NHTSA Complaint #10290961 — 2005 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHRI

A REAR WHEEL FAILURE HAPPENED TO MY WIFE AND ME ON JULY 10, 2009 ON US 20 ABOUT 10 MILES EAST OF AINSWORTH, NE. IT WAS ABOUT 6 PM AND WE WERE EASTBOUND TRAVELING AT 65 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON WHEN THE BACK END STARTED TO GYRATE, A LITTLE BECOMING A LOT WITHIN A SECOND OR TWO. THE BACK END OF THE BIKE STARTED COMING AROUND TO THE RIGHT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AS IF IN A SKID ON ICE ALL THE TIME GYRATING BACK N? FORTH. THIS HAPPENED JUST AS THE HIGH WAY HAD A TURN TO THE RIGHT TO IT AND THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD MAKE THE CURVE AND STAY UPRIGHT. THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC COMING THE OTHER WAY SO I CROSSED INTO THE ONCOMING LANE AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE BIKE STOPPED BEFORE GOING OFF THE ROAD. AS SOON AS THE FIRST GYRATION OCCURRED I CLUTCHED AND HELD IN, COUNTER STEERED AND STARTED APPLYING LIGHT REAR BREAK. IT IS A MIRACLE THAT NEITHER ONE OF US WAS INJURED OR KILLED BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. REPAIR COSTS WERE APPROXIMATELY $2,000. THIS TYPE OF WHEEL FAILURE/SPLITTING SHOULD HAVE NEVER OCCURRED. *TR