Honda Monkey's Puny Tires Get a Safety Pass from Feds
Published Date: 11/28/2025
Notice
Summary
Vee Rubber and Honda found that some tires on 2019-2021 Honda Monkey motorcycles don’t fully meet safety rules, but they asked the government to say this issue doesn’t really affect safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agreed, so no recalls or fixes are needed, saving time and money. If you own one of these motorcycles, you’re good to go without any hassle!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Dealers Still Barred From Selling Noncompliant Stock
The grant does not relieve tire and vehicle distributors and dealers of the prohibitions on the sale, offer for sale, or delivery into interstate commerce of the noncompliant tires and vehicles that remained under their control after Vee Rubber and Honda notified them of the noncompliance. NHTSA also stated it may seek civil penalties for violations of 49 CFR part 574 if TIN errors affect recall ability.
No Recall or Free Remedy Required
NHTSA granted Vee Rubber and Honda’s petitions and found the VRM133 tire marking error inconsequential to safety, exempting Vee Rubber and Honda from the duty to notify owners or provide a free remedy for the noncompliance. The decision covers about 29,018 VRM133 tires (sizes 120/80-12 and 130/80-12) manufactured March 5, 2018 through May 27, 2021 and about 13,328 model year 2019–2021 Honda Monkey motorcycles manufactured July 4, 2018 through April 2, 2021.
Future Recalls Will Use Vehicle VIN
NHTSA stated that because the subject tires were sold only as original equipment on the listed motorcycles, any future safety recall involving these tires would be completed by notifying consumers based on the vehicle identification number (VIN) rather than the tire identification number (TIN). The covered tires were installed as original equipment on the approximately 13,328 MY 2019–2021 Honda Monkey motorcycles manufactured between July 4, 2018 and April 2, 2021.
Manufacturers Corrected Error and Recovered Inventory
Vee Rubber corrected the TIN marking error at its plant and states it recovered all affected VRM133 tires in U.S. distributor or retailer possession that had not reached end-users; Honda replaced and scrapped noncompliant tires in its inventory. The affected tires were manufactured March 5, 2018 through May 27, 2021.
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