2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Flstc

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFT TAIL HERITAGE CLASSIC (FLSTC) MOTORCYCLE. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, AN ABNORMAL RUMBLING NOISE WAS DETECTED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. PIG TRAIL HARLEY-DAVIDSON (409 W HUDSON RD, ROGERS, AR 72756, (479) 636-9797) WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE COMPENSATOR SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTC. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PASSENGER SEAT BECAME DETACHED FROM THE MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BOLTS AND RIVOTS FRACTURED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PLASTIC WAS NOT DURABLE ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND CONSTANT WEAR AND TEAR. COLONIAL HARLEY DAVIDSON OF PETERSBURG, VA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE SEAT WAS DESIGNED AS SUCH AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I REMOVED THE SEAT TO DO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE MOTORCYCLE AND FOUND THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT HAD CRACKED DOWN THE CENTER OF THE SEAT FRAME WHICH COULD CAUSE THE SEAT TO SEPARATE INTO TWO PIECES, THIS COULD CAUSE THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE BIKE IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN. I HAVE PICTURES I CAN SEND IF I CAN GET AN E-MAIL ADDRESS TO SEND THEM TO. *TR

WHILE DESCENDING A STEEP INCLINE AND ABOUT TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN IN LESS THAN 100 YARDS THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN APPLIED, WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN RENDERING THE REAR BRAKE USELESS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS BROUGHT TO A SAFE STOP BY USING THE FRONT BRAKE AND DOWNSHIFTING AND WAS ABLE TO BE SAFELY RIDDEN TO A LOCAL H-D DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE REAR STOP LIGHT SWITCH HAD FAILED RESULTING IN A MAJOR BRAKE FLUID RELEASE, THE SWITCH APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST. INTERESTING ENOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED BY H-D IN OCTOBER OF 2011 WHICH AFFECTED OVER 300,000 BIKES OF THE TOURING, CVO TOURING AND TRIKE MODELS FROM THE 2009 THROUGH 2012 MODEL YEARS. OF COURSE THE SOFTTAIL MODELS WERE LEFT OFF THIS RECALL BUT IN MY ESTIMATION THIS APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE 2011 RECALL AND SHOULD BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA AND H-D. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLSTC. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE HORN AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WERE INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE. THERE WAS A MANUFACTURERS RECALL FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,300. *TR

DURING INCREASING AND DECREASING SPEED FUEL WOULD RUN DOWN THE TANK ONTO THE HOT ENGINE. IT DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE THE CORRECT POWER AT TIMES. THE AREA AROUND THE FUEL TANK CAP AND FILLER NECK BECAME INCREASING YELLOW WITH ONE AREA MARKING THE TANK WITH A YELLOW TRIANGLE LIKE GAS FUMES PUSHING OUT UNDER PRESSURE. 6/22/12, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER (RED ROCK) AND THEY DID NOTHING AND LET ME LEAVE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND GOT WORSE DAMAGING THE PAINT AND THE BIKE STARTED TO STALL WHILE I WAS GETTING ON THE FREEWAY AND AT SIGNALS WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS. SEPT. 7, 2012, THE BIKE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER. THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME MY BIKE WAS READY AND THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE MY VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR BUT KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE FUEL TAKE LEAKING. I TOLD THEM AGAIN AND THAT THEY DID NOT FIX IT THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT IT IN AND THAT IT IS A FIRE DANGER. THEY CALLED ME LATER AND SAID THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FUEL FILLER NECK WHICH THEY NOW FIXED. THE FUEL NO LONGER LEAKS, HOWEVER, MY FUEL TANK PAINT IS DAMAGED. THE CLEAR COAT HAS BUBBLED, PEALING AND IS YELLOW. I CONTACTED BOTH THE SERVICE MANAGER, THE GENERAL MANAGER AND HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THEY SAID THE RECALL WAS ONLY FOR A VAPOR LEAK AND NOT FUEL. I EXPLAINED IF VAPOR CAN ESCAPE SO CAN GAS AND THE DAMAGE CLEARLY SHOWS THE LOCATION OF THE VAPOR LEAK (YELLOW TRIANGLE) ON MY WHITE TANK. HARLEY DAVIDSON REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WOULD REPAINT 1/2 THE TANK AT THEIR COST OF $350 WHICH I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO PAY FOR. I FEEL IF A RECALL FACTORY DEFECT CLEARLY CAUSES DAMAGE WHERE IT WAS LOCATED THEY SHOULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE DAMAGE. I WAS ALSO REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE SENSOR WHICH PROBABLY ALSO WAS CAUSED BY THIS VAPOR LEAK. CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE OR GUIDANCE TO FIX MY TANK? I ALSO HAVE PICTURES I CAN SEND YOU IF NEEDED. THANK YOU *TR

DRIVING ALONG WHEN I NOTICED A VIBRATION, KEPT RIDING AND THEN IT BECAME A LOUD SQUEAKING INTERMITTENT SOUND. PARKED AT HOME AND NOTICED IT WAS THE REAR BEARING AS IT CAME APART INSIDE THE REAR WHEEL. IT IS A CHEAP CHINESE CRAP BEARING THAT HARLEY IS USING IN THEIR BIKES. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE.... WE HAVE TO STOP THE USE OF CHEAP OUTSOURCED PRODUCTS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. WE ARE IN DEBT TO A COMMUNIST COUNTRY AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IT....... *TR