Is someone going to steel your motorcycle? (Kobe scandal)

Kobe Steel scandal deepens over quality of products used in cars and aircraft

Well, well, the almost pristine image of Japanese manufacturing quality receives a nasty drubbing.

The massive Japanese corporation, Kobe Steel, has recently admitted to testing falsification over the past several years relating to large quantities of aluminum sheets, aluminum components; copper products and an unspecified amount of iron powder that was supplied to over 200 customers including several automobile and motorcycle manufacturers.

...apparently most of the manufacturers who use Kobe Steel products are scrambling to find out their level of exposure to low quality metal components...

RB

FCBH said:

Kobe Steel scandal deepens over quality of products used in cars and aircraft

Well, well, the almost pristine image of Japanese manufacturing quality receives a nasty drubbing.

The massive Japanese corporation, Kobe Steel, has recently admitted to testing falsification over the past several years relating to large quantities of aluminum sheets, aluminum components; copper products and an unspecified amount of iron powder that was supplied to over 200 customers including several automobile and motorcycle manufacturers.

...apparently most of the manufacturers who use Kobe Steel products are scrambling to find out their level of exposure to low quality metal components...

RB

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I saw no reference to motorcycles in the above referenced link. Did I miss something or did you make an assumption as Honda was mentioned?

M38A1 said:

I saw no reference to motorcycles in the above referenced link. Did I miss something or did you make an assumption as Honda was mentioned?

Click to expand...

Considering the extensive nature of a supposed ten year scandal of falsified metal data, it would be natural to assume that a portion of the flawed metal made it's way into the manufacturing process of motorcycles, including Honda and others. This issue involves not just the processed bulk metals but it will impact certain components as well on the supply chain.

...the lawsuits are starting to wind up...

RB

Japanese steel has been substandard since I started working on machinery 45 years ago , it's nothing new , you just deal with it . Komatsu and klr are prime examples of it . Things strip and break when they shouldn't .

Cagiva 549 said:

Japanese steel has been substandard since I started working on machinery 45 years ago , it's nothing new , you just deal with it . Komatsu and klr are prime examples of it . Things strip and break when they shouldn't .

Click to expand...

William Deming, one of the main manufacturing statistician who trained Japanese engineers etc. after WW2 on quality process control/ Kaizen, would be outraged at this scandal.



Kobe Steel’s admission that it falsified quality certificates for metal products sold for cars, aircraft and trains has led to a familiar bout of soul-searching in Japan.

For the past 10-1y years there has been evidence to support a narrative of national decadence, from accounting scandals at Olympus Corp. and Toshiba Corp. to issues with airbags like the Takata debacle, and vehicles made by Mitsubishi Motors Corp., Suzuki Motor Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., and Nissan Motor Co. The latest Nissan setback, prompting the recall of all cars sold in Japan over the past three years, came to light only last week.

We shall see where the chips fall. I know Yamaha motorcycles casts their engines and sources at their main plant, but I think they use other vendors for items like the cam chain tensioners, clutch baskets etc.

...I won't forget the massive GL1800 cracked frame recall.



RB