On February 13, 2024, CFMoto Powersports Incorporated issued a safety recall for all 2023 CFMoto 450SS motorcycles due to an issue identified with a specific batch of the rubber rings that hold the telematics box in place.
On affected bikes, "excessive local shear stress and vehicle vibration could break the rubber rings holding the T-box in place." If that happens, CFMoto says, the untethered T-box could then fall into the front fork and interfere with steering, thus increasing the risk of a crash.
Approximately 1,700 bikes are believed to be affected, representing 100 percent of the population. The affected bikes were produced between February 6, 2023 and March 7, 2023. Affected VINs range from LCEPESLA0P6000314 to LCEPESLAXP6006525.
Details Of This Recall
On or about January 23, 2024, CFMoto received a notification about the defective component and a VIN list. The company then developed a solution, which involved new rubber bands and the addition of a support bracket to better secure the T-box in place. On January 31, 2024, CFMoto implemented the fix in its production bikes and began its dealer notification process.
According to CFMoto's official safety bulletin about this issue distributed to its sales network, dealers have been instructed to install the updated T-box holder kit on all units in their inventory before they can be sold to customers. For customers who have already taken possession of affected bikes, they will receive recall service through the CFMoto dealer network at no charge to them.
Additionally, the CFMoto safety bulletin contains the following warning for dealers, which we'll quote in its entirety:
"Any CFMoto dealer who sells a vehicle without completing this bulletin assumes sole liability for any accidents, claims, and/or liabilities that may arise from such sale, and agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CFMoto for any such accidents, claims, and/or liabilities."
What Owners Should Do
CFMoto began notifying its dealer network about this safety issue and the accompanying Safety Bulletin on February 13, 2024. It began notifying registered owners of affected bikes on February 15, 2024, and plans to continue the process until April 12, 2024.
Owners of affected 2023 CFMoto 450SS bikes should contact their local authorized CFMoto dealer to arrange for recall service to address this issue. Under the terms of service, an updated kit with a bracket and new bands to strengthen the T-box holder and prevent failure will be installed at no charge to the customer.
Owners may contact CFMoto's customer service hotline at 1-763-398-2690 regarding recall number SAF-2024-01. Additionally, owners may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
