NHTSA Complaint #10406672 — 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHX

I WAS RIDING HOME FROM MARIETTA, GEORGIA ON INTERSTATE 575 AND HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED. SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY, THE CRUISE CONTROL KICKED OFF AND I BEGAN TO DECELERATE. I WAS POSITIVE THAT I HAD NOT HIT THE CLUTCH OR EITHER BRAKE, ANY OF WHICH WOULD HAVE DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, ONCE AGAIN, I FOUND THAT THE ