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1987 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Xl Series

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →
1Owner complaints

Model-year median: 0

2Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
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19841
19870
19880
19890
1990
Compare all Xl Series years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Engine And Engine Cooling
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 0 of 1 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

1 reports
Mileage unknown · Jul 24, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

THE PART MANUFACTURED FROM JIMSUSA FAILED CAUSING A DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE. THIS COULD HAVE LOCKED THE MOTOR CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. A JIMSUSA EMPLOYEE COLIN KATELY CLAIMED THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT THE DEFECT AS THEY HAD LET THEIR TOOLING BECOME WORN. THEY REQUESTED RETURN OF THE UNSAFE PART AND NOW ARE REFUSING TO GIVE IT BA…

Read full complaint

THE PART MANUFACTURED FROM JIMSUSA FAILED CAUSING A DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE. THIS COULD HAVE LOCKED THE MOTOR CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. A JIMSUSA EMPLOYEE COLIN KATELY CLAIMED THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT THE DEFECT AS THEY HAD LET THEIR TOOLING BECOME WORN. THEY REQUESTED RETURN OF THE UNSAFE PART AND NOW ARE REFUSING TO GIVE IT BACK. THEY AUTHORIZED REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE AND THEN REFUSED TO PAY THE BILL COMMITTING CONSUMER FRAUD. THESE PARTS CONSTITUTE AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY HAZARD.

NHTSA ODI #725906

Official recalls

2

87V129000 · Wheels

Aug 14, 1987

CRACKS IN FRONT AND REAR WHEELS COULD DEVELOP AND CONTINUE THROUGH WHEEL SPOKES.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: HUB AND RIM COULD SEPARATE CREATING HANDLING PROBLEMSWHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL.

Remedy: REPLACE WHEELS WITH DIFFERENT TESTED WHEELS.

86V153000 · Power Train

Nov 13, 1986

A PIECE OF GEAR COULD BREAK AT THE MAINSHAFT FIRST GEAR IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF GEAR TOOTH BECOMES LODGED BETWEEN TRANSMISSION GEARS, DRIVE TRAIN AND REAR WHEEL COULD LOCK UP POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Not supplied

Remedy: REPLACE GEAR WITH ONE THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN AND TESTED.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

PE95015 · Handlebar Lower Clamp Fracturing

Opened Feb 28, 1995 · Closed Jul 7, 1995

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering

There is no summary currently available