2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Flhtcu

THERE IS EXCESSIVE HEAT COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHICH BURNS ON THE INNER THIGH JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE SEAT. I PURCHASED THE BIKE YESTERDAY AND WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT AFTER 1000 MILES I NEED TO CHANGE THE OIL WITH SYNTHETIC OIL. I WAS ALSO TOLD I MUST PURCHASE LEXAN ENGINE GUARDS. I BURNED MY INNER THIGH YESTERDAY WHILE I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT. I WAS WEARING THICK JEANS AS WELL. IT GOT SO HOT I ALMOST DROPPED THE MOTORCYCLE. WHEN RIDING IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC THE PROBLEM BECOMES EVEN WORSE. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE TO BOTH OPERATOR AND THOSE TRAVELING AROUND THE MOTORCYCLE. IF THE MOTORCYCLE IS TOO HOT TO HANDLE THE OPERATOR BECOMES FOCUSED ON NOT GETTING BURNED RATHER THAN THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT IS RAISED SIGNIFICANTLY. SECONDARY, TO BURN POTENTIAL IS THE POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE PIPES THROUGH BLUING AND EXCESSIVE HEAT. A CONSUMER PAYS A PREMIUM PRICE FOR A HD PRODUCT AND WOULD EXPECT THAT THESE SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE ISSUES WOULD BE PROPERLY ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER INSTEAD OF MAKING THE CUSTOMER PAY FOR THE FIX OF THIS PROBLEM. *JB

MY 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC HAS DEVELOPED A VERY LOUD RATTLE AND KNOCK IN THE DRIVELINE. IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH SOMETHING IS VERY LOOSE AND GETTING READY TO COME APART. I HAVE TAKEN THE BIKE TO THE DEALER 8 TIMES AND THE HAS NOT BEEN ANY FIX FOR THE PROBLEM YET. THERE IS A WEBSITE (WWW.HDFORUM.COM) WHERE THERE ARE MANY, MANY 2007 ULTRA CLASSIC OWNERS WITH THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINT. I FEAR THAT IF WHATEVER IS LOOSE INSIDE THE DRIVELINE COMES APART AT HIGHWAY SPEED IT COULD CAUSE REAR WHEEL LOCKUP AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. *JB

THERE IS EXCESSIVE HEAT COMING FROM THE ENGINE, BLUING OF THE EXHAUST PIPES, AND AN EXTREME BURN DANGER TO THE OPERATOR AND PASSENGER. SINCE MY PURCHASE OF THE BIKE I HAVE INSTALLED THE RECOMMENDED HD LEXAN HEAT GUARDS. THESE ITEMS SIMPLY DO NOT WORK AS THE HEAT FROM THE ENGINE AND EXHAUST IS SO INTENSE THAT I HAVE BURNED MYSELF ON THE INSIDE OF THE THIGH SEVERAL TIMES (THROUGH A THICK PAIR OF BLUE JEANS). WITH THE NATURAL REACTION TO PULL AWAY WHEN BURNED I HAVE ALMOST DROPPED THE MOTORCYCLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. WHEN RIDING IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC THE PROBLEM BECOMES EVEN WORSE. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE TO BOTH OPERATOR AND THOSE TRAVELING AROUND THE MOTORCYCLE. IF THE MOTORCYCLE IS TOO HOT TO HANDLE THE OPERATOR BECOMES FOCUSED ON NOT GETTING BURNED RATHER THAN THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT IS RAISED SIGNIFICANTLY. SECONDARY, TO BURN POTENTIAL IS THE POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE PIPES THROUGH BLUING AND EXCESSIVE HEAT. A CONSUMER PAYS A PREMIUM PRICE FOR A HD PRODUCT AND WOULD EXPECT THAT THESE SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE ISSUES WOULD BE PROPERLY ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

THE SITUATION: ON A MOTORCYCLE, DRIVETRAIN FAILURE AT TYPICAL OPERATING SPEEDS COULD VERY WELL MEAN SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH OF THE RIDER. ABNORMAL HEAT OR NOISE COMING FROM THE MOTORCYCLE'S DRIVETRAIN ARE NOT ISSUES TO BE IGNORED BY A PRUDENT RIDER OR BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE MOTORCYCLE. FOR EXAMPLE THE DRIVETRAIN ON MY 2007 FLHTCU IS EXCESSIVELY NOISY WHEN OPERATED IN GEAR. THIS IMPLIES EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND/OR ABNORMAL WEAR OCCURRING SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, THE EXHAUST RUNS SO HOT AS TO PRESENT A BURN HAZARD TO THE RIDER AND PASSENGER EVEN WHEN PROPERLY CLOTHED. WHILE RIDING EVEN IN WINTER TEMPERATURES I SUSTAINED A SEVERE BURN TO MY LEFT LEG, LEAVING A PERMENAT 4" SCAR. IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT EXCESSIVE HEAT WILL ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO LONGTERM PROBLEMS WITH ANY DRIVETRAIN, INCREASING THE LIKELYHOOD OF FAILURE. WHAT HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS DONE: TO DATE, THE ONLY HALF-HEARTED SOLUTION TO THESE MALADIES OFFERED BY THE HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY HAS BEEN THE "TORQUE SMOOTHING DOWNLOAD" WHICH ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING WHEN INSTALLED ON MY BIKE. HD HAS ASSERTED THAT THE NOISE AND HEAT ARE NORMAL. ON THE CONTRARY, MANY 2007 HD UNITS DO NOT HAVE THESE ISSUES, THUS THEY ARE CLEARLY NOT NORMAL. MANY OWNERS HAVE RESORTED TO COSTLY AFTERMARKET SOLUTIONS SUCH AS REPLACEMENT GEARSETS AND FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ALL INSTALLED A THEIR OWN EXPENSE. I ESSENCE, HD HAS OFFLOADED THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ONTO THEIR CUSTOMERS. WHAT HD SHOULD DO: HD SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL. HD SHOULD RETROFIT ALL AFFECTED 2007 MODELS WITH THE IDS RUBBERMOUNT REAR SPROCKET (NOW STANDARD ON THE 2008 TOURING MODELS) TO REDUCE DRIVETRAIN VIBRATION AND WEAR. THEY SHOULD ALSO PROVIDE ADJUSTMENTS AND/OR MODIFICATIONS AS NEEDED TO THE FUEL SYSTEM TO REDUCE DRIVETRAIN HEAT. THEY SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY OF ALL AFFECTED 2007 MOTORCYCLES APPROPRIATELY. *TR