Honda GXH50 Warranty Scam

[johncy7]

Let me nip in the bud some of the replies I already see will be coming.

When you buy an engine or anything that has a warranty, it is a legally binding agreement.
Honda put in writing that they would tell me what went wrong with my engine within 30 days.
It really doesn't matter if it was over-reved, ran out of oil, had the wrong fuel or dropped off a bridge.

Wouldn't everyone agree that it is very important to know why your engine died so that you can correct it?

I never found out why my first engine died. And as long as I'm buying engines, Honda doesn't care why they died. All I got out of the guy was, he said it's usually oil related. Which is why I bought more expensive synthetic oil and increase my change intervals on my second engine. No one has put a wrench to either of my engines.

Like I said, everyone wants to make money, but they don't want to work for it.

-John

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

So they did give you reasons engine 1 was oil related. Engine 2 was over reved. What you should do is get a statement in writings on how it was determined these breakdowns occurred. Then it would be up to a judge in a civil suit if Honda acted properly.

Trying to go to court is a long shot. Just fix the engines if you can then get what money back you can. On the 4 strokes the oil should be changed every 50 hours. There's that tach/hour counter again. 4 strokes are very tough but general maintenance and rev zones are critical in giving them a long life.

 

[johncy7]

So they did give you reasons engine 1 was oil related. Engine 2 was over reved. What you should do is get a statement in writings on how it was determined these breakdowns occurred. Then it would be up to a judge in a civil suit if Honda acted properly.

Trying to go to court is a long shot. Just fix the engines if you can then get what money back you can. On the 4 strokes the oil should be changed every 50 hours. There's that tach/hour counter again. 4 strokes are very tough but general maintenance and rev zones are critical in giving them a long life.

Honda's manual says to change oil every 25 hours, which I did. On my second engine I changed it every 18 hours. I do not have either engine. I don't know what is broken on either of them, what it will take to fix either of them, how much it would cost etc... etc... All I have are the tickets from the shops they are still sitting at.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

That's good you have the manual. I'd ask when my engines were going to be fixed. If they want to charge you to fix them get something in writing why the warranty was voided. Ask if the engines can be fixed. If it all seems like too much; get the engines and learn how to rebuild them. This is probably what's going to happen anyway. Like I said at least you'll know how to rebuild a small 4 stroke engine.

 

[Stoltzee]

On my HS 142 I know from experience to slowly build up speed as opposed to gunning from the start. Froze up an old ford once backing up a hill from a stop. Its the equivalent of being in too high of a gear. Put your rear wheel in a vice and give it full throttle; something in the engines gonna break. I realized this right after I started using the Q matic. I could gun it, and it does take off real good, but there's excess torque going to the drive wheel, and unless the rear wheel spins that engines pushing against something that gives slowly.

 

[IbedaYank]

Helpful Tips:
* You can rig up a good throttle cable to the Honda GXH50 easily, using the existing linkage and Staton's throttle that comes with their kit

so you modded the stock throttle... well there you just voided the warranty as motor is no longer in totally stock form

 

[johncy7]

so you modded the stock throttle... well there you just voided the warranty as motor is no longer in totally stock form

You don't know what you're talking about. When an authorized retailer and representative of Honda gives the okay to use their engine on a bicycle, it is reasonably implied that a bicyclist is not expected to operated the throttle manually and steer the wheel simultaneously. But nice try.

 

[HeadSmess]

whats the bet, that, with a lil bit of brain work... neither of these so called "dead" engines is probably dead at all?

"never had a wrench to them" and "died suddenly" are words repair shops love. it means you know zilch, and they can do what they like, and charge for it.

instead of whinging, whining, all the works, starting petty arguments, slandering a company thats been manufacturing reliable engines since the late 50's, and saying the people here with over 5000km of trouble free service on the same engines are simply covering their asses and trying to make a sale, try this instead.

buy some tools, do some research, and learn what maintenance/trouble shooting are.

because my personal feeling...you simply got a blocked jet. all this fuss over a ten second repair. the same thing can happen on a HS, HT, or a million dollar rolls royce merlin...

the difference is what youre gunna do about it.

workshops thrive on people that cant or wont get their poor lil mitts dirty.

did they blow up in showers of splintered metal? did they click click click snap? did they just not start? did they cough splutter and blow smoke?

did you stop, think, analyse? contemplate? take a sticky beak? check for spark? see if they fire up with no carb attached? check the valve clearances? do a few googles?

no. you just wrote them off as rubbish. why not save the money WASTED on synthetic oils, and buy a book or two on "small engine maintenance"?



no wonder so many people on this thread are writing you and your advice off in the same regard.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

I've healing from surgery right now. I got a Honda GXH 50. I plan to put on my auto shift bike after the first of the year. The RS 35 is going on a Columbia bike. Having a second bike at home will give friends and family something to ride when they visit.

So John if you still have those two blown engines after the first of the year, how much would you sell them for as is?

 

[grinningremlin]

buy some tools, do some research, and learn what maintenance/trouble shooting are.

Though I'm with you, I'm sure his thoughts are "if I crack it, voids warranty."Joncy you're dealing with those mythical figures "Should've Would've Could've", you're going to have to cut your losses, chock it up to experience, and file it in the "Life S.u.c.k.s" folder.Get your engines back, build one good one out of the two, sell it and all the frame-mount stuff, buy another Tanaka or Mitsubishi and ride on.