American Honda Motor Company issued a voluntary safety recall on April 8, 2021, for certain 2021 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SPs, due to the possibility of incorrectly installed rear cushion connecting plates. On some bikes, one or both of these pieces (there are two per bike) may have been installed upside down, which means they’re not securely connected to the bike. This could lead those plates to unexpectedly break, which would immediately cause a vehicle height drop. Such sudden action could increase a rider’s risk of a crash. 

 

A total of around 89 bikes may be involved in this recall, which represents an estimated 1 percent of this model that may have this specific defect. Affected bikes were produced between April 28 and July 29, 2020, and have VINs ranging from JH2SC821*MK000004 to JH2SC821*MK000092, per American Honda.  

 

The company also issued a stop sale notice on certain 2021 CBR1000RR-R SP bikes until they can be inspected, and if necessary, have any incorrectly installed rear connecting plates replaced with new ones, as well as their corresponding seals. A new service bulletin pertaining to this issue offers very clear diagrams on how to correctly install the rear cushion connecting plates, as well as how not to do so. You can view it in the NHTSA documents if you like. 

In its chronology, global Honda notes that this recall is the result of incorrectly installed parts from the factory. Therefore, the global population of 2021 CBR1000RR-R SPs were potentially affected. The first known instance of this issue happened in in June, 2020. Subsequently, Honda noted both Japanese and additional unspecified market claims, some of which indicated that riders did experience that sudden drop in vehicle height. As of March 29, 2021, Honda notes that it has not received any warranty claims, field reports, or reports of crashes or injuries related to this issue in the U.S. market. 

 

American Honda began notifying dealers about this defect on April 5, 2021. Registered owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by mail beginning on June 7, 2021. They will then be requested to bring their CBR1000RR-R SPs in to their local authorized Honda dealer for inspection and recall service. These repairs and associated service costs will be performed at no cost to owners. Additionally, if owners already paid to have these repairs completed at their own expense, they are eligible for reimbursement.  

 

Honda’s campaign number for this recall is KL9. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-866-784-1870. Additionally, owners may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. 

 

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