NHTSA Complaint #10242453 — 2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCUI

ON JULY 24, 2008 I WAS RIDING MY 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC. AS I SLOWED TO ENTER A PARKING LOT, GAS BEGAN SPEWING FROM UNDER THE GAS TANK ONTO THE HOT ENGINE AND EXHAUST HEADERS. WHITE SMOKE FUMES BEGAN COMING OFF THE ENGINE. I WAS ABLE TO GET STOPPED, GET OFF THE BIKE AND TURN IT OFF. I WAS AN INSTANT AWAY FROM A FIRE. I HAD GASOLINE SOAKED INTO MY JEANS. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT ME AND THE BIKE DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE. I HAD THE BIKE TRUCKED TO THE LOCAL HARLEY DAVIDSON STORE IN FORT WASHINGTON, MD. THEY SAID THAT SOMETIMES THE FUEL HOSE GETS OLD AND COMES OFF. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL LINE ASSEMBLY. THEY GAVE THE OLD ASSEMBLY TO ME. THE SERVICE REP STATED THAT SHE HAD ONLY SEEN THIS HAPPEN 1 OTHER TIME IN 5 YRS. I TOLD HER THAT 1 TIME IS TOO MANY AND THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED. THERE HAD BEEN NO PREVIOUS RECALLS OF THIS ISSUE. I TELEPHONE HARLEY DAVIDSON CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ADVISED THAT THIS PARTICULAR ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN RE-DESIGNED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE 2003. I ASKED WHY THEY HAD NOT ISSUED A RECALL, BUT THE REP COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ANSWER. TODAY I WAS TELLING MY STORY TO A FRIEND, WHO HAS THE EXACT SAME HARLEY AS MINE. HE SAID THAT SOON AFTER HE BOUGHT HIS BIKE IN 2003. HE RECEIVED A RECALL FOR AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. WHILE THE BIKE WAS IN THE SHOP FOR THE PROBLEM, THE SERVICE TECH TOLD HIM THAT THEY WERE GOING REPLACE THE FUEL LINE ASSEMBLY ALSO. APPARENTLY HARLEY DAVIDSON KNEW OF THE POSSIBLE FUEL LINE FAILURE BACK THEN. WHY DIDN'T THEY ISSUE A RECALL? I GUESS NO ONE HAD BEEN BURNED UP YET. THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF BIKES, JUST LIKE MINE, MADE IN 2003. THERE ARE PROBABLY THOUSANDS ON THE STREETS WITH THE ORIGINAL FUEL LINE ASSEMBLY. I BELIEVE THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. *TR