NHTSA Complaint #10164971 — 2006 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHRCI

ON 7/19/2006 I PURCHASED ON NEW 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING CLASSIC.. IT WAS DELIVERED ON JULY 20TH. ON AUGUST 5TH, WITH ABOUT 275 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, THE MOTORCYCLE COMPLETELY STALLED WHILE DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER IN TRAFFIC ON AN ARTERIAL ROADWAY. WE MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO THE CURB LANE. I CHECKED THE GAS TANK, WHICH WAS 2/3 FULL. I THEN SWITCHED OFF THE RUN SWITCH AND THE IGNITION SWITCH, TURNED THEM BACK ON AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT TWO MILES, THE ENGINE DIED AGAIN. I FOLLOWED THE SAME SEQUENCE AND THE BIKE RESTARTED. FINALLY, AND COINCIDENTALLY, THE ENGINE STALLED A THIRD TIME ONE BLOCK FROM THE HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE BIKE. I COULD NOT RE-START IT THIS TIME, AND SO WE WALKED TO THE DEALERS. THEY TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THEIR SHOP AND AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OR SO, THEY REPLICATED THE PROBLEM. (INITIALLY, THE MOTORCYCLE SEEMED TO BE OPERATING OK.) ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THEIR DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT COULD NOT PINPOINT THE PROBLEM, AND SO THEY WANTED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER ON MONDAY AUG 7TH FOR ADVICE. AS OF TODAY, AUGUST 8TH, THERE IS NO RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AND IT REMAINS AT THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I AM HESITANT TO DRIVE THE BIKE UNTIL I''M CONVINCED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS ABSOLUTELY FIXED DUE TO THE OBVIOUS SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF A MOTORCYCLE STALLING UNEXPECTEDLY. I SUSPECT THAT THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THE NEW SECURITY SYSTEM INTRODUCED THIS YEAR, WHICH IS INSTALLED ON THIS BIKE, ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE SOMETHING ELSE AS WELL. NOTE THAT YOUR DATA BASE DID NOT ALLOW ENTRY OF 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHRC SO I ENTERED AS A 2006 FLHRCI. *NM