2010 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Fltrx

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRX EQUIPPED WITH KENDA TIRES, TIRE LINE: CATACLYSM, TIRE SIZE: 130/70/R18, DOT NUMBER: 1K32P. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, HE FELT VIBRATIONS IN THE HANDLE BARS. THE CONTACT DROVE TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT STATED HE NOTICED TREAD SEPARATION ON THE FRONT TIRE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT STATED HE REPLACED THE FRONT TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 14,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

IT IS VERY NICE THAT HD IS DOING A "VOLUNTARY" RECALL. THEY ARE NOT ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS THE ELECTRONICS MODULE HAS COLD-SOLDER JOINTS ON THE ANTI-LOCK SOLENOIDS. IT IS NOT DUE TO THE LACK OF MAINTENANCE OF THE BRAKE FLUID. I HAD A FIVE YEAR WARRANTY ON MY 2010 FLTRX AND THEY DID ALL OF THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, AND MY FRONT BRAKE BECAME UNUSEABLE LAST FALL WHILE RIDING. I CHACKED ALL THE COMPONENTS; MASTER CYLINDER, CALIPERS, BRAKE LINES, AND FINALLY THE ANTI-LOCK MODULE. THE SOLENOIDS WERE LOCKED TIGHT, I CUT THE COVER OFF THE ELECTRONCS MODULES AND DISCOVERED THREE COLD-SOLDER JOINTS ON THREE OF THE FOUR SOLENOIDS. WHEN 12V DC WAS APPLIED TO THE SOLENOIDS DIRECTLY, THE WOULD THEN FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A HAZARD TO RIDERS UNTIL HD REPLACES ALL OF THE ELECTRONIC MODULES ON THESE MOTORCYCLES.

HARLEY SENT OUT NOTICE TO FLUSH THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM WHICH I DID, BUT COULDN'T BLEED THE SYSTEM,SO I TOOK IT TO MY DEALER IN WACO. THEY TOLD ME THE SYSTEM HAD FAILED AND IT WOULD COST $755.49 TO REPLACE THE VALVE. I HAVE DISCOVERED THROUGH ONLINE FORUMS THAT HARLEY'S ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. ABS FAILURE CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. HARLEY NEEDS TO RECALL THE SYSTEM.

SUPPLEMENT TO NHTSA REPORT 11035954. I AM HAVING MY ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACED. I HAVE TAKEN THE OLD SYSTEM APART DO TO CLAIMS FROM THE MANUFACTURER ISSUES RELATED TO SERVICE INTERVALS, NOT MANUFACTURER DEFECTS. AFTER REMOVING THE TOP OF THE ABS MODULE 40601-08A, THREE COLD-SOLDER JOINTS WERE DISCOVERED ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD TO BRAKE SOLENOID CONNECTIONS. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH MANY AUTOMOBILE ABS SYSTEMS ALSO, HOWEVER, ON A THIS MOTORCYCLE IT CAUSES A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES, NOT JUST A LOSS OF ANTI-LOCK SERVICE. AND, IT DOESN'T TRIGGER AN ABS SERVICE LIGHT, THERE IS ZERO INDICATION WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. IF I HAD THE MONEY I WOULD TAKE A FEW DOZEN ABS UNITS FROM RANDOM DEALERSHIPS AND CHECK THEM FOR COLD-SOLDER CONDITIONS. BUT, I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY AND IT NEEDS TO BE CHECKED.

FRONT BRAKE LEVER BECAME HARD (NOT MOVABLE) DURING HIGHWAY RIDING. ONLY NOTICED IT BECAUSE A CAR PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. FORTUNATELY I ALWAYS USE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE WHEN STOPPING OR SLOWING. A RIDER WITH LESS EXPERIENCE CERTAINLY COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. AFTER SEARCHING FOR POSSIBLE REMEDIES IT HAS BECOME OBVIOUS THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH FIRST GENERATION HD ANTI-LOCK SYSTEMS.

I STARTED MY MOTORCYCLE AND PROCEEDED DOWN THE CITY STREET. WHEN I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN MY FRONT BRAKE FAILED. BRAKE HANDLE WAS STIFF(HARD) WITH NO MOVEMENT. I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE WITH THE REAR BRAKE. I ALMOST GOT HIT AT THE INTERSECTION. I KEPT HAVING THIS PROBLEM SO I BROUGHT IT TO A MECHANIC. MECHANIC TELLS ME THE ABS MODULE HAS GONE BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE PART IS ABOUT $500.00. HE TELLS ME THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME WITH OTHER BIKES AND IS PRETTY COMMON. FRONT BRAKE WORKS ONCE IN A WHILE WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT BUT FAILS WHEN ENGINE IS COOL.

COMPLETE REAR BRAKE FAILURE, NO WARNING. STOP-AND-GO RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 30 MPH AND TRAFFIC AHEAD WAS SLOWING. I PRESSED THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WAS STUCK... WOULD NOT MOVE. ABSOLUTELY NO REAR BRAKES AT ALL. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO REACT QUICK ENOUGH TO GRAB THE FRONT BRAKE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I NURSED THE BIKE THE LOCAL HARLEY DEALER AND THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. IN FACT, A BIKE PULLED OUT AS I WAS THERE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THE PART IS CURRENTLY BACKORDERED SO THEY SENT BOTH US OUT THE DOOR WITH KNOWINGLY FAULTY BRAKES BECAUSE THE PARTS TO FIX IT ARE UNAVAILABLE. I UNDERSTAND PART FAILURES. BUT, THE FAILURE OF THE ABS SYSTEM SHOULD NOT CAUSE A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS. A LESSOR EXPERIENCED RIDER WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT.

THE REAR BRAKE ON MY 2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRX WITH ABS FAILED. THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL FROZE IN THE UP POSITION, NOT ALLOWING ME TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE. NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUSHED IT WOULD NOT GO DOWN. I WAS TRAVELLING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME. I RODE HOME USING ONLY THE FRONT BRAKE FOR STOPPING, FORTUNATELY IT DID NOT FAIL ALSO. I TOOK IT IN TO THE LOCAL HARLEY DEALER AND THE TECH TOLD ME THAT A VALVE IN THE HCU HAD GOTTEN STUCK AND IT WOULD BE $700 TO REPAIR. I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT SO I TOOK THE BIKE HOME AND IT HAS BEEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE EVER SINCE, UN-REPAIRED. THE BRAKE PEDAL IS STILL LOCKED IN THE UP POSITION IF ANYONE WANTS TO LOOK AT IT.

ON 3/13/2012 I PAID HOLSTEIN'S HARLEY-DAVIDSON FOR SERVICE THAT INCLUDED A 5K SERVICE. HOLSTEIN'S FAILED TO OBSERVE AND REPAIR A BRAKE SWITCH RECALL. ON 7/12/2012, THE BRAKE SWITCH STARTED ON FIRE. ON 7/14/2012 HOLSTEIN'S REFUSED TO REPAIR THE BRAKES AND I HAD IT TOWED TO WERNER CYCLE WORKS FOR REPAIR. HARLEY-DAVIDSON CUSTOMER CARE REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR REPAIR SINCE WERNER'S IS NOT A HARLEY-DAVIDSON SHOP (FILED CASE # [XXX]). HOLSTEIN'S REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME EVEN THOUGH THEY VERBALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I PAID FOR A 5K SERVICE CHECK AND THEY SHOULD HAVE REPAIRED THE BRAKE SWITCH. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR