2014 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Flhtk

HARLEY DAVIDSON HAD A VOLUNTARY RECALL ON CLUTCH FAILURES IN 2013 AND SUPPOSEDLY THEY RESOLVED THIS ISSUE. I BOUGHT MY BIKE BRAND NEW AN AT 1200 MILES THE CLUTCH FAILED AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE BIKE. LUCKILY I WAS PULLING IN MY DRIVEWAY. THE DEALER FIXED THE CLUTCH THE NEXT DAY. 600 MILES LATER ON JUNE 7 I WAS ON MY WAY HOME ON A RAINY AND WET ROAD AND THE CLUTCH FAILED AGAIN AT A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION. LUCK AGAIN WAS ON MY SIDE AS NO TRAFFIC SO I JUST KEPT GOING AS I KNEW ONCE PAST THIS INTERSECTION I WAS ON BACKROADS REST OF THE WAY HOME. IF IT WERE NOT FOR ME BEING A SKILLED RIDER I WOULD HAD TO LAY THIS BIKE DOWN IN ORDER TO STOP ON A WET ROAD. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP REPORTED TO ME WITH MY BIKE THEY NOW HAVE 4 BIKES IN THE SHOP WITH SAME CLUTCH FAILURES. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT OR KILLED IF THIS IS NOT FIXED.... YOU CAN NOT MERELY STOP A BIKE EASILY WHILE ROLLING BY HITTING THE KILL SWITCH AND IF THERE IS A PASSENGER ABOARD THIS THEN HAS THE BIKE TOP HEAVY AND MOST PEOPLE CAN NOT HOLD A BIKE THAT WEIGHS OVER 900 LBS AND THE PASSENGER UP BY ABRUPTLY KILLING THE ENGINE TO STOP. *TR

ON 04/24/14 DRIVING AT APP. 45 MPH AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND LOST POWER FROM REAR CYLINDER. APP. 30 TO 45 SECS. LATER , LIGHT WENT OFF AND POWER RETURNED TO REAR CYLINDER. WENT DOWN ROAD A FEW MORE MILES AND SAME THING OCCURRED AGAIN. THIS TIME LIGHT STAYED ON AND NO POWER FROM REAR CYLINDER. CHECKED CODE FROM ENGINE AND CAME UP WITH PO264 WHICH IS "REAR INJECTOR HIGH". TOOK TO DEALER NEXT DAY. ON 4/26/14 WAS DRIVING AT APP. 65 MPH SAME THING OCCURRED 4 TIMES. TOOK TO DEALER ON 5/1/14. GOT BIKE BACK SAME DAY FROM DEALER. ON 5/3/14 SAME THING OCCURRED AND HAD DEALER PICK UP. ON 5/5/14 PICKED BIKE FROM DEALER AND WITHING 3.5 MILES FROM DEALER TRAVELING AT APP. 55 MPH, SAME THING HAPPENED BUT THIS TIME I WAS IN A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND CAME WITHIN A FOOT OF BEING STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE DUE TO THE SUDDEN POWER LOSS OF THE REAR CYLINDER. GOT BIKE HOME AND TRAILERED IT TO DEALER ON 5/6/14. DEALER CONTACTED HD BECAUSE THEY HAVE CHECKED EVERYTHING THEY COULD. MY CONCERN IS THE SAFETY FACTOR FROM THE LOSS OF POWER AND SUDDEN REDUCTION IN SPEED IN TRAFFIC. *TR

MAKE TURNS AND GENERAL OPERATION OF MOTORCYCLE BECOMES A PROBLEM WHEN TRYING TO USE CB CONTROL BUTTON AND MANEUVER THE MOTORCYCLE AND US CB-SQUELCH. POSSIBLY DROPPING MOTORCYCLE AND CAUSING AND ACCIDENT. SHOULD BE ON LEFT HANDLE BAR CONTROL NOT RIGHT. CRUISE SHOULD BE ON RIGHT SIDE WITH THROTTLE. ACCIDENTS ARE GOING TO BE CAUSED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE MOTORCYCLE LEAKS COOLANT FROM MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, THE COOLANT FILLER NECK WHICH WAS A SERVICE UPGRADE AND SHOULD OF BEEN A RECALL, THE THERMOSTAT IS THE NEXT PROBLEM AREA, ITS MADE OF PLASTIC AND IT IS PRONE TO LEAK AT THE ELBOW INTO IT, HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THEY LEAK FROM THE COOLANT PUMP AND HOSES, MOST COMMON IS THE THERMOSTAT. IT GETS ON THE GROUND AND ON THE TIRES OF THE MOTORCYCLE, IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE NEW TWIN COOLED HARLEY DAVIDSONS THEY ARE HAVING A PROBLEM GETTING THEM FIXED AT THE DEALERSHIPS. MINE NOW LEAKS FROM THE THERMOSTAT AND THE DEALERS DO NOT HAVE AN UPDATED PART SO THE REPLACEMENTS PARTS CAN LEAK AND THIS BECOMES A DANGER BECAUSE YOU PUT YOUR FEET DOWN AND THERE IS COOLANT UNDER THE BIKE IT COULD SLIP OUT FROM UNDER YOUR FEET , THE BIKE WEIGHTS 860 LBS !!!ALSO IF COOLANT GETS ON THE TIRES WHEN YOUR RIDING YOU COULD CRASH AND GET HURT BADLY. IF SOMEONE WANTS TO CONTACT ME AND TAKE PICTURES OF THE LEAK ON MY BIKE THAT WILL BE OK. ALSO IF YOU RESEARCH THIS YOU WILL FIND THAT I'M TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED HARLEY DAVIDSON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOT CURRENTLY A FIX AND A SUPPOSED RUNNING CHANGE IN THE PART NUMBER OF THERMOSTAT OR POSSIBLE RUNNING CHANGE IN MANUFACTURING PROCESS. I CANT CHANCE SOMETHING LIKE THIS, ITS MAKES FOR A DANGER TO ME AND THE PEOPLE AROUND ME, IT MAKES THE MOTORCYCLE UNRELIABLE AND NOT SAFE. I NEED YOUR HELP ON THIS. *TR

THE COOLANT SYSTEM LEAKS WHEN IN MOTION WHICH SPILLS THE COOLANT IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE. IT ALSO LEAKS WHILE SITTING PARKED. IT HAS ALSO OVERFLOWED AND SPILLED ALL OF THE COOLANT ONTO THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM FOUR PREVIOUS TIMES AND HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. THE BIKE IS CURRENTLY AT A HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER AGAIN. I HAVE OWNED THE MOTORCYCLE THREE MONTHS AND I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RIDE IT FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH DUE TO BEING IN THE REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE OF THE LEAKS. *TR

ENGINE COOLANT LEAKING FROM COOLANT PUMP CASING. INSPECTED COOLANT RESERVOIR WHICH WAS PRESSURED UP AND FULL(NO AIR GAP). AFTER ENGINE COOLED, THEN COOLANT LEVEL BELOW COLD FULL LEVEL. DEALER STATED THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE EPISODE. AT 30 TO 33 MPH, THERE IS A WOBBLE/SHIMMY IN THE HANDLE BARS/FRONT END. MORE SO ON DECELERATION,BUT HAVE FELT WHEN TURNING. FIRST TIME DEALER STATED THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE. PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED. DEALER STATED THEY CAN REPRODUCE. THEY RODE OTHER BIKES OF THIS MODEL AND ALL BIKES HANDLE THIS WAY, SO THEY CALL THIS NORMAL. THE DEALER GM TOLD ME IF I BROUGHT IT BACK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, HE WOULD CLAIM THEY ALREADY INVESTIGATED AND WRITE IT OFF AS NORMAL. HD CORPORATE OFFICE WAS NO HELP AND ALSO SAID THIS IS NORMAL. *TR

THIS 2014 HD FLHTK HAD THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH SERVICED IN OCTOBER 2013 UNDER THE MASSIVE HD CLUTCH RECALL PROGRAM. HOWEVER, I INSPECTED THE BIKE AND INFORMED THE DEALER THAT THE CLUTCH FLUID LOW. IT WAS BELOW THE SIGHT GLASS ON THE MASTER CYLINDER (ACUTELY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SIGHT GLASS). I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CYLINDER WAS FULL AND CANNOT BE FILLED TO THE SIGHTLINE BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN. ON NOVEMBER 15, 2013 DRIVING 40 MILES FROM HOME AT 45 MPH WHEN I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND STARTED TO DOWN SHIFT. SHIFTING BECAME HARDER AND HAD TROUBLE GETTING INTO LOWER GEARS. I TURNED AROUND AND HEADED FOR HOME CUTTING MY TRIP SHORT. WITHIN A FEW MORE MILES, I LOST ALL ABILITY TO SHIFT GEARS AND ALMOST HIT THE BACK OF A TRUCK STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO TURN INTO AN ABANDONED PARKING LOT AND STALL THE ENGINE TO STOP THE MOTORCYCLE. A PHONE CALL TO THE DEALER WAS MADE BY CELL PHONE AND THEY COULD NOT GET OUT TO PICK UP THE BIKE FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE AIR TEMPERATURE 41 DEGREES AND OUT IN THE OPEN. I TOOK A CHANCE AND KEPT PULLING/PUMPING THE CLUTCH HANDLE TO BUILD ENOUGH FLUID PRESSURE TO BE ABLE TO SHIFT GEARS AND DRIVE THE BIKE ALONG SIDE THE ROAD TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER. DEALER/SERVICE STATED THEY RODE THE BIKE FIVE MILE AND HAD NO SHIFTING ISSUES. I EXPLAINED IF YOU PUMP THE LEVER YOU CAN FEEL THE PRESSURE BUILD AND THE CLUTCH WORKS. DEALER AGREED AS THEY PUMPED THE LEVER AND FELT THE SAME THING AND THAT WAS STRANGE. I REITERATED MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE FLUID LEVEL. IF THE BIKE PARKED ON A SLOP AND ON IT'S JEFFY STAND, THE LOW FLUID LEVEL COULD LEAD TO PROBLEMS AS THE CLUTCH WORE AND FLUID LEVEL DROPS. HD'S CLUTCH SERIOUS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

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