NHTSA Complaint #10362084 — 2010 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCUTG

I WAS IN A ACCIDENT DO TO THE BRAKES ON MY 2010 HARLEY TRIKE NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP. ON 6-5-10 I REAR ENDED A FORD EXPLORER AT 50 MPH. AFTER LOCKING UP THE FRONT BRAKES, THE REAR BRAKES DIDN'T LOCK UP OR HELP STOP MUCH AT ALL. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THEM SQUEALING, AND THEM NOT ABLE TO STOP LIKE THEY SHOULD ,BUT I NEVER HAD TO STOP LIKE I NEEDED TO THAT DAY.. IT IS TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCK UP THE REAR BRAKES OR TO STOP HARD WITH THE REAR BRAKES. AFTER HAVING THE BRAKES LOOKED AT 6 TIMES AT LEAST AND TWO DEALERS DOING WHAT THEY COULD, INCLUDING REPLACING THE PADS WITH NEW STOCK PADS. STILL NOT HAPPY I HAD THEM REPLACED WITH LYNDALL BRAKES. THEY STOPPED THE SQUEALING BUT DIDN'T SEEM TO HELP WITH THE STOPPING BUT DIDN'T HURT ANYTHING EITHER. I CALLED H.D. ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT THEY MADE IT SEEM LIKE I WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH ANY PROBLEMS AND DIDN'T HEAR FROM THEM AFTER. MY INJURIES CONSISTED OF 4 BROKEN RIBS, TORN MENISCUS IN MY KNEE THAT NEEDS TO BE SCOPED OUT, I HAD PRIOR HIP PAIN BUT BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT I NEED A HIP REPLACEMENT 15-20 YEARS SOONER. FRACTURED A BONE OFF IN MY SPINE BUT THEY SAID WERE IT WAS WASN'T IN A SPOT THAT NEEDED SURGERY. ROAD RASH ON BOTH ARMS. HAD TO HAVE A TATTOO REDONE. MY BACK, LOWER BACK, HIP AND RT FOOT WAS BRUISED BADLY. THREE MONTHS OFF OF WORK, 17,000 DAMAGE TO BIKE, AND 18,000 DAMAGE TO MYSELF. I JUST GOT MY BIKE BACK 10-8-10 I KNEW AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT I HAD PLENTY OF DISTANCE. I ALWAYS SAID I JUST COULDN'T STOP. IT WAS SAID THAT I MUST HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING TO CLOSE. I REMEMBERED THE FRONT BRAKE LOCKING UP AND PUSHING AS HARD AS I COULD ON THE REAR PEDAL. I KNEW FOR 3-5 SEC. I WAS GOING TO HIT THE TRUCKS BUMPER. 10-8-10 I PICKED THE BIKE UP AND ON THE WAY HOME I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE REAR BRAKES. LONG STORY SHORT ON MY WAY BACK TO THE DEALER I HAD TO STOP FAST AND ONCE AGAIN COULDN'T STOP. I KNOW FOR A FACT MY ACCIDENT WAS DUE TO THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM NOT BEING BIG ENOUGH TO STOP THE TRIKE. *TR