2006 Honda Vtx1300
The Verdict
The 2006 Honda Vtx1300 has 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (26 complaints) and electrical (5 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 92/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Honda Vtx1300, consider the 2009 model year which has 97% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2009 has 97% fewer complaints
View the 2009 Honda Vtx1300 dashboard →
Klunk Score: Smooth Ride
This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
THE FRONT END STARTS TO GET THE DEATH WOBBLE WHEN LET OFF THE GAS GOING AROUND 45 MPH. AND IT IS STARTING TO DO IT AT MORE SPEEDS NOW. BUT THAT IS WHEN IT IS THE WORST. CAN'T TAKE BOTH HANDS OF THE HANDLE BARS OR GRIP IT LIGHTLY OR ELSE IT WILL SHAKE TO MUCH AND CAUSE ME TO WRECK.
MY STARTER MAGNET SHORTED OUT & BURNED CONNECTING PLUG & ELECTRICAL HARNESS. MY BIKE WAS PARKED IN GARAGE LIKE ALWAYS. I WENT OUT IN MORNING TO START BIKE & NOTHING HAPPENED, A FEW SECONDS LATER I NOTICE A BURNED SMELL & IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF KEY. I THEN DISCONNECTED MY BATTERY & STARTED TO LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE BATTERY CHECKED OUT TO BE GOOD , I STARTED CHECKING FUSES , WHEN I NOTICE THE STRING BURNED SMELL FROM THE STARTER MAGNET AREA , THE MAIN FUSE WAS STILL GOOD BUT NOTICED THE CONNECTOR PLUG SLIGHTLY MELTED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF PLUG, I NOTICED THE CONNECTORS & SOME WIRING WERE BURNT.
PETCOCK IS LEAKING THEY WERE RECALLED ON THE 07-09 BUT NOT THE 06 WHEN ITS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM STARTED HAPPENING WHILE I WAS RIDING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA VTX1300 MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35-55 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOBBLED WHILE ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING. THE PIONEER EQUIPMENT HONDA DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE COULD BE DUE TO THE WHEEL BEARING OR TIRES; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.
THE BIKE WOBBLES AND SHAKES VERY BAD WHEN DECELERATING FROM 45 MPH. THIS OCCURS ON STRAIGHT OR WHILE TURNING.
WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 25 OR 30 MPH THE HANDLEBARS SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. TRIED NEW TIRES, DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM
WOBBLE WHEN DRIVING. WOBBLE GETS MUCH WORSE WHEN 1 OR 2 HANDS ARE NOT FIRMLY ON HANDLEBARS. GETS MUCH WORSE DURING DECELERATION. *TR
HONDA VTX 1300C.. BOUGHT USED.. NOTICED THAT AT AN APPROX. SPEED THE FRONT END WOULD START TO WOBBLE.. SPOKE TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING BEFORE.. TIRES ARE NEW AND ALIGNED. *TR
SEVERE STEERING WOBBLE ON DECELERATION FROM ANY SPEED. GETS WORSE IF I TAKE HANDS OFF BARS, BAD ENOUGH TO CRASH. *TR
HANDLEBARS SHAKE BETWEEN 35-45 MPH NOW EVEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS, WOBBLE. GO INTO A TURN IT SEEMS TO DROP JUST A LITTLE ENOUGH TO SCARE THE S--- OUT OF YOU. I SEE YOU HAVE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM. CAN YOU LET ME KNOW YOUR FINDINGS, PLEASE. WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS I JUST ASSUMED YOU HAVE NOT HAD THE TIME TO INVESTIGATE. THIS IS TRULY A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. SOMEONE MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN HURT OR WORSE. NO ONE HAS PROVED THE FRONT STEERING BEARINGS WERE BAD. SOMETHING I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO INVESTIGATE, AFTER ANY COMPLAINT. *TR
EXTREME STEERING WOBBLE WITH LIGHT OR SINGLE HANDED GRIP HANDLE BARS. VERY SEVERE! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA VTX 1300 MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING AND FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.
THE STEERING WILL SHAKE/VIBRATE AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 25-40MPH, SOMETIMES MORE VIOLENTLY THAN OTHERS. THE FRONT BEARING WAS INSPECTED AND APPEARED TO BE OK. THE FRONT TIRE WAS RECENTLY REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN 2007. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA VTX1300C. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,786.
MY STEERING ON MY 2006 VTX1300C SHAKES WHEN YOU LET GO OF ONE SIDE OF THE HANDLEBARS. IF YOU TAKE PRESSURE OFF THE GRIPS WITH BOTH HANDS THE BIKE SHAKES VIOLENTLY. I JUST HAD TWO BRAND NEW TIRES PUT ON THE BIKE THINKING IT MAY HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE TIRES CAUSING THE ISSUE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED EVEN AFTER THE NEW TIRES WERE INSTALLED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA VT1300S MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE AT 75 MPH, HE HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR AND THE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT AND THE PASSENGER WERE EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TOWED TO A TOWING YARD. THE FAILURE WAS NOT INVESTIGATED. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE BEARING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 16,118. SM. UPDATED 6/20/12 *CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA VTX1300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH HE HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 13,000. UPDATED 09/15/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUSE TO THE IGNITION KEPT BLOWING WHEN HE STARTED THE MOTORCYCLE. THE FUSE WAS REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. UPDATED 12/13/11
FRONT WHEEL WOBBLES ON 2006 HONDA VTX 1300R WHEN SLOWING DOWN THROUGH 45-40 MPH. *TR
2006 HONDA VTX 1300 RETRO: THE FRONT END WOBBLES DURING DECELERATION FROM SPEEDS OF ABOUT 30 MPH. CHANGING THE FRONT TIRE TEMPORARILY REDUCES THE PROBLEM, BUT IT RECURS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I BOUGHT IT OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR IN OCTOBER 2007. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA VTX1300C MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LICENSE PLATE BRACKET WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE LICENSE PLATE FRACTURED FROM THE MOTORCYCLE THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. THE CONTACT INSTALLED A STEEL PLATE TO REINFORCE THE LICENSE PLATE BUT THE BRACKET ALSO FRACTURED AND THERE WAS NO WAY FOR THE LICENSE TO STAY ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THE FAILURE AND WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17, 2000.
35 total