In fact just in 2005, more than 87,000 motorcyclists’ sustained injuries and more than 4,500 died as a result of motorcycle accidents, some of which were caused by motorcycle parts defect.
Who can blame them? Some of those buyers even bought the new motorcycle to replace an old defective motorcycle. That is why it is important to be careful in buying motorcycles or any other vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration or NHTSA sets the minimum performance requirement for all motorcycle parts.
It is also tasked to investigate complaints by motorists about certain safety-related defects and decide whether a recall will be necessary.
The United States Code for Motor Vehicle Safety refers to safety related defects as a problem that exists in a motorcycle or any vehicle equipment or part that:
• Poses a risk to motorcycle safety.
• May exist in a group of motorcycles of the same design and manufacture or items of the same type.
Here are some examples of motorcycle defects that may be safety related:
• Defective steering components that break suddenly resulting to lost control
• Fuel system component problems
• Accelerators controls that either breaks and/or sticks
• Cracked or broken tires
• Sears or back seats that fail during use
• Important motorcycle parts that breaks or separates from the vehicle resulting to loss of vehicle control
• Wiring system problems
• Defective child safety seats.
To avoid purchasing motorcycles with defective parts here are a few guidelines that you can follow in buying a motorcycle:
• Research – Research the model and manufacturer of the motorcycle you are about to buy. Find out if there has been a recall order on that particular motorcycle model.
• Get opinions – Talk to people who have purchased the same motorcycle model. Ask them if they are satisfied with the performance or are there problems that they are encountering. Even the small things may matter when you make a decision.
• Talk to mechanics – Ask them about their expert opinion about the model. You can also ask them if the motorcycle model is often brought to their shop for certain problems. You can also ask them to make a recommendation on what brand and model has the best overall performance.
• Get motorcycle history – If you are buying a used motorcycle, make sure you find out about its history. How many previous owners has it had? Had it been involved in an accident? Has any parts of the motorcycle been replaced? Those are just some of the things you have to find out about the vehicle.
• Be suspicious of cheap motorcycles – Most cheap motorcycles are just that. Cheap. There is a reason why these motorcycles are sold in a low price and most likely it is also because of very low quality.
There are already thousands of road accidents in Los Angeles that are caused by various reasons like speeding, dui, and reckless driving. It is best not to add motorcycle defects to those reasons if it can be avoided.
Gadis Bisyar
