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Has your 2018-2020+ Africa Twin Adventure Sports experienced fueling/idling/stalling/loss of power?

  • Yes. I have had the dealership/Honda resolve the issue(s) under warranty at no cost.

  • Yes. The dealership resolved it for me, but my warranty was expired and I had to pay out of pocket

  • Yes. I have had these issues, but resolved the problem on my own and Honda is not aware.

  • No. I have not had these issues, but I took precautionary measured (Guglatech Filter, etc.)

  • No. But I am concerned that I will have this issue down the road.

  • I have contacted Honda about my concerns

  • I have filed a Safety Defect Report with NHTSA or other regulatory agency per Owners Manual

2018-2020+ Africa Twin Adventure Sports (ATAS) Fueling/Tank Issues (Merged)

277K views 2K replies 156 participants last post by  JKM 
#1 ·
My 2018 ATAS with just over 7K miles experienced loss of power on the Interstate. Riding 780 mile day and the last 130 miles were in 10-15 mile increments. If I pulled over to the emergency lane, let the bike sit for a moment, maybe open the tank, it would start right up and be good for 15 miles and do it again. I took to the dealer on 29 Jun and it took them 2 1/2 weeks before they would take it out for a long 20 mile ride to recreate (they kept doing 10 milers and telling me all was fine). So when they actually did what I had originally asked they found debris in the tank (lining?) and a ruined fuel pump assembly, they sent photos to Honda USA and they agreed to send new tank and fuel pump assembly. Go foward another week and the tank has arrived but no fuel pump, when dealer called Honda they were told no new pump until at least 17 Aug. Assuming that is correct I will be without the bike for nearly 2 months.

I filed a complaint with the NHTSA (national highway traffic safety administration) since it is not safe to be riding 75 mph in the left lane and then no power. I've read here and on the FB Africa Twin Group page other folks experiencing simiiar fuel issues. If you did as well then recommend filing complaint too if you live in the US. Honda told my dealer that they knew of no fuel issues when they initially called. I call BS and that is why they don't have any pumps in stock. If enough complaints are filed then Honda may have to officially address the issue.
 
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#2 ·
Alot of different ATs had weld problwms. Honda said the welds were "within spec". It was addressed on here in a thread. If they don't care about their bike falling apart at 75 mph....I doubt they'll care about a rusty fuel tank.

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6560 using Tapatalk
 
#567 ·
Alot of different ATs had weld problwms. Honda said the welds were "within spec". It was addressed on here in a thread. If they don't care about their bike falling apart at 75 mph....I doubt they'll care about a rusty fuel tank.

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6560 using Tapatalk
I like the atvs and I want to get one, but I here about the tank problem. Would you still get a afav if you knew about the tank problem
 
#4 ·
My 2019 ATAS has been in the shop since July 10 waiting on a fuel pump. I just sent a two page letter to Honda expressing my dissatisfaction over the whole process. Apparently a service bulletin has been issued as said by my dealer which a week before had said there is a recall. I called Honda customer service and they said no recall on the fuel pump issue. A lot of the affected bikes were given new fuel tanks but not for me. It’s a well known issue as on the adventuresports forum there are around 40 affected bikes. Honda seems to be in denial and way too slow to respond to the situation. I bought this bike because of Honda reliability. What a joke!
 
#5 ·
I don't know how any weld issue is related, but my 2018 ATAS had to have the pump replaced due to what appeared to be paint over-spray being softened by the fuel and plugging the filter and killing the pump. That is consistent with a number of others I have corresponded with. The shop said mother Honda told them that some of the L2 models seem to get "something" in the pump and filter. Something! Riiiiight. Took me all of 30 minutes online to find out what the "something" was. Mine runs great now.
 
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#1,366 ·
I know this is an old post but you might want to look at your cooling system as well. Most water cooled Honda's suffer from thermostat failures because the black paint over spray in the radiators start to detach itself and gets lodged in the thermostat. I don't know why they continue allowing over spray on parts that are critical in remaining free of debris like fuel and cooling systems.
 
#6 ·
An update to my original post. It is now 20 Aug and the dealer is now telling me that Honda states it will be 1 Sep (vs 17 Aug) when the new pump will be available. Somehow I don't believe Honda and losing faith in them as a company.
 
#8 ·
I just called Honda customer service and they told me Sept 1 also. I also have lost faith in Honda. I get conflicting info from my dealer and Honda. I mentioned I could get an aftermarket fuel pump and the case manager said don’t do that it will void the warranty.
Btw thanks Roy823 at least I know where to go to get a fuel pump.
 
