NHTSA Complaint #10227389 — 1999 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHRCI

AFTER STORAGE MY HARLEY WAS HARD STARTING. AFTER SOME FRESH GAS THE BIKE BEGAN TO RUN. MAYBE A MONTH AFTER THIS GAS BEGAN SQUIRTING OUT OF THE TANK WHERE THE FUEL LINE AND THE RETURN LINE ARE ATTACHED. I SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, CLEANED UP THE GAS AND REPEATED THE STARTUP. SAME THING. AS THE BIKE WAS JUST STARTED I DID NOT GET GASOLINE ON ME, ONLY ON THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION AND RUNNING BOARD. THE ENGINE WAS COOL, I SHUT IT DOWN WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DISCUSSED WITH DEALER AND READ HARLEY MANUAL. THEY SPECULATED THAT SOMETHING WAS IN THE TANK, PRESUMABLY BAD GAS. AT DEALER RECOMMENDATION I TOOK TANK OFF AND WASHED IT OUT WITH FRESH GAS, CARB CLEANER AND WATER. THE PAINT LIKE SUBSTANCE THAT HARLEY USES TO COAT THE TANK WAS COMING OUT OF TANK. I HAVE COLLECTED SEVERAL LARGE PIECES. AND THERE ARE MANY MORE BRITTLE DELAMINATING PIECES IN THE TANK. I CALLED HARLEY'S SERVICE. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE USING THIS "PAINT" INSIDE THE TANK. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS FOR ASSEMBLY ONLY. THEIR ADVICE WAS TO TAKE TANK APART AND WHILE USING METAL BEADS AND SOAP AND WATER, AGITATE THE PAINT OFF THE INSIDE OF THE TANK. THEY CLAIM THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNEXPECTED EVENT, BUT THAT IT SHOULD NOT CAUSE GAS TO SQUIRT OUT. THEY OFFERED NO SOLUTION. I HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO EFFECT THE REPAIR SO THE TANK IS AVAILABLE ALONG WITH PAINT CHIPS FROM INSIDE TANK. *TR