NHTSA Complaint #10364913 — 2006 HARLEY-DAVIDSON DYNA

I WAS OUT RIDING WITH MY HUSBAND AND MY FRIEND AND WE HAD JUST COME OVER THE HIGH RISE BRIDGE FROM BEAUFORT TO MOREHEAD CITY AND WAS SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I WENT TO GO, THE REAR TIRE WOULD NOT MOVE AND A VERY ODD/LOUD NOISE CAME FROM THE REAR OF THE BIKE TO WHICH MY HUSBAND SAID TO ME TO SHUT THE BIKE OFF. MY BIKE HAD SHEERED ALL FIVE OF THE BOLTS OFF THAT HOLD THE REAR SPROCKET ONTO THE BACK TIRE AND THEY LOCKED THE TIRE IN A FIXED POSITION. WELL MY HUSBAND CONTACTED THE HARLEY DAVIDSON WARRANTY COMPANY WHO STATED THAT THE REAR SPROCKET AND ANYTHING IT HAD DAMAGED WAS SPECIFICALLY NOT COVERED AND THAT IF WE WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT HARLEY DAVIDSON, ALSO THEY STATED THAT THOSE FIVE BOLTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RETORQUED AS PART OF THE 10000 MI SERVICE AS THEY ARE CONSIDERED CRITICAL FASTENERS. WELL MY HUSBAND CONTACTED NEW RIVER HARLEY DAVIDSON WHO STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT TELL HIM WHETHER OR NOT THOSE BOLTS HAD BEEN CHECKED AT ALL BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT LISTED AS CRITICAL FASTENERS IN THE HARLEY DAVIDSON SERVICE MANUAL .AT LEAST 13 OTHER NEWER BIKES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. MY HUSBAND WAS THEN TOLD TO CONTACT HARLEY DAVIDSON CUSTOMER CARE THAT TOLD HIM THAT THOSE BOLTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHECKED AS PART OF THE 10000 MI SERVICE AND RE-TORQUE. AND FOR HIM TO TAKE THE BIKE TO NRHD FOR AN EVALUATION INSPECTION. HE DID THIS AND WITHIN THE DAY, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT NRHD CALLED AND TOLD US NONE OF IT WAS GOING TO BE COVERED, BUT COULDN'T TELL US WHY. NEW RIVER HD TOLD BBB SPROCKET AND BOLTS ALWAYS REMOVED FROM WHEEL AT EVERY TIRE CHANGE. BUT TOLD MY HUSBAND THAT WAS NOT THE CASE WHEN HE WAS AT NEW RIVER HD. HD CUSTOMER CARE SAYS THE 2011 SERVICE MANUAL SPECIFICALLY LISTS THESE BOLTS AS CRITICAL FASTENERS.