2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Flhtcu

STARTED MY '07HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU AND BACKED OUT OF PARKING STALL, BIKE WAS ALREADY IN 1ST GEAR, STARTED TO RELEASE THE CLUTCH TO MOVE THE BIKE WHEN THE ENGINE WENT TO FULL THROTTLE WITH NO INPUT FROM ME. THE BIKE LURCHED FORWARD SO I IMMEDIATELY TWISTED THE THROTTLE OFF AND APPLIED THE FRONT BRAKE BECAUSE I WAS HEADING FOR A CURB. AGAIN THE ENGINE WENT TO FULL THROTTLE ON IT'S OWN. THE BRAKE HAD NO EFFECT SO BEFORE I HIT THE CURB I RELEASED THE BRAKE AND STRAIGHTENED THE BIKE SO I WOULD HIT THE CURB AT A RIGHT ANGLE AND WAS ABLE TO AVOID A TREE. THE BIKE FLEW ABOUT 4-5 FT AND LANDED ON GRASS. I TRIED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE BIKE BUT DESPITE MY EFFORTS THE ENGINE REMAINED WIDE OPEN. I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH BUT THE BIKE SWERVED IN THE SLIPPERY GRASS AND WENT DOWN ON IT'S LEFT SIDE. THE BIKE RIGHTED ITSELF AND KEPT GOING BUT FELL IMMEDIATELY AGAIN ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THIS SCENARIO REPEATED ITSELF ONE MORE TIME FALLING ON THE LEFT SIDE ONLY THIS TIME IT FELL MORE VIOLENTLY AND EJECTED ME INTO THE DIRT. AS I WAS LAYING THERE I HEARD MY MOTORCYCLE ROARING AND SAW THAT IT HAD FLIPPED OVER ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE ABOUT 30 FEET AWAY AND WAS LAYING PERFECTLY HORIZONTAL WITH THE REAR WHEEL SPINNING. THE BIKE WAS SLOWLY TWISTING ON THE GRASS FROM THE TORQUE OF THE ENGINE AND I HAD A MOMENT OF FEAR THINKING THAT IF THE WHEELS DUG IN AGAIN THERE'S NO TELLING WHICH DIRECTION IT WOULD GO AND I COULDN'T MOVE. I TRIED TO TWIST MY BODY AROUND TO PUT MY FEET TOWARDS THE BIKE AS MY ONLY DEFENSE BUT COULDN'T DO IT. FORTUNATELY, AFTER ABOUT 3 SECONDS, THE ENGINE QUIT. PEOPLE CAME TO MY AID IMMEDIATELY AND IN 15 MINUTES I WAS IN AN AMBULANCE. I SPENT TWO WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL WITH 3 BROKEN VERTEBRAE, 1 BROKEN COLLAR BONE, 2 BROKEN SHOULDER BONES AND 6 BROKEN RIBS. THE BIKE IS IN MY GARAGE. I WON'T LET ANYBODY TOUCH IT UNTIL I GET AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO EXAMINE IT. MY BEST GUESS IS A MALFUNCTION IN THE CRUISE CONTROL. IT TRIED TO "RESUME" SOME FORMER SPEED. *TR

ON JUNE 26, 2007 I WAS HEADING HOME IN A 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC WHEN I NOTICED THE IDLE SPEED CONTINUED TO INCREASE. EVERY TIME I ENGAGED THE CLUTCH THE ENGINE SPEED WOULD TAKE AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME TO DECREASE, AND THE IDLE SPEED WOULD CONTINUALLY INCREASE EACH TIME. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE MOTORCYCLE INSPECTED. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP THE ENGINE SPEED WAS AROUND 3600 RPMS. HOWEVER, THE NORMAL SPEED WAS 800 RPMS. DUE TO THE ENGINE IDLE SPEED NOW THE SAME AS RUNNING SPEED, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE MOTORCYCLE THROUGH TRAFFIC AS IT CONTINUED TO TRY TO GO FASTER. *AK I WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC, AFTER INSPECTING AND REPAIRING MY MOTORCYCLE, THAT A CONTROL SCREW AND TIGHTENED DOWN, THEREBY LOCKING MY THROTTLE CABLE IN AN OPEN CONDITION KEEPING THE ENGINE FUELED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING A LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL .

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AT 70 MPH. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PUSH IN THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER WHICH CAUSED A FUSE TO BLOW. THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE MOTORCYCLE. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD TO BE TURNED OFF BY USING THE MASTER SWITCH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE, THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUSE WITH A BIGGER FUSE. THE SECOND TIME THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER WAS REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,100.AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED WITH A FACTORY INSTALLED RADA DEFLECTOR. UPDATED 05/21/07. *JB