2014 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Flhtk

THE FRONT SPARK PLUG WIRE ON 2014 HARLEY DAVIDSON TOURING MOTORCYCLES IS ROUTED ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FRAME UNDER THE FUEL TANK. AT THE POINT WHERE THE FRONT SPARK PLUG WIRE EMERGES FROM BENEATH THE FUEL TANK, THE SPARK PLUG WIRE TOUCHES AND RUBS AGAINST THE FUEL TANK. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM OWNERS OF THESE MOTORCYCLES OF THE INSULATION BEING DAMAGED OVER TIME BY THE CONTINUOUS RUBBING ON THE TANK CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT AND FIRE AT THE FUEL TANK. THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE IS FURTHER SUPPORTED BY THE FACT THAT THE MOTORCYCLE LEANS TO THE LEFT WHEN ON THE KICK STAND. THIS POSITIONING CAUSES ANY FUEL SPILL DURING RE-FUELING TO FLOW TO THE AREA OF THE POTENTIAL SHORT CIRCUIT INCREASING THE CHANCE FOR A FIRE WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE IS STARTED AFTER THE SPILL. *JS

WHILE LEADING A GROUP OF BIKES, USING THE CB RADIO PUSH TO TALK (PTT) CONTROL TO COMMUNICATE WITH GROUP RIDE LEADERS, MY GRIP ON THE THROTTLE CONTROL SLIPPED, CAUSING A SUDDEN & IMMEDIATE DECELERATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS RESULTED IN A NEAR MISS COLLISION FROM THE BIKE BEHIND ME IN THE GROUP (THERE WAS NO BRAKE LIGHT INDICATING I WAS DECELERATING). THIS ISSUE RELATES DIRECTLY TO THE 2014 MY VEHICLES. PREVIOUS YEAR HARLEY-DAVIDSON VEHICLES HAD THE CB RADIO PTT CONTROL LOCATED ON THE LEFT HANDLEBAR CONTROLS AND POSED NO DANGER TO LOSING THROTTLE CONTROL WHILE OPERATING THE CB RADIO PTT CONTROL. FOR SOME UNEXPLAINED REASON, HARLEY-DAVIDSON CHOSE TO MOVE THE CB RADIO PTT CONTROL FROM THE LEFT HANDLEBAR CONTROLS WHERE IT HAD BEEN LOCATED SINCE THE CB RADIO OPTION HAS BEEN AVAILABLE, TO THE RIGHT HANDLEBAR CONTROLS FOR THE 2014 MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE CB RADIO OPTION. CB RADIO PTT OPERATION IS MORE THAN A MOMENTARY ACTIVATION, REQUIRING THE CONTROL TO BE DEPRESSED LONG ENOUGH TO COMPLETE A COMMUNICATION TRANSMISSION TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP RIDE, MANY TIMES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO UP-SHIFT, DOWNSHIFT, OR SIMPLY MAINTAIN CONSISTENT ROAD SPEED. HAVING THE PTT CONTROL ON THE SAME SIDE AS THE THROTTLE CONTROL PRESENTS A SAFETY CONCERN IN THAT IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE THROTTLE CONTROL WHILE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS DURING A GROUP RIDE WHERE RELAYING ROAD HAZARD OR DIRECTIONS INFORMATION IS A VITAL FUNCTION TO SAFE GROUP RIDING. *TR

A PUSH TO TALK BUTTON FOR THE CB COMMUNICATION SYSTEM ON ALL HARLEYS FOR WELL OVER 10 YEARS HAS BEEN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HANDLE BAR BUTTON CLUSTER FOR BIKES WITH CB AND RADIO. ON THE NEW 2014 THE BUTTON WAS SWITCHED WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTON (WHICH WAS MOVED TO THE LEFT SIDE) AND MOVED TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE CONTROL CLUSTER. BECAUSE OF THIS AND THE NEED TO CONTINUALLY GRAB THE THROTTLE CONTROL, THE BUTTON IS NOT AS EASY TO REACH WHILE RIDING. THE ON/OFF SWITCH FOR THE BIKE IS DIRECTLY NEXT TO THE THROTTLE GRIP. BECAUSE OF THIS THE ON/OFF SWITCH IS VULNERABLE TO BEING HIT AND TURNING OFF THE BIKE WHILE IN MOTION, CAUSING A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. THIS HAPPENED AT LEAST 3 TIME DURING A RIDE ON THE ABOVE DATE AND CREATED SOME SCARY MOMENTS. I HAD TO REDUCE USE OF THE CB AND CHANGE POSITIONS WITH A FELLOW RIDER TO LEAD THE GROUP AS I FELT IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE OTHER RIDERS AND REAR ROAD CAPTAIN. MY SUGGESTION IS TO REQUIRE HARLEY DAVIDSON TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND SWITCH THE WIRING BACK TO WHERE IT BELONGS. BOTH THE CRUISE CONTROL AND PUSH TO TALK ARE APPARENTLY THE SAME TYPE OF BUTTON (MY OPINION) IN THE WAY THEY OPERATE, SO IT WOULD BE A MATTER OF SWITCHING THE WIRES IN THE HARNESS. CAN YOU DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS AND FORCE A RECALL? *TR