Honda has rolled out a recall worldwide for the CB125F, CB250R and CB300R. The circuit board in the headlight can be damaged over time due to vibrations. When this happens, the light will flicker or even drop out.
As a result of an incorrect design of the headlight unit, vibrations of the engine and the road during normal use can cause resonances on the lower layers of the printed circuit plates, leading to the wire cores bending to the contact foot. With constant use, this can lead to a framework for fatigue in the wire nurses, so that the headlight flicker or switch off during use.
Wire break through vibrations of motor and road surface is caused by various mutually related factors. The printed circuit boards for large and low beam are mounted on a bracket that is only connected to the reflector on one side, creating a floating construction that is sensitive to resonance.
Moreover, the threads that connect the plates for high beam and low beam are applied without a fixed trajectory and are not confirmed, which can lead to interference with other parts or wiring.
Because of these factors, resonances/vibrations can create different movements between the connection point of the threads and the point where the threads interfere, resulting in repeated bending at the connection point. Since the wiring is connected to the substrates with the help of connection terminals that are inserted and soldered, each bow or movement of the threads concentrates in directions that deviate from the substrate plates, the voltage on the base of the connection terminations of the wiring. Over time, these bends and movements weaken the threads, which ultimately breaks them and the headlight becomes defective.
The first reports go back to March 2019, when Honda was informed by the Mexican importer about a flickering headlight. In July that same year, Honda also received reports from the American market. After initial errors in the assessment of the problem and the international distribution of the affected part, the scope of the investigation was again evaluated and expanded. To improve the sustainability of the product, the supplier strengthened threads in 2020.
However, the number of reports continued to flow in from several markets. Honda continued the investigation in 2021, in 2022 and 2023 there was concentrated on potential resonance as the cause of the headlight issues. In 2023/2024, Honda collaborated with the supplier to analyze the issues and to come up with a solution to improve sustainability. In September 2024, measures were taken to improve quality and sustainability.
In November 2024, Honda received reports from several markets, including an incident in the United States, crashing a motorcyclist after the lighting had failed. Honda started an investigation to find out whether the issue of the headlight could also lead to the complete failure of the lighting. That turned out to be the case.
The recall concerns the CB125F, CB250F and CB300R which were produced between 24 November 2017 and 25 July 2024 in Honda’s Thai factory. With the Honda dealer, the headlight unit will be replaced by an improved copy. The new unit has been used in the assembly since 2 September 2024.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.