2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Fxdb

MESSAGE: TO WHO IT MAY CONCERN, HAS ANYONE EVERY MENTIONED THE PROBLEM WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON MODEL FAT BOB 2008 AND ON, THE PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT TIRE DUNLAP 427 MADE ESPECIALLY FOR FAT BOB CUPPING (LUMPING OF TREAD) CAUSING VIBRATIONS BAD UNEVEN WEAR CAN CAUSE FRONT TIRE NOT FLUSH TO PAVEMENT IN CORNERING. EVERY HD FAT BOB BIKES I HAVE COME ACROSS HAS THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY OWN GUESS IT IS CAUSED BY FRONT FORK SUSPENSION/SPRINGS NOT CORRECT.MY TIRE PRESSURES ARE ALWAYS CHECKED AT LEAST 2 TIMES PER WEEK ...SO IT IS NOT CAUSED BY UNDER OR OVER INFLATION. *TR

I ACTUALLY HAVE A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SUPER GLIDE CUSTOM (FXDC) WITH A HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET BOB (FXDB) REAR FENDER ASSEMBLY. THE REAR FENDER WAS INSTALLED IN 2011 BY A HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP IN DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA. SINCE I HAD THE REAR FENDER INSTALLED, I HAVE PUT APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES ON THE MOTORCYCLE. ON NOVEMBER 16, 2013, I WAS WASHING THE MOTORCYCLE AND NOTICES A SPLIT IN THE REAR FENDER AT THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY, STARTING AT THE REAR BOTTOM AND RUNNING UP THE BACK OF THE FENDER, TO THE RIGHT AND PARALLEL TO THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS CASES OF THIS DEFECT. I CALLED AND TALKED TO A HARLEY-DAVIDSON CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, BUT WAS TOLD THAT SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS DEFECT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. SOME OF THE OTHER FENDERS I HAVE SEEN PICTURES OF HAVE MULTIPLE SPLITS UP BOTH SIDES OF THE FENDER PARALLEL TO THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THIS IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DEFECT DUE TO THE CHANCE THE REAR LIGHT COULD DETACH FROM THE FENDER CAUSING DAMAGE OR EVEN INJURY. I HAVE PICTURES OF MY REAR FENDER AND MULTIPLE PICTURES OF OTHER FENDERS WITH THIS PROBLEM IN CASE YOU NEED THEM TO SEE THE POTENTIAL DANGER IN THIS DEFECT. *TR

WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE IS PARKED AND THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE BEGINS TO RISE, USUALLY AROUND 80 DEGREES F AND UP, THERE IS A STEADY DRIP OF GAS FROM THE TANK OVERFLOW TUBE. THIS OCCURS WITH THE FUEL LEVEL AT FULL, 3/4, 1/2 AND SOMETIMES EVEN LOWER. I HAVE TAKEN THE BIKE IN TO THE LOCAL HD DEALERSHIP(04/30/2013) AND THEY REPLACED AN ANTI-SLOSH VALVE AND FUEL CAP AND INSPECTED THE OTHER COMPONENTS ON THE BIKE WITH NO IMPROVEMENTS. READING ON VARIOUS FORUMS THIS ISSUE IS NOTED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO SOLUTIONS NOTED CURRENTLY. I HAVE CONTACTED HD CUSTOMER SERVICE(05/06/2013) AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE BIKE BACK INTO THE SHOP FOR TESTING. I HAVE ENTERED A DATE OF MARCH 1 FOR THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, BUT, THIS MAY HAVE BEEN HAPPENING FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AS I HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO MONITOR IT WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, ALTHOUGH SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO THIS DATE I HAVE NOTED THE SCENT OF GASOLINE AROUND THE BIKE WHEN IT HAS BEE PARKED. *TR

DEAR SIRS: ON DECEMBER 5, 2010 WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN INTO A DRIVEWAY MY HARLEY DAVIDSON TRI-GLIDE (VIN [XXX]) MODEL FLHTCUTG (THIS MODEL # WAS NOT ALLOWED IN A FOLLOWING FIELD) ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY AND TIPPED ON ITS SIDE THROWING ME OFF AND THEN INTO A FENCE. I WAS TRANSPORTED FROM THE SCENE BY AMBULANCE WITH MINOR INJURIES (BROKEN RIBS) AND THE BIKE WAS TOWED TO A STORAGE YARD. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED HARLEY DAVIDSON OF SACRAMENTO TO ARRANGE FOR THE BIKE TO BE TOWED THERE AND REPAIRED. I WAS TOLD BY THEM THAT THEY DID NOT PERFORM INSURANCE REPAIRS AND WAS REFERRED TO MID-CAL CYCLE OF WEST SACRAMENTO TO DO THE FACTORY AUTHORIZED REPAIRS. I INFORMED MID-CAL THAT THE THROTTLE HAD ADVANCED ON ITS OWN AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE WIRING, THROTTLE PN 56304-08 AND THE SENSOR THROTTLE PN 32305-08A (I HAVE BOTH PARTS). I PICKED THE BIKE UP ON FEBRUARY 25, 2011 AND HAVE BEEN RIDING IT SINCE. ON APRIL 7, 2011 WHILE RIDING IN TRAFFIC IN THE CITY OF CITRUS HEIGHTS THE THROTTLE AGAIN ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY CAUSING ME TO REAR-END THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WHEN THIS STARTED SO THE IMPACT SPEED WAS KEPT DOWN. I CLUTCHED THE BIKE AFTER IMPACT AND THE ENGINE RPM?S INCREASED ABOVE 4000 BEFORE I HIT THE KILL SWITCH. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THIS ACCIDENT. THE CAR SUSTAINED BUMPER DAMAGE AND MY BIKE REQUIRES $2000 IN REPAIRS. THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SO I HAVE LISTED IT AS AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FOR THE THIRD TIME I HAVE SUSTAINED A SECOND DEGREE BURN ON MY LOWER RIGHT LEG WHEN ABOARD MY 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON ELECTRA GLIDE. THIS OCCURS WHEN I STOP THE BIKE TO PARK IT OR GET GAS AND MY LEG CONTACTS THE EXHAUST PIPE JUNCTURE JUST AFT OF THE RIDER FLOORBOARD. THE BURN IS SUSTAINED IMMEDIATELY ON ANY CONTACT WITH THE EXHAUST PIPE WHICH IS PROTECTED BY A HEAT SHIELD PROVIDED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON. THE HEAT SHIELD IS INADEQUATE FOR THE TASK, AS THIS IS WHAT I AM ACTUALLY CONTACTING WHEN I AM BURNED. I QUESTIONED THE SELLING DEALER, AND THERE SOLUTION WAS TO WRAP THE AREA IN A HEAT RESISTANT TAPE, WHICH WOULD NOT LOOK GOOD AND MAY NOT BE EFFECTIVE ANYWAY. I WEAR AN ANKLE HIGH LEATHER BOOT WHEN I RIDE, WHICH I FEEL SHOULD BE ADEQUATE PROTECTION. I FEEL THAT HARLEY SHOULD DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE A GUARD OR AUXILIARY SHIELD TO PROTECT THE OPERATOR, AND PROVIDE THIS TO ALL OWNERS OF 2009 AND 2010 TOURING MODELS WHICH HAVE THE REDESIGNED EXHAUST SYSTEM THAT CAUSES THIS PROBLEM. NOT ONLY ARE THE BURNS PAINFUL BUT COULD BECOME INFECTED. THE CORRECT MODEL IS FLHTCU. *TR

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY DAVISON ROAD GLIDE MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING 55-65 MPH THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A LIMP HOME MODE. HE STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN 200 RMPS. HE STATED THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY. HE STATED THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. HE STATED THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE FAILURE ON THE OTHER OCASSIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AT THE TIME ON THE COMPLAINT AND HE STATED THEY WERE REPLACING THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000. VWB

WHILE RIDING MY 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON STREETGLIDE MY ABS BRAKING SYSTEM APPEARED TO FAIL. I WAS AT A STOP WAITING FOR TRAFFIC TO CLEAR SO THAT I COULD SAFELY PULL OUT. WHEN I STARTED TO PULL OUT A CAR "FROM NOWHERE" APPEARED. I HAD TO BRAKE. WHEN I DID, THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND CAUSED THE MOTORCYCLE TO "FREEWHEEL" .IN OTHER WORDS MY BRAKES DID NOT WORK. I HAD TO STOP THE BIKE BY PUTTING MY FEET DOWN. THE PAVEMENT WAS DRY AND CLEAN AND I WAS GOING LESS THAN 5 MPH...NO REASON FOR THE ABS BRAKES TO ACTIVATE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO STOP I HAD THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED TO IT'S FULLEST EXTENT BUT NO BRAKING OCCURRED. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING SIMILAR INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED WITH OTHER PEOPLE. THE ABS IS A FACTORY INSTALLED OPTION AND NO MODIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE TO IT. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD APPROX. 5200 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOUR ORGANIZATION LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. THE MOTORCYCLE IS PRESENTLY IN STORAGE AT MY LOCAL HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER AND I HAVE VOICED MY COMPLAINT TO THEM. I HAD ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH MY FRONT TIRE AND HARLEY SEEMS SLOW TO RESPOND TO THESES TYPES OF COMPLAINTS. ALTHOUGH AFTER A CALL TO HD DIRECTLY I DID GET THE TIRE PROBLEM RESOLVED. AND THEY DID SEND OUT A BULLETIN TO THEIR DEALERS ON THE SUBJECT. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN LOOK INTO THIS MATTER BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON SCREAMING EAGLE ROAD GLIDE FLTRSE3. HE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN AFTER EXITING A PARKING SPACE, BUT THE ENGINE MISFIRED. HE LOST VEHICLE CONTROL, AND THEN CRASHED ONTO THE ROADWAY. THERE WERE PERSONAL INJURIES INCLUDING FRACTURES TO THE LEFT ANKLE AND RIBS. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE HEAT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,800. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,000.