1997 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Harley Davidson

FAX FWD LTR FM MORGAN B. LACEY (FL) RE DEFECTIVE ENGINE (THE PINION SHAFT INNER RACE) FOR A 1997 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE, REPLY ATTN. TERRY MULFORD AT MELBOURNE, FL OFC. *LA (THE DEFECTIVE PINION SHAFT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE) WHILE RECEIVING A FAMILIARITY RUN, THE ENGINE STALLED AND BEGAN TO LEAK OIL. THE HARLEY DAVIDSON SERVICE DEALER FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT WITH DEFECTIVE PARTS (PINION SHAFT INNER RACE). BULLETIN M1042 *SC *JB

THE PROBLEM CONSISTS OF INTERMITTENT, UNFORESEEN, IRREGULAR LOSS OF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER UNDER A VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES, CAUSING TOTAL SHUT-DOWN (NO LIGHTS OR ACCESSORIES OF ANY NATURE, ENGINE STOPS) WITH RESULTING PERSONAL ENDANGERMENT TO ME, MY PASSENGER AND MOTORING PUBLIC. PLEASE REFER TO COPIES SURFACE-MAILED LETTERS TO YOUR AGENCY OF TWO OF FOUR CERTIFIED LETTERS TO HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE COMPANY IN MILWAUKEE CONSISTING OF SIX PAGES OF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM. THESE LETTER COPIES FROM ME ARE DATED OCTOBER 11, 2000 AND NOVEMBER 6, 2000 AND ARE TWO VOLUMINOUS TO RE-COPY HERE. AS AN ASIDE, IN PREPARING THIS FORM I HAVE FOUND NO WAY OF INDICATING PARAGRAPHS AND HAVE INADVERTENTLY TOTALLY ERASED THIS TEXT ON TWO OCCASIONS, THUS THIS TRUNCATED VERSION. AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE ENDANGERMENT CAUSED TO ME AND TO OTHERS, I LOST POWER AND CONTROL NUMEROUS TIMES, NECESSITATING MY COASTING ACROSS MULTIPLE LANES TO A SHOULDER WITHOUT POWER. ONCE I STALLED ADJACENT TO A CENTER DIVIDE WITH NO CLEARANCE FROM PASSING VEHICLES. ANOTHER TIME I STALLED ON THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE DURING COMMUTE TRAFFIC WITH NO CENTER DIVIDE OR SHOULDER. THERE WERE ONLY TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC IN MY DIRECTION AT THE TIME AND THE PROBLEM WAS EXACERBATED BY A MOTORIST STOPPING TO MAKE SURE I WAS NOT GOING TO JUMP OVER THE BRIDGE RAILING TO MY DEATH. VEHICLES OF ALL SIZE AND DESCRIPTION HAD TO SQUEEZE PAST ME INTO THE REMAINING LANE, LITERALLY MISSING ME BY 4-5 INCHES. THE MACHINE HAS BEEN IN TO GOLDEN GATE HARLEY-DAVIDSON ON MANY OCCASIONS FOR THIS PROBLEM, MOST RECENTLY FOR A 24-DAY PERIOD. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER MODELS OF H-D MOTORCYCLES. *AK

WHILE ON VACATION I FOUND A CRACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIGHT SIDE FRONT AXLE ROCKER. THE AXLE ROCKER IS THE PIECE THAT HOLDS THE FRONT AXLE FOR THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO THE SPRINGER FORK ASSEMBLY. CRACK HAS GROWEN LONGER AND TOWARD THE TOP OF THE ROCKER SINCE MY RETURN TRIP OF 500 MILES. I NOTICED THE CRACK BECAUSE OF THE RUST THAT WAS FORMING ON THE OUTSIDE OF IT WHICH MADE IT VERY PLAIN TO SEE HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT IF THIS SPOT HAD NOT RUSTED I WOULD NEVER HAVE SEEN THE CRACK SINCE IT IS ON THE INSIDE PART OF THE ROCKER AND CAN BE EASILY HIDDEN BY THE SPRINGER SUPPORT. *AKY

WHILE STOPPING AT HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION SWITCHED THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF AND TO THE ACCESSORY POSITION, RESULTING IN NO POWER TO THE VEHICLE. IF THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED A THIGHWAY SPEED IN THE ON POSITION IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED IMMEDIATE POWER FAILURE IF THIS HAD HAPPENE DIN TRAFFIC IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURIES. *AK