2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Flhtcu

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 5TH GEAR AT NORMAL RPMS. THIS IMPLIES EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND/OR ABNORMAL WEAR OCCURRING SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, THE DRIVETRAIN RUNS SO HOT AS TO PRESENT A BURN HAZARD TO THE RIDER AND PASSENGER EVEN WHEN PROPERLY CLOTHED. IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT EXCESSIVE HEAT WILL 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. THEY ARE CERTAINLY COMMON PROBLEMS, HOWEVER. 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

EXCESSIVE CLATTERING NOISE COMING FROM DRIVE TRAIN OF MOTORCYCLE. MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN EXAMINED AT DEALER AND WAS SERVICED TO UPLOAD NEW COMPUTER PROGRAM INTO ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. DRIVETRAIN STILL CLATTERS AND FEELS AS IF ENGINE OR TRANSMISSIONS SHAFTS ARE ABOUT TO BREAK. DEALERS SAY THIS IS NORMAL. MOTORCYCLE DOES NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE. FROM MY READING ON INTERNET THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH 2007 TOURING CLASS HARLEY DAVIDSON. I PERSONALLY FEEL THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED TO REASSURE OWNERS BIKES ARE SOUND AND THAT DRIVETRAIN IS NOT GOING TO LOCK UP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

THE HEAT GENERATING FROM THE ENGINE AND EXHAUST ON TO THE RIDER'S LEGS AND SEAT AND ALSO TO THE PASSENGER'S LEGS IS EXTREMELY HIGH. I HAVE ON REPEATED TIMES, LEFT BURNED JEANS ON THE LEFT REAR EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD. AFTER EXPERIENCING THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES I ADDED AN ADDITIONAL AFTERMARKET HEAT SHIELD, WHICH HAS HELPS SOME, BUT NOW THIS HEAT SHIELD ON THE LEFT SIDE IS MELTING AND BUBBLING. I ALSO CAN NOT SIT ON THE SEAT WHEN STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS, I HAVE TO STANDUP. THE HEAT TRANSFERRING UP THROUGH THE BIKE'S SEAT IS SO INTENSE I AM SURE THAT I WILL END UP WITH BURNS ON MY BOTTOM FORWARD AREA IF I REMAIN SEATED. THIS SAME HEAT IS TRANSFERRED TO THE PASSENGERS FEET AND LEGS, MORE SO WHEN RIDING DOWN THE ROAD. I FEEL AS IF HARLEY DAVIDSON, IN THEIR QUEST TO MEET EPA GUIDELINES HAVE LEANED OUT THE ENGINES, WHICH GENERATES INTENSE HEAT, AND HAVE DISREGARDED THE SAFETY AND COMFORT OF THE RIDER AND PASSENGER. THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE CONDITION IN WHICH THE RIDER AND PASSENGER ARE EITHER GOING TO GET BURNED BY THE EXHAUST AND/OR ENGINE HEAT, OR BE INJURED BY BEING DISTRACTED WITH CONSENTLY ADJUSTING THEMSELVES WHILE RIDING THE BIKE. I HAVE TAKEN THE BIKE TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE ON A COUPLE TIMES TO CHECK ON THE HEAT PROBLEM. THEY DID ADD A HEAT MANAGEMENT UPGRADE PROGRAM, AND THEY ALSO TELL ME THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE IS IN THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPECS. THIS MAY BE TRUE, HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL A PROBLEM WITH THE AMOUT OF HEAT AND THE POSSIBILITY OF INJURY TO THE RIDER AND PASSENGER. *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 .

BURNING OF PANTS BY AN OPEN EXHAUST PIPE ON A 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU MOTORCYCLE. THE LEFT EXHAUST PIPE UNDER THE RIDERS LEFT LEG GOT SO HOT THAT IT COULD ACTUALLY CATCH A RIDER'S PANTS ON FIRE AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. MY PANTS HAD HOLES BURNED IN THEM BUT HAD NOT ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE PIPE WAS TESTED TO BE 180 DEGREES BY THE HD DEALER. HARLEY DAVIDSON, AS I WAS TOLD BY MY DEALER, HAD NO SOLUTION FOR THIS VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE SOLUTION COULD BE VERY SIMPLE BUT APPARENTLY HARLEY DIDN'T CARE. I WAS TOLD THAT YOU COULD NOT WEAR DRESS PANTS AND RIDE A HARLEY. HARLEY DAVIDSON SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PUT SUCH AN UNSAFE VEHICLE ON THE MARKET TO SELL TO UNSUSPECTING BUYERS. *AK

I PURCHASED A 2007 FLHTCU IN MARCH 2007. SINCE THE WEATHER HAS WARMED, UP I HAVE HAD HEAT PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. WHEN RIDING ON DAYS WHERE THE TEMPERATURE IS 80 DEGREES OR ABOVE, IN SLOW TRAFFIC (0-10 MPH), THE ENGINE PUTS OUT A LARGE AMOUNT OF HEAT THAT CAUSES THE BACKS OF MY LEGS TO GET VERY HOT. IF I AM RIDING IN TRAFFIC, IN THESE CONDITIONS, FOR MORE THAT 10-15 MINUTES, I HAVE TO GET OFF OF THE BIKE TO PREVENT BEING BURNED. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH SEVERAL DEALERS AND THEY SAID THAT THIS IS NORMAL. (NOTE THAT MY 2004 HARLEY DOES NOT DO THIS). WHEN I ASKED IF CHANGING THE EXHAUST AND AIR CLEANER WOULD HELP THEY SAID THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD, BUT THAT IT WOULD ALSO LIKELY VOID MY WARRANTY. I HAVE RECENTLY NOTICED THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS BEGUN SELLING ''MID FRAME AIR DEFLECTORS'' TO ''DIRECT HEAT AWAY FROM THE RIDER TO IMPROVE COMFORT ON HOT SUMMER RIDES'' FOR $90. THIS IS NOT A COMFORT ISSUE '' IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IF THEY ARE NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE RIDER, THEN THEY SHOULD COME STANDARD ON THE BIKE. BETTER YET, THEY SHOULD JUST ADMIT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND FIX IT.

PURCHASED A FLHTCU IN SEPT. 06. SINCE DAY 1 I FELT INTENSE HEAT ON MY THIGHS AND THE WEATHER WASN'T EVEN HOT ( IN 60'S). HD REP AND DEALERS STATED BIKE IS RUNNING LEAN DUE TO EPA REGULATIONS AND I NEED TO INSTALL, AT ADDITIONAL COST , A S.E.R.T. AND STAGE 1 KIT TO MAKE IT RUN COOLER. ON MAY 25, 2007, MY PASSENGER AND MYSELF WERE IN TRAFFIC MOVING ABOUT 20 MPH AND WE COULD FEEL THE HEAT. AT AROUND 5 MPH THE HEAT WAS GETTING SO UNBEARABLE MY PASSENGER HAD TO PUT HER RIGHT LEG ON MY LAP. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES I HAD TO PULL OVER ON THE EXPRESSWAY BECAUSE OF THE HEAT. MY PASSENGER CHECKED HER LEG AND IT WAS SO RED AND BURNING THAT I HAD TO ADMINISTER FIRST AID CREAM ON HER LEG. I CHECKED THE BIKE TEMPERATURE WITH A SURFACE TEMPERATURE DEVICE ( WHICH I ALWAYS CARRY ON THIS BIKE) AND IT WAS ABOVE 450 DEGREES! DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO HAVE A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT AND GET THE MEDIA'S ATTENTION BEFORE THIS PROBLEM IS RECTIFIED! I HOPE NOT! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON THE DAY HIS VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED, IT FAILED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE CLUTCH WAS ADJUSTED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 150 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3. UPDATED 02/04/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE MOTORCYCLE MANUAL INFORMING THE CUSTOMER OF HAZARDOUS SITUATION. UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR