NHTSA Complaint #10156142 — 2004 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTFI

ON SATURDAY APRIL 15 AT APPROX. 3:30 PM PT TRAVELING EAST ON I-8, 1/2 MILE IN TO YUMA AZ, TRAVELING AT APPROX. 75 MPH, I HAD 5 BOLTS FAIL ON THE MAIN DRIVE PULLEY ATTACHED TO MY REAR WHEEL. ONE BOLT FLEW FORWARD AND ONE FLEW BACK AND STRUCK ANOTHER MOTORCYCLE RIDER IN THE LEFT SHIN CAUSING MINOR INJURY (FIRST AID ONLY). THE REAR WHEEL DIDN'T LOCK UP SO AN ACCIDENT WAS AVOIDED. THIS COULD HAVE HAD A VERY DIFFERENT OUT COME HAD I BEEN ON WET PAVEMENT WHICH WOULD HAVE MOST LIKELY CAUSED THE WHEEL TO LOCK WHEN ONE OF THE BOLTS HIT THE SWING ARM. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TRUCKED BACK TO MY HOME IN MISSION VIEJO CA WHERE I REMOVED THE REAR WHEEL. ALL FIVE BOLTS HAD BROKE OFF INSIDE THE WHEEL AT ABOUT WHERE THE TREADS ON THE BOLT START. THE BOLTS HAD NEVER BEEN REMOVED TO MY KNOWLEDGE AND WAS CHECKED AT THE 10K MAINT. AT 60LBS. PER THE MANUAL FOR THAT YEAR AND MODEL. ONLY MY SELF OR A HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER HAS WORKED ON THE BIKE. I TOOK THE WHEEL AND PULLEY TO MY LOCAL HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP SERVICE AND THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN SUCH A THING. CAPISTRANO HD SERVICE MANAGER CONTACTED THE HD HQ AND THEN RELAYED TO ME THAT HD WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. I CONTACTED HD DIRECTLY AND THEY AGAIN STATED THAT THE BIKE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (LESS THAN A MONTH) AND THAT SINCE I TOOK THE WHEEL OFF AND THEY DIDN'T WISH TO EVEN LOOK AT THE WHEEL OR BOLTS. *JB