
On July 12, 2022, Bombardier Recreational Products, Inc. issued a recall of certain 2022 Can-Am Ryker motorcycles. Bombardier is recalling more than 9,300 vehicles with a handlebar stem bolt that may break suddenly, which could lead to a loss of steering control and increase the risk of a crash. This recall is for 2022-2022 Can-Am Ryker Motorcycles with a production date of FEB 25, 2021 – JUL 05, 2022.
- Descriptive Information from Part 573 Safety Recall Report
- Description of the Defect
- Description of the Safety Risk
- Description of the Cause
- Chronology
- Description of Remedy
- Recall Schedule
- Recommended Next Steps
Descriptive Information from Part 573 Safety Recall Report:
Those vehicles have a handlebar stem bolt that may not have sufficient thread length for a proper assembly by dealers during the predelivery preparation. They may also have debris in the steering column before the assembly. Not all MY 2022 vehicle identification numbers are included as some will be sent to dealer without the bolt or already with the new bolt. The preliminary quantity of vehicles in this population is 9353.
Description of the Defect
The Handlebar Stem Bolt may break suddenly.
Description of the Safety Risk
This could cause a loss of steering control. This condition may increase the risk of crash.
Description of the Cause
The handlebar stem bolt does not have a sufficient thread length to account for all the tolerances stack of the assembly. Also, debris may be present in the steering columns which could interfere with a proper assembly. This assembly is performed by dealers during the predelivery preparation.
Chronology
The assembly of the handlebar stem bolt is done by the dealers during the predelivery preparation.
From January 2022 to April 2022, BRP received reports from dealers that this assembly could be hard to install and some of them were reporting that they were breaking the bolt during the process.
In May 2022, BRP received 2 reports of broken bolt while riding. One of the 2 resulted in a loss of control and the driver had a sprained ankle.
BRP reviewed all the reports to identify the root cause as it had not broken during the predelivery assembly by the dealers. BRP was looking for possible variations in the assembly process procedures or in the parts involved in this assembly.
It was found that starting from MY22, the steering stem dimensions were affected by a manufacturing process change of the steering stem. Although, it was still within tolerances, the dimensions were significantly different, and the handlebar stem bolt’s threads could be too short to ensure a good assembly. It is also possible that debris are present in the steering column before the assembly.
Consequently, if there is a sudden loss of friction between the cones while cornering, the trajectory of the vehicle could be affected following a Vehicle Stability System intervention due to the play created between the stem and the steering column.
With all the information collected and analyzed, BRP decided on July 7, 2022, that it had enough information to report and wants to proceed with the repair of the affected vehicles population with a safety recall.
In the United States, BRP received 56 reports of broken bolts during the predelivery preparation , 2 while riding and 3 with an unknown riding condition.
The accident report was from the United States.
Description of Remedy
- Description of Remedy Program: The solution is to clean the threads of the steering column and to install the new steering stem bolt. The safety recall will be launched by the end of this week. The repair procedure and the parts will be available at the time of launch. If a customer previously had experienced this issue and BRP did not cover the cost of the repair, he can contact BRP for reimbursement. However, the vehicle will still need to have the recall procedure performed.
- How Remedy Component Differs from Recalled Component: The new handlebar stem bolt is 5mm shorter with the same length of threads as the previous one. The 5mm reduction provides the necessary space in the threads to absorb all the manufacturing tolerances of the components in the assembly. Other differences (washer, scotchgrip) are only present to allow prompt parts availabilities but are not related to the recall issue. BRP will also instruct its dealers to clean the threads of the steering column before the installation of the new bolt.
- Identify How/When Recall Condition was Corrected in Production: As part of the normal process, this assembly is not made during production. The vehicle is shipped with a kit for dealer to complete the assembly during the predelivery preparation. Vehicles not included in the recall are shipped without any handlebar stem bolt in the kit and dealers will later receive the appropriate component. As parts are becoming more available, BRP will ship vehicles already with the handlebar stem bolt in the kit. The last production date of vehicles included in the recall is July 5, 2022.
Recall Schedule
- Planned Dealer Notification Date: JUL 15, 2022 – JUL 22, 2022
- Planned Owner Notification Date: JUL 27, 2022 – AUG 10, 2022
Recommended Next Steps
Bombardier Recreational Products highly recommends that owners stop riding their vehicle until the recall repair is performed. [Source]
- Owners are encouraged to immediately contact their authorized BRP Can-Am On-Road dealer to schedule an appointment to have the FREE safety recall performed on their vehicle.
- The dealer will clean the threads of the steering column and install the new handlebar stem bolt.
- The repair will take less than one hour to complete.
Additional Resources
- Consumer Alert: Do Not Ride Recall Issued for Can-Am Ryker Motorcycles
- Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22V-503
- Handlebar Stem Bolt May Break – Potential Loss of Steering Control
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