2011 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Flhtk

The contact owns a 2011 Harley-Davidson FLHTK Electra Glide Ultra. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V076000 (Services Brakes, Hydraulic) was performed; however, while riding and coming to a complete stop, the front brake was engaged but failed to respond. The contact was able to stop the motorcycle by engaging the rear brake. The contact stated that the front brake was inoperable. The dealer was notified of the failure and charged a fee for the repair. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

WHEN I WENT TO APPLY THE REAR BRAKE THE PEDAL WAS SOLID AND BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I NARROWLY AVOIDED CRASHING BUT NOT MY BIKE IS NOT SAFE TO RIDE. AFTER RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT HARLEY HAS BEEN AWARE OF ABS FAILURE FOR MANY YEARS THAT WAS CAUSED BY POOR DESIGN OF THEIR ABS SYSTEM. HOWEVER IT IS UP TO THE CONSUMER TO REPLACE THE PART. THEIR RECALL STATES TO CHANGE BRAKE FLUID EVERY TWO YEARS. HOWEVER OTHER VEHICLES WITH TH ESAME BRAKE FLUID HAVE NO ISSUES.

I HAD JUST PULLED OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREA AND MY MOTORCYCLE STARTED PRODUCING A CLANKING NOISE FROM THE PRIMARY CASE AND AFTER DOING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE PRIMARY COMPENSATOR WAS FAILING. AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED, MY CYCLE ALSO DROPPED VOLTAGE FROM 14.8 VOLTS DC DOWN TO 8 OR 9 VOLTS DC AND CAUSED THE CYCLE TO BOG, AND LOST MECHANICAL POWER ON A HILL WITH HIGH TRAFFIC FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS ON A HEAVILY TRAFFICKED MAIN U.S. HIGHWAY. HAD IT BEEN DAYLIGHT, THE ISSUE COULD HAVE COSTED MY LIFE HAD IT NOT BEEN FROM THE GLOW OF MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS GLOWING IN THE DARK NIGHT, BLINKING. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WHERE TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD DUE TO AN 11 FOOT DROP OFF. THIS IS AND HAS BEEN A COMMONLY KNOWN ISSUE FOR SEVERAL YEAR HARLEY DAVIDSON MODELS AND ARE ALL STILL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED FOR THE COMPENSATOR FAILING DANGEROUSLY. AT TIMES, THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN CASES OF THEM DISMANTLING THEMSELVES AND CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY AND DEATH BEFORE NOW AND ALMOST CAUSED DEATH OF MY OWN DUE TO WHEN AND WHERE IT HAPPENED.

HAD BRAKE RECALL DONE FOR BRAKE FLUSHING BUT INTERMITTENTLY THE BRAKE PEDAL GET HARD AND WILL NOT STOP THE VEHICLE WITH THE REAR BRAKE. HARLEY DEALER FLUSHED THE FLUID BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS CONTROLLER AND THEY SAY THAT'S NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I HAVE FLUSHED THE FLUID EVERY YEAR BY MYSELF SO IT IS NOT A FLUID PROBLEM ALTHOUGH HARLEY WON'T ADMIT IT. THEY HAVE SINCE CHANGED TO ANOTHER SUBLET MANUFACTURER (BOSCH) TO MAKE THEIR NEW CONTROLLERS. I THINK MINE SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE FACTORY AT NO CHARGE FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE CONTROLER.

FRONT BRAKE HANDLE BECAME FROZEN....COULD NOT SQUEEZE HANDLE TO OPERATE FRONT BRAKES. ONLY DROVE A VERY SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE I REALIZED I HAD NO FRONT BRAKES....PUT BIKE BACK INTO GARAGE AND CALLED TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. HARLEY REPAIR SHOP QUICKLY DETERMINED SOURCE OF PROBLEM...A DEFECTIVE ABS MODULE. THEY INDICATED THEY HAD SEEN OTHER BIKES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IF I HADN'T NOTICED PROBLEM AS SOON AS I TOOK OFF, AND HAD TO STOP QUICKLY IN TRAFFIC, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. I CALLED HARLEY CUSTOMER SERVICE AS WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE NOT PROVIDING WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THIS DEFECT. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD RECALL THE BIKES TO INSPECT THE PART.

I EXPERIENCED FRONT BRAKE ISSUES ON MY MOTORCYCLE THAT I BELIEVE TO BE RELATED TO THE ABS SYSTEM. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURED, WITH THE MOTORCYCLE IN MOTION, ON A STATE HIGHWAY BEING OPERATED AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 45 MPH, THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER FAILED TO DEPRESS UNDER NORMAL PRESSURE, AND WOULD ONLY ENGAGE IF I PLACED AN UNREASONABLE AMOUNT OF FORCE ON THE BRAKE LEVER. THIS CONDITION CAUSED ME TO HAVE TO PANIC STOP USING ONLY THE ENGINE COMPRESSION AND REAR BRAKE. THIS IS ON A MOTORCYCLE THAT I PURCHASED FROM AN OEM DEALERSHIP LESS THAN 24 MONTHS AGO, THEREFORE THE RECOMMENDED TIME INTERVAL FOR BRAKE FLUID SERVICE HAD NOT BEEN REACHED YET, UNLESS THE DEALER FAILED TO PERFORM THIS SAFETY CRITICAL MAINTENANCE BEFORE SELLING THE MOTORCYCLE. I DISCONTINUED USE OF THE VEHICLE AND BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED.

HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE ABS MODULE GOING BAD. I HAD NO WARNING LIGHT, NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM AT ALL. WHEN GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN THERE WAS NO FRONT BRAKE AT ALL. THE LEVER WAS HARD AS A ROCK AND WOULD NOT PULL AT ALL. HARLEY SAYS IT'S FROM NOT FLUSHING THE FLUID, BUT I HAVE FLUSHED IT 3 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE AND I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW. THE BIKE HAS 47K MILES ON IT AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY ME. I'M AN ASE CERTIFIED MASTER MECHANIC WITH 21 YRS EXPERIENCE ON AUTOMOBILES. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF AN ABS FAULT CAUSE A NO BRAKE SITUATION. THIS IS A DEATH WAITING TO HAPPEN.