IllustrationI HEARD A TAPPING SOUND WHILE RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE. A CRACKED UPPER BELT COVER/GUARD WAS DETECTED. NO INJURY OCCURRED BUT THE COVER COULD HAVE GOTTEN CAUGHT IN THE BELT CAUSING A SERIOUS INJURY TO RIDER. THE WELDING ON THE GUARD WAS CRACKED. *JB
2004 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200C
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all XL1200C years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
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: 1 of 2 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 2 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
2 reportsBATTERY COVER ON 2004 HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM SPORTSTER HAS BLOWN OFF TWICE WHILE TRAVELING DOWN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. FIRST TIME A CAR BEHIND ME SWERVED BUT STILL RAN OVER COVER. SECOND TIME A FRIEND ON HIS MOTORCYCLE BEHIND ME WAS NEARLY HIT BY COVER. I ALLIED HARLEY-DAVIDSON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM AND…
Read full complaint
BATTERY COVER ON 2004 HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM SPORTSTER HAS BLOWN OFF TWICE WHILE TRAVELING DOWN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. FIRST TIME A CAR BEHIND ME SWERVED BUT STILL RAN OVER COVER. SECOND TIME A FRIEND ON HIS MOTORCYCLE BEHIND ME WAS NEARLY HIT BY COVER. I ALLIED HARLEY-DAVIDSON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM AND GAVE ME A REFERENCE NUMBER TO GIVE MY DEALER. MY DEALER WAS UNAWARE OF PROBLEM WITH THE 2004 SPORTSTER AND I WONDER WHY NO RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.