try to dismiss it at the very first time I went, ever since they have always accepted the issue. Just they are not able to fix it.

[jkpz]

They asked me to come and test drive it again today, mentioning the issue is indeed fixed after some more adjustment. Will try it out in the afternoon and provide an update here. Lets see.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by jkpz

An update:

In short, whatever I experienced before repeated again.

Sometimes, bent fork tubes/triple tree can cause severe stiction in the suspension. As a result, you'll not have smooth up and down movement of the forks. Essentially one of them can get stuck in the stroke. This looks similar. They can re-align the front end as much as they want but this can be only fixed by parts replacement. Ideally the whole front end needs to be taken apart and checked for straightness. The fork tubes can be checked by rolling on a flat surface like granite or glass and see if there is daylight coming through. Lower triple clamp straightness is harder to diagnose. Push them for a full front-end replacement including forks. This is an expensive CBU and you deserve better treatment.

I've dealt with this problem on multiple used bikes in the past but I usually DIY it. But those bikes have had a fall or two in their lifetime. It takes away all the riding pleasure.

[jkpz]

Hi BHPians,

Just dropping in with an update.

After my previous post, I was given the bike for test rides twice, each time after the service team claimed to have "fixed" the issue. Unfortunately, both test rides were disappointing—neither showed any improvement, and the original problem still persists. I’ve attached the latest video (recorded on April 12th) which highlights the issue.

So far, they’ve replaced the rear tire and even the swingarm, but the bike feels exactly the same. As a comparison, they let me ride a showroom test unit, which, to my surprise, had the exact same issue—plus a noticeable tire wobble, even at low speeds. Their explanation? "It’s a test unit, it’s fallen a few times and has taken damage."

And now, things have taken an even more serious turn. I received a call today saying the next step they will take is to replace the section of the chassis that mounts the front fork assembly—and have ordered the parts. For context, this bike uses a diamond steel chassis, constructed from two parts. I don’t know if those parts are welded, bolted, or assembled some other way.

Here’s my concern: this is a brand new bike, and we’re already talking about chassis-level repairs—something usually reserved for post-crash scenarios. As far as I know, the chassis is precision-built and aligned at the factory during manufacturing and after thorough testing. Since the bike is imported, I seriously doubt that level of precision or testing can be replicated locally. Based on my experience with Honda so far (after dealing with this issue), I don’t have much confidence that this job will be done thoroughly. I have doubts that even if it's completed with 90% accuracy, that leftover 10% might lead to issues in the long run.

I also have no clarity on:

1. What happens to the chassis number?
2. Will I need to re-register the bike?
3. How will this affect my insurance?

At this point, I’m seriously questioning whether I should accept a bike that has undergone such drastic repairs. They’ve said this process will take around a month—including shipping and re-assembly. But honestly, I’ve had enough. I’m completely fed up and drained. I no longer care if I get the bike or not. In my mind I am actually happy buying a different bike (or even keeping the current one) and dealing with this issue in the side.

All I wanted was a premium, reliable motorcycle I could enjoy and hold on to for years—but I can’t bring myself to accept a machine that’s already gone through major structural repairs before its first proper ride.

Would really appreciate your thoughts on this—especially from anyone who’s dealt with chassis replacements or similar issues.

Video after 7th time "fix"attached below (recorded 12th April, the angle might slightly underplay it, but trust me, it’s just as bad as it was on Day one)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjGFwh9GASo

Thanks to every one here for all the advice and information. Has helped me a lot to clearly assess and manage the situation.

[BullettuPaandi]

Originally Posted by jkpz

I also have no clarity on:

1. What happens to the chassis number?
2. Will I need to re-register the bike?
3. How will this affect my insurance?

At this point, I’m seriously questioning whether I should accept a bike that has undergone such drastic repairs. They’ve said this process will take around a month—including shipping and re-assembly. But honestly, I’ve had enough. I’m completely fed up and drained. I no longer care if I get the bike or not. In my mind I am actually happy buying a different bike (or even keeping the current one) and dealing with this issue in the side.

I think they'll order the part with your chassis number. Re-registration won't be necessary if that's the case. This shouldn't impact insurance, being a repair done by the dealership under warranty. You can enquire the dealership and insurance provider to clarify.

If your arm isn't aching after long rides, I guess it is not much of an issue; but it is certainly less than ideal. I'm surprised to hear that they've ordered the part without asking you if you'd give them the bike for a month for the repair. If they've actually ordered the part, and are not just trying to dissuade you from coming back again, just ask them these as well:

1. What exactly are ordered?

In as much detail as possible, down to part numbers. I think only the sub-frame is a bolt-on, and the rest are welded. So ideally, the entire main frame should be replaced. Verify that the parts are from OEM.

2. Who will be doing the repair? Who will be testing the bike afterwards?

They've multiple times claimed to have fixed the issue, when they evidently haven't. So, reach out to an experienced mechanic or PDI inspector, and seek a second opinion. Hire them to test the bike and inspect for other issues for you after the repair as well. From what I know, if it is a defective steering head, there is no point measuring fork alignment. But different spring tension/rate between the forks can cause this issue; there may be some defect here as suspected by CrAzY dRiVeR in post #77. So, ask them specifically if the chassis repair is the only way.

3. What exactly will they be doing?

If it is just a replacement of the main chassis, a month is too damn long. Couple of weeks should be plenty including testing, even considering that they may have other bikes to work too. If you were to do this with a third-party mechanic, I'm sure they can do within a week. So, make sure no welding is involved in this repair. I don't think Honda would sell just the steering head for the mechanics at the dealership to cut and weld. But this is just to clarify, and ask for them to do the repair faster.

[jkpz]

Originally Posted by BullettuPaandi

I think they'll order the part with your chassis number. Re-registration won't be necessary if that's the case. This shouldn't impact insurance, being a repair done by the dealership under warranty. You can enquire the dealership and insurance provider to clarify.

Oh, please don't misunderstand they did mention to me that they are ordering the parts, but more like I had no other choice and this is the repair that they are doing to definitely fix the issue.
I am more concerned about the latter. Testing and assembly. I plan to call them up with detailed list of questions about so. Will give an update here too. The 1 month delay is just for the parts to reach India from Thailand.

[dinesh_redhawk]

Originally Posted by jkpz

Would really appreciate your thoughts on this—especially from anyone who’s dealt with chassis replacements or similar issues.

Video after 7th time "fix"attached below (recorded 12th April, the angle might slightly underplay it, but trust me, it’s just as bad as it was on Day one)

http://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=rjGFwh9GASo

Thanks to every one here for all the advice and information. Has helped me a lot to clearly assess and manage the situation.

I can feel your pain and i can totally relate to you. I too had faced similar problems with this bike from day 1 and after multiple rounds to ASC and their experiments and tests, i gave up. After 1 year of owning it, and going through the same bad experience, i finally sold it and purchased a new bike from kawasaki. Never again going to Honda.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by BullettuPaandi

If your arm isn't aching after long rides, I guess it is not much of an issue; but it is certainly less than ideal.

This isn't just a case of mere discomfort unfortunately. It is a safety issue. A motorcycle that doesn't track straight and falls to one side when you leave the bars is a safety hazard. We have only two contact points to keep us safe. A motorcycle with predictable handling should be a promise when you are purchasing something new. You'll end up overcompensating on handle bar pressure under hard braking and cornering scenarios.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by jkpz

Here’s my concern: this is a brand new bike, and we’re already talking about chassis-level repairs—something usually reserved for post-crash scenarios.

Your concern is valid, but frankly I don't see another path ahead to suggest otherwise. Legal approach is slow and painful (plus Honda can always claim they offered this fix and you denied) and the issue looks too bad in the videos to suggest that you live with it.

Since Honda has already tried multiple approaches - I am inclined to believe that this drastic step may be needed. Let warranty take it's course one last time. Hopefully this will be the last of the repairs

[ambarkhan]

Chassis replacement is not a rocket science, the only stock part in my 411 Himalayan is the odometer rest everything is changed including engine and chassis. Unless you receive a faulty replacement part you should be good with half decent mechanics.

[jlukose]

Originally Posted by jlukose

This is sad. I own a pre-owned cb500x, though I dont have the pulling issue, wobbling is there above speed 80. I highly suspects its due to the tyres, as they are now 4+ yrs old. Will share an update post tyre change. Waiting for the eurogrips trailhound tyres to be available in the market.

Update from my end:

I replaced the front tyre with an apollo tramplr xr 100/90 as temporaray measure. Wobbles have disappeared! I plan to replace front + back once the trailhound is available.