NHTSA Complaint #10132549 — 2005 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAIL

FROM WHAT I'M LEARNING THE HARD WAY, SOME 2005 HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES BURN OIL AT A RATE OF 1 QUART PER THOUSAND MILES - MINE IS ONE OF THEM. ACCORDING TO DEALER AND HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY, THIS IS ACCEPTABLE. OWNERS MANUAL STATES NOTHING ABOUT THIS, NOR WAS THIS INFORMATION MADE KNOWN TO ME AT TIME OF SALE IN OCT. 2004. OBVIOUSLY THIS COULD LEAD TO ENGINE SEIZURE IF NOT CHECKED FREQUENTLY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURY OR ACCIDENT IF IN MOTION AT TIME OF FAILURE. MOMENTARILY, IF MOTORCYCLE IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY IT WILL LEAD TO THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY UNWILLING TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION IN WRITING UNTIL MY MOTORCYCLE IS DIAGNOSED. CURRENTLY, MY 10 MONTH OLD MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE IS BEING DISASSEMBLED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE OIL CONSUMPTION RATE IN EXCESS OF 2 QUARTS OVER A PERIOD OF 2900 MILES. WHILE I APPRECIATE HARLEY'S RESPONSIVENESS TO THIS ISSUE, I AM OBVIOUSLY NOT PLEASED ABOUT PAYING $20,000 FOR A MOTORCYCLE WHOSE ENGINE IS BEING TAKEN APART. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS THIS MIGHT LEAD TO SEVERAL YEARS DOWN THE LINE WHEN I AM NO LONGER COVERED BY WARRANTY. JAMES FISHER. *NM