2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Flhtcu

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCU. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT WHEELS BECAME VERY LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,999.

FRONT BRAKE HAND LEVER IS VERY STIFF AND WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. MY BRAKES ARE ABS. I WAS IN MOTION AND HAD TO PULL ON THE BRAKE LEVER VERY HARD AND THE FRONT BRAKE SUDDENLY REACTS CAUSING A VERY HARD BRAKING ON THE FRONT END. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. THERE IS NO GRADUAL BRAKING AS YOU PULL THE LEVER, SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T EVEN PULL THE LEVER CAUSING YOU TO RELY SOLELY ON THE REAR BRAKE.. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON MOTORCYCLE FORUMS AND HAVE FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ABS EQUIPPED HARLEY-DAVIDSONS. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS ON A MOTORCYCLE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN TO A FRONT BRAKE. I WILL BE TAKING MY MOTORCYCLE (WITH 10,000 MILES AND GARAGE KEPT) TO MY LOCAL HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALER FOR ANALYSIS AND REPAIR.

RIDING MY 09 HARLEY ULTRA, WHEN AT LOW SPEED I HAD TO STOP FOR A CAR STOPPED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WAS FROZEN AND COULD NOT APPLY THE BRAKE. I SWERVED OFF INTO THE GRASS TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR. THE REAR BRAKES STILL WORKED BUT AT SLOW SPEEDS I USE THE FRONT SO I CAN PUT MY FEET DOWN WHEN THE BIKE COMES TO A STOP. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. AT HIGHER SPEEDS THIS WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE FATAL!! HARLEY CLAIMS THAT IF THE ABS FAILS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION THAT IT WILL " FAIL SAFE" WITH NORMAL, NON ABS BRAKING. THIS IS NOT THE CASE!! WHEN THE ABS FAILS ELECTRONICALLY, IT FAILS CRITICAL. NO BRAKES. WHEN I CALLED THE HARLEY DEALERS IN MY AREA I GOT THE SAME STORY FROM BOTH OF THEM. ALMOST WORD FOR WORD LIKE IT WAS REHEARSED. "WE'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT HAPPENING BEFORE. YOU'RE THE FIRST ONE WE'VE SEEN WITH THAT PROBLEM. WE DON'T SEE PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS." I BOUGHT IT TO THEM AND THEY FOUND THE ABS MODULE DEFECTIVE. I TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS SUPPOSE TO "FAIL SAFE" AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT WASN'T TRUE. HE SAID "THIS IS THE 3RD OR 4TH ONE WE'VE HAD AND THE ALL FAIL THE SAME WAY. CAN'T SQUEEZE THE LEVER AND NO BRAKES!" HE CLAIMED THAT BECAUSE THEY SEE SUCH A LOW NUMBER OF BIKES WITH THIS ISSUE THAT IT'S NOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM. I DISSAGREE! MOST PEOPLE THAT EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM ARE DEAD!! I WAS RIDING SLOW IN A NON PANIC SITUATION. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAYS MY BIKE IS SAFE TO RIDE TO RIDE, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IF THE PROBLEM RETURNS I WOULD AGAIN, BE LEFT WITHOUT BRAKES. I BOUGHT A NEW HARLEY BECAUSE I WANTED THE ADDED SAFETY OF ABS BRAKES. BUT NOW IT SEEMS THAT HARLEY ABS MAY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING ME KILLED THAN THEY DO OF SAVING MY LIFE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS SITUATION IMMEDIATELY!! MANY LIVES COULD BE LOST BY YOUR DELAY ON THIS MATTER. IF YOU FIND OUT I DIED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT PLEASE CHECK OUT MY BRAKE SYSTEM!

RIDING ALONG AND THE THROTTLE GOES INTO IDLE MODE AND WILL NOT SPEED UP. MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT GETTING RUN OVER AND WAIT FOR A FEW MINUTES. IT FIRED UP OK AND MANAGE TO GO ANOTHER 20 OR SO MILES AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WAITED AT THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE FOR A WHILE STILL WOULD NOT WORK AND FIRED UP AND LIMPED ALONG TO AN EXIT. THE SHOP REPLACED GRIP SENSOR. WORKED FINE NOW LESS THAN A YEAR AND ONLY 3000 MILES IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME WAS ALMOST RUN OVER BY A SEMI ON THE INTERSTATE BEFORE I COULD GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC (FLHTCU). CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO COMPENSATOR SPROCKET ENGINE DEFECT. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED AT 11,900 THE ENGINE STARTER FAILED. THE DEALER FIXED THE STARTED AND RING GEAR UNDER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER AGREED TO REPLACE THE STARTER AND CLUTCH BASKET, BUT CHARGED THE CONSUMER THE WARRANTY CLAIM FEE. AFTER THE STARTER AND BATTERY WERE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM RETURNED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE STARTER RING GEAR AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PARTS, BUT NOT THE LABOR. THE PROBLEM RETURNED AGAIN, NOT REALIZING THE NEW PARTS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE COMPENSATOR SPROCKET HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *JB

BEGAN TO HEAR A FAINT HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL IN THE TRANSMISSION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ALONG WITH A NOTICEABLE "CLUNK" IN THE ENGINE AT STARTUP AND SHUTDOWN. ALSO NOTICED THE "CLUNK" WHEN SHIFTING THE LOWER GEARS AND THE BIKE WAS BECOMING DIFFICULT TO GET INTO NEUTRAL. TOOK THE BIKE IN FOR THE 20,000 MILE SERVICE AND MECHANIC ADVISED HE HAD FOUND AN ISSUE WITH THE COMPENSATOR IN THE DRIVE TRAIN. MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN A FAILURE AT ANY TIME AND CAUSE A LOCK DOWN OF REAR WHEEL OR CAUSE THE BIKE TO LOSE DRIVE TRAIN FUNCTION, ALONG WITH DAMAGE TO OTHER INTERNAL COMPONENTS. COST OF REPAIR IS AROUND $900.00. WENT HOME AND RESEARCHED COMPENSATOR FAILURES ON 2009 H-D TOURING MODELS AND DISCOVERED PAGE AFTER PAGE OF OTHER RIDER EXPERIENCING COMPENSATOR FAILURES ON 08 AND LATER H-D TOUR MODELS DUE TO AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF OIL NOT REACHING THE COMPENSATORS AND THE RETAINING BOLT BACKING OFF. H-D APPARENTLY KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM AND BEGAN INSTALLING THEIR SCREAMING EAGLE (HIGHER QUALITY AND PRICE)COMPENSATORS IN THE LATER 2011 MODELS, WHICH INCLUDES AN OIL CATCH THAT DIRECTS OIL AT THE COMPENSATOR SPROCKET. I BELIEVE THIS SHOWS A LACK OF CARE AND CONCERN FOR H-D RIDERS AND DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH IN THE EVENT OF A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THIS ISSUE WARRANTS AN IMMEDIATE RECALL OF ALL 2008-2011 AND EARLIER BIG BORE TOURING MODELS WITH THE DEFECTIVE COMPENSATORS. *TR

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED DURING A MAINTENANCE REPAIR HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BALL BEARING WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 32,000. RK UPDATED 04/17/14*LJ *TR