2006 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Vrsca

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE SPEED TO TURN INTO A GAS STATION AND REAR BRAKES FAILED TO FUNCTION. REAR BRAKE PEDAL IS MUSHY & MY MOTORCYCLE DOES NOT HAVE FUNCTIONING REAR BRAKES. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THIS INCIDENT I'VE HAD WITH THIS BIKE (FIRST TIME WAS IN 2010). IN 2010, AS I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN I HAD A SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF REAR BRAKES AND NEARLY SUFFERED A COLLOSION. AFTER AN INITIAL DIAGNOSIS & "REPAIR" BY A DEALERSHIP, MY BRAKES AGAIN FAILED AS I WAS STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT & WAS NEARLY T-BONED. I NOTICED FLUID DRIPPING NEAR THE EXHAUST, LATER IDENTIFIED AS BRAKE FLUID. AFTER I INSISTED THEIR ORIGINAL FIX WAS WRONG THEY DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS A MALFUNCTIONING REAR BRAKE LIGHT PRESSURE SWITCH THAT IS LOCATED NEAR THE EXHAUST. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE MALFUNCTIONING PART. NUMEROUS PEOPLE ON FORUMS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS, INCLUDING CRASHES/NEAR CRASHES. THE CAUSE IS SAID TO BE A DESIGN FLAW - THE SWITCH/SENSOR IS LOCATED NEAR THE EXHAUST AND WHEN TOO HOT MAY CAUSE THE SENSOR TO MALFUNCTION/BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. THERE IS A RECALL FOR OTHER HARLEY MODELS (TOURING BIKES & TRIKES) FOR THIS EXACT SAME REASON AND I'VE SEEN THAT OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE NHTSA, STATING THE VRSC/A MODELS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, AND I SUFFERED THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER THE MALFUNCTIONING PART WAS REPLACED, HENCE I MAINTAIN THAT THIS IS A KNOWN, POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM THAT APPARENTLY IS LIKELY TO RE-OCCUR, THEREFORE ASK THAT THIS BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE MORE PEOPLE ARE INJURED.

I NOTICED THE BRAKE LIGHT, TURN SIGNALS AND GAS GAUGE NOT WORKING. THE 15 AMP ACCESSORY FUSE HAD BLOWN. REPLACED FUSE AND EVERYTHING STARTED WORKING. WHILE RIDING IN THE MOUNTAINS I WENT TO USE MY REAR BRAKES AND THEY WERE OUT!!! I BOUGHT SOME DOT 4 BRAKE FLUID AND BLEED THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM AND SYSTEM STARTED WORKING AGAIN. AFTER MY TRIP I STARTED LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. WHILE USING A CIRCUIT PROTECTOR ON THE SYSTEM I FOUND THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT PRESSURE SWITCH LEAKING EXTERNALLY. CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHT WIRES TO SHORT TOGETHER THRU THE BRAKE FLUID CAUSING THE 15 AMP ACCESSORY FUSE TO BLOW. THE BRAKE LIGHT AND ACCESSORY FUSE WOULD BLOW ABOUT EVERY RIDE ONCE OR TWICE. THE BRAKES FAILED ONCE BEFORE I STOPPED RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. I AM ASE CERTIFIED AUTOMOTIVE TECH AND THE SERVICE DIRECTOR FOR A BUICK GMC STORE WITH 18 YEARS EXPERIENCE. I WOULD SAY THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SAFETY RELATED FOR ANY PERSON ON A PUBLIC ROAD. I WILL KEEP THIS BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH AND BE GLAD TO MAIL IT IF NEEDED. *TR

THE REAR BRAKE SWITCH IS FAILING. IT APPEARS THE DOT 4 BRAKE FLUID IS EATING THROUGH THE PLASTIC CAUSING YOU TO LOOSE PRESSURE AND YOUR REAR BRAKES WILL FAIL. THE DOT4 FLUID IS EATING THROUGH THE RESERVOIR CAPS ON THE BARS AS WELL. THIS HAPPENED AS I WAS COASTING UP TO A RED LIGHT. LUCKILY THIS WAS NOT AN EMERGENCY SITUATION OR EVEN A NORMAL STOP, AS I WOULD HAVE CRASHED INTO WHATEVER WAS IN FRONT OF ME. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ALREADY. I BELONG TO AN INTERNET FORUM WHERE THE PROBLEM IS DISCUSSED CONSTANTLY. I AM SURE THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE NOT ON THE WEBSITE THAT HAVE HAD THE FAILURE AS WELL OR WILL HAVE IT SOON. THERE ARE METAL SWITCHES THAT CAN BE USED AND METAL RESERVOIR CAPS THAT CAN ALSO BE USED THAT SEEM TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM.THESE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED FROM THE FACTORY AS THE PLASTIC PART IS UNSAFE. THOSE THAT HAVE HAD THEM REPLACED FROM THE DEALER WITH ANOTHER PLASTIC OEM PART ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME FAILURE AND HOPEFULLY IT DOES NOT KILL THEM. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY. *TR

ON 8/22/06 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:20 PM I WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON RT. 127 WHEN MY REAR TIRE SPLIT INTO TWO HALVES POPPING OFF THE RIM ON BOTH SIDES CAUSING THE REAR OF THE MOTORCYCLE TO SWING TO THE LEFT AND WOULD NOT RECOVER. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS FORCED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD DOWN INTO THE DITCH SEVERAL YARDS BEFORE I COULD GET IT UNDER CONTROL ENOUGH TO STOP AT WHICH TIME IT FELL TO ITS LEFT SIDE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS A BRAND NEW 06 VSRCA HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD PURCHASED ON 8/12/06 ONLY TEN DAYS BEFORE.. THE DUNLOP TIRE ONLY HAD APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES ON IT.. *JB