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Minoura Japan – Voluntary Recall Notice

VOLUNTARY RECALL NOTICE

Cast flywheel on old Magturbo trainer has been recalled since July 2000

Introduction

July 1, 2000

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Minoura Company Ltd. of Japan and Minoura North America of Hayward, CA (Minoura) are voluntary recalling approximately 29,500 magnetic resistance trainers which have potentially flawed flywheels.
These trainers allow regular bicycles to be used as stationary bicycles as shown in the following picture.

The cast zinc flywheel (the red piece in the picture) may contain bubbles inside during the manufacturing at factory and it may be shattered while it is spinning at high speed. Then the person on the trainer and his/her neighbors have a chance to be heavily injured, and the furniture around the trainer should be damaged.

Minoura will replace the magnetic resistance unit to the safe one at Minoura's expense.
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Minoura Co., Ltd.
1197-1 Godo, Anpachi, Gifu 503-2305 Japan
Minoura North America
1996 East Ave, Hayward, CA 94541 U.S.A.

How To Identify The Recalled Model

  1. This recall involves only Minoura, Schwinn, Performance or Univega brand trainers with painted red, blue or yellow exposed flywheels (approximately 5-inch in diameter) sold between 1989 and 1994. The brand names are indicated on the trainer stand body.
  2. It does NOT involve flywheels covered by a plastic cover.
  3. The recalled flywheel is made of cast zinc. Any other materials like forged brass or machined solid steel are NOT involved in this recall.
  4. Once a red, blue or yellow exposed flywheel is identified, the only way to correctly identify the flywheels involved in this recall is by looking at the side of the flywheel that faces the magnetic resistance unit (or the bike) and locating four (4) round indentations depressed into the metal. Each should be about 5 millimeters (3/16") in diameter.
  5. The four indentations will be evenly arranged around the center axle of the flywheel. These four indentations will NOT be located on the outside rim of the flywheel, although there may be additional indentations or even smaller diameter drill holes located there. The four indentations may not all be of equal depth.picture-2.gif
  6. The following picture shows one of the four indentations and two drill holes. These drill holes are just for leveling the weight balance and not related with the recall.picture-3.gif
  7. If the flywheel does NOT have four round indentations, then it is NOT involved in the recall. For further instructions on identifying the recalled trainers, call the number below.

What Should The Owner Do?

The recalled trainer owner MUST stop using the recalled trainer immediately and return the entire magnetic resistance unit (not the entire trainer) to Minoura. A new replacement magnetic resistance unit will be supplied to the trainer owner at free of charge.

Please note that the original magnetic resistance unit had already been discontinued, so Minoura shall supply another type of resistance unit which can be mounted on the entire trainer frame.

Before returning the unit, the owner must fax to 1-510-538-5899 (Monday through Friday, from 9:00AM to 12 noon and from 1:00PM to 5:00PM in Pacific Standard Time) or email to support@minourausa.com to obtain a return authorization number and a UPS or USPS Priority Mail shipping label which they can use to send the magnetic resistance unit (after removal from the trainer frame) to Minoura.

Instructions for removal of the recalled magnetic resistance unit and installation of the new one will be guided in the following column.

How The Recall Works

Please review this note carefully. What you will find below will help you to quickly identify and speed the process of recalling the magnetic resistance unit and replacing it with a new one as per the agreement in the recall.

[ NOTE ] ANY TRAINER WITH A COVERED FLYWHEEL IS NOT INVOLVED IN THIS RECALL

  1. You must determine first that your trainer is involved with the recall. Please refer the above instructions to identify your own trainer.
  2. Once you have positively identified that your trainer is part of the recall, email or fax your name, shipping address (no P.O.Boxes) and phone number to
    • support@minourausa.com or
    • 1-510-538-5899
    • (You should use email as this will speed the process significantly.)
  3. Once we receive your request, we will generate a call tag (shipping label) and send it to you via e-mail. Print out this shipping label, box up the MAG UNIT ONLY (include the remote if your model has one), attach the shipping label, and drop off the box at any UPS Store or UPS drop off location.
  4. Once we receive the magnetic unit, we will then ship you a replacement mag unit. This will take anywhere from 7 - 20 days to be returned to you depending on our turnaround and your location.

Ship the entire magnetic resistance unit only. Removal of the magnetic unit is simple and requires only an M5 hex wrench (allen key) to remove two bolts.
If your trainer has a foot pedal (named Step-Turbo), you must detach that and keep it before sending it in. You will need the Foot Pedal to reassemble the magnetic unit to your trainer. Minoura will not return any Foot Pedals in the recall progress. This is your responsibility.