NHTSA Complaint #10140148 — 2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCUI

OCTOBER 14, 2005 I TOOK MY HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC INTO BRYAN HD SHOP TO HAVE A SAFETY RECALL COMPLIED WITH. THE SAFETY RECALL IS FOR AN INADVERTENT LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. HARLEY DAVIDSON RECOMMENDED FIX WAS TO CHANGE OUT A CIRCUIT BREAKER. WHILE RIDING MY BIKE I HAVE EXPERIENCED FOUR OF THESE EVENTS OF WHICH TWO OF THESE EVENTS WOULD HAVE TAKEN MY LIFE HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR GOD SMILING ON ME. I WASN'T SMILING! I DON'T LIKE EXPERIENCING THE EMOTION INVOLVED WITH LOSING MY LIFE TO EQUIPMENT FAILURE. I PURCHASED THIS BIKE FROM A FRIEND. HE DID NOT BOTHER TO TELL ME OF THIS PROBLEM. HE WENT ON TO INFORM THAT HE HAD CHANGED THIS BREAKER OUT TWO OTHER TIMES, ONCE BY HIMSELF AND ONCE BY A DEALER. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THIS INTO THE DEALER THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BATTERY CABLES WERE LOSE. WHICH PROVED TO BE FALSE. WHEN THE CIRCUIT BREAKER POPS IT CAN TAKE UP TO 40 MINUTES FOR THE BREAKER TO RESET. DEPENDING ON OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM MAY BE RELATED TO A COMBINATION OF EVENTS; ( OUTSIDE AIR TEMP. COUPLED WITH A MODERATE CURRENT FLOW AND THEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM POPS UP FROM POSSIBLY THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE OF THE BIKE COUPLED WITH PREVIOUS MENTIONED ITEMS AND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER DOES ITS REQUIRED JOB AND OPENS. REPLACING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS NOT THE FIX. THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE BIKE. I NOTICED THAT THE SEAT WAS HOT EACH TIME AND THE BIKE HAD BEEN AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES. EACH TIME THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE THAT CIRCUIT BREAKER WILL GET WEAKER AND WEAKER. HELP!! *NM