American Honda Motor Co. has issued a recall on its Africa Twin Africa Twin dual-clutch transmission (DCT) models due to a problem with the engine control unit (ECU). A total of 1,561 motorcycles from model years 2020-2021 are affected by the recall issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

According to the defect report, the on-board diagnostics data management of the ECU was improperly programmed in affected models, producing abnormal data. This error can reset the ECU, causing the Controller area network (CAN) communication to disconnect and the clutch to be released, which can result in an engine stall or a loss of drive power.

The recall was triggered after Honda received several reports of engines stalling in Japan, Italy and Germany. While investigating, the company also received two warranty claims in the U.S. market due to the same issue. Honda confirmed there was a software error that can cause sudden stalling in certain production models, prompting the company to conduct a safety recall for the units identified with the problem.  

An engine stall or a loss of drive power while the motorcycle is being ridden can obviously increase the risk of an accident but, according to Honda, no crashes or injuries related to this issue have been reported. Moreover, the condition has been corrected with the proper OBD data management ECU program for all 2022 model year vehicles and newer for the U.S. market.

Models Affected By the Recall

How To Get It Fixed

Registered owners of all affected vehicles will be contacted by mail and asked to take their vehicle to an authorized Honda Powersports dealer. The dealer will reprogram the ECU with an updated file, for free. Honda also states that those who have paid to have these repairs completed at their own expense will be eligible for reimbursement.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 31, 2022. Those affected by the recall may also contact Honda customer service at 1-866-784-1870 and refer to Honda’s number for this recall: KNB. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236, or go to www.nhtsa.gov.