side kickstand failure - $2000 in damages!

[rb5064]

I bought an '05 Katana 750 a month ago, and have loved it, till now! This morning my wife woke me at 7:30am to tell me, "Your bike is laying on it's side!" First thing I thought was someone tried to jack it last night, and the alarm scared them away! So I went to the shop and got the guys to start researching the replacement costs for parts. Mind you the bike fell over standing still. It fell over! Total cost to replace just the parts, not counting labor, $1300.00. I left the shop with the intention to talk to my insurance company to see what all would be involved in getting it fixed. I stopped at a store on the way there, and set the bike back on the side kickstand. I went into the store and came out 15 minutes later. Imagine my disgust when I saw the bike laying on it's side again! Twice in one day! I limped back up to the shop to show the guys what had happened in the 20 minutes I had been gone. New total cost to replace parts, $2000.00.

Now I know there are a few questions, if you have read this far. Yes the kickstand was fully extended both times. Yes the bike was in gear with no play left. In other words, before I got off the bike, I let it roll as far as it would with it being in gear so that it would not roll when I got off of it. No the asphault pavement was not indented, or soft. Yes it was on level, solid ground (pavement).

For now I am using the center stand until I figure out what to do. I have contacted the dealer that sold me the bike to let them know what happened twice today, and to find out if there are any recalls or service bulletins concerning the side kickstand. He said there wasn't anything out on it as of today. He also said that he would call Suzuki and ask if it is a known problem, and see if they will take care of it. He sounded very skeptical on the phone. He also said that he wouldn't be able to call Suzuki's Technical Support until October 6th because they are all at a convention. hmmmm.

Now, I can hear what I am going to be told already. Sorry, but you'll have to fix it yourself, Suzuki isn't responsible. That's what I think I am going to be told. I could tell from the phone conversation that the dealer doesn't want to take care of it. Which in all honesty, it isn't the dealers fault.

What I need from you guys is information. I need to know if something like this has happened to anyone else? I am considering contacting an attorney just in case. If this has happened to others, there is a possibility of going forward with a Class Action Lawsuit. If you bought a Corvette, and the parking brake fails and your car crashes into a brick wall, would you expect Chevrolet to fix your car? This was obviously a defective stand on the bike.

Another peice of information I am looking for, is a picture or measurements (length, width, thickness) of an '05 Katana 750/600 kickstand. There is a possibility that the wrong stand was placed on the bike on the assembly line. Small chance, but still a chance all the same.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

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