#9 ·
The AT's are all built at the same factory and shipped out in batches to different regions/countries. I think that so far only people in the UK have had the weld problems. It would be helpfull to have some VIN information for people to know if their bike came off the line close to the ones with problems. Is it only ATAS's that have the weld problems? Since the ATAS's have white frames - maybe the weld problems are just easier to see or harder to hide under paint? The ATAS have the two stage paint in order to get the pearl - I think the gunk getting into the tanks is the coat to cover over the pearl bits. Because no other color has had the problem, including the tricolor white/red/blue which has been around since 2016. Plus the junk in the tanks looks more like cloudy silicone than white paint.
 
#15 ·
I got my bike back yesterday and took it out for a 400 mile test ride today with no issues. Two months and Six days the bike was at the dealer. I hope that is the last of major issues but will probably purchase the extended warranty before my one year is up. Last six of my VIN are 200450.
 
#16 ·
@FLRider. Wow you got me beat on being without a bike. Mine was done in only 2 months and I took it out for a ride yesterday and pinned the throttle for a while and not a sputter. It was warm and below half a tank and since I picked it up I have put about 250 miles on it. Seems to run fine which is a really nice thing! No new tank here just fuel pump and filter.
 
#22 ·
Well that's a kick in the teeth. Not sure why Honda dealers don't just flush the tanks right out of the crate now. That's the fastest I have heard of one getting clogged. Good luck on the replacement. I have put 800 miles on mine this past week with no issues on the new tank/pump.
 
#23 ·
I was about to as if this is happening to 2019 models. Guess I got my answer. This is definitely unacceptable for a rider like me who rides 50/50. Being stranded in the middle of the boonies is not a great or even good proposition. Trying to hike out 30 miles from a major road of any sort would be a PITA not to mention trying to recover the bike.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Hi FLRider, would you please be willing to contact me to discuss your issue and how you handled it? The exact same incident happened to me being on the same bike and it scared me to death. It could end up in a head on collision, being on a two-lane road. Honda USA directed the dealer to scrub the inside of my tank with a steel brush and flush it. ...... ridiculous, even to the service manager. Thank you in advance.
 
#26 ·
777, why is scrubbing it and flushing a ridiculous suggestion? From everything I have read, it seems to be the exact thing that is needed. I might use a short length of rounded chain instead of a brush though. Planning on doing this during the winter on my new ATAS. Then replace the filter and be done with this nonsense.
 
#25 ·
I have 2019 with 4000 km, purchased in Calgary, Canada. Pulled the tank just to check before I had any problems, and it had the problem as well. Flushed the tank, replaced the fuel filter, and installed the Guglatech kit. Quite a bit of the white flaking welding slag material was clogged in the pre filter, and was washed out of the tank. It was just a matter of time before a full failure. Didn't replace the fuel pump, still seems fine. I would assume you have a problem developing if it hasn't bit you yet, and spend a few hundred to deal with it at the time and place of your choosing. If Honda isn't going to step up and do a recall, this will reduce the chance of being stranded or having a wreck.
 
#27 ·
Hi AZMtnRider, please with all the respect, how do you suggest to get into all the tight spaces, crevices, etc. thru a small hole in the gas tank with a steel brush as Honda suggests and do a thorough job? I certainly wish you good luck and hope you will never have to get into a dangerous (potentially deadly) situation due to a subpar product.
 
#29 ·
777, I agree about the brush, that’s why I suggested an alternative. When I was young, BBS or ball bearings were used to clean tanks. It can be hard to remove all of them, so I suggested a short length of rounded chain.

Can you explain how a stumbling or even stalled bike will get you into a head on collision?
 
#28 ·
@Honda777 I think you are missing the point. Replacing the tank and pump will not solve the problem. Removing the sludge will. I removed the sludge by sloshing around some vinegar in the tank.

The filter is not getting clogged, the filter is encased in a plastic housing that you can't get to. The prefilter screen is getting clogged before the fuel ever gets to the pump or fuel filter. Remove the sludge that is in the tank and the problem is done. Replacing the tank and pump assembly, which is what most dealers are doing, does not solve the problem. It just postpones it.

Because I do get into dangerous situations, I don't trust the dealer whom I don't know with my life. Fix it yourself and be satisfied the job is DONE right!
 
#30 ·
Playinatwork, I have been looking for help and solutions to mitigate this (as it seems to) broadly spread problem, as I also do not necessary trust a dealer doing this job thoroughly. I am not a chemist and do not know what chemical solution dissolves Honda sludge. I appreciate your ideas and suggestions very much. I have one question thou, by removing the sludge with vinegar, do I also remove the rust inhibitor on the inside of the gas tank, if any is present? If yes, do I need to 'line' the inside of the tank with something to prevent the tank from rusting? Thank you in advance for your opinion. Let's get dirty and get the job done, I spent only $15k on this Honda bike and have nothing else to do anyway. Haha
 
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