AI DamageHonda Rvt1000r: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Honda Rvt1000r across 3 model years: 6 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
| Year | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) | YouTube repair videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 67% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 17% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 4 complaints (67% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Wheels: 1 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 honda rvt1000 (rc51) motorcycle. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the front wheel exploded without warning, causing the contact to become involved in a crash. The contact sustained injuries to the ribs, collar bone and lung.
Dt: the consumer states that his child owned a 2003 honda rc 51 1000r that caught on fire and exploded while being ridden. The owner was traveling at a speed of 55 to 65. The driver was killed in the accident. The owner was twenty years of age.
2001 rvt1000 or rc51 fuel leaking from fuel tank at rear pivot. Caught fire after fuel leaked onto hot exhaust pipe wrapped with thermal tape. Fuel vapors caught fire after bike was at a standing/idle position. Fuel leak had started recently and had rapidly increased. Seems to be a common problem with this bike.
The contact smelled gas and noticed that the fuel gauge was different. The dealer stated that there was a leak in the fuel tank. The current and failure mileages were 19,500.
Gas tank leak at the rear mount where it (the mount) is welded to the tank which could easly cause a fire. After hearing this has happened to a lot of 2000 rc51s and honda has replaced these tanks I took mine to a dealer for inspection. They determind it was a defect yet honda will not replace it because of age.
Dt: contact stated a fuel smell was coming from the motorcycle. He took off the fuel tank and fuel was leaking from the weld in the tank. It was a slow leak, but you could smell the fumes. He contacted the dealer, they urged him to bring vehicle for service.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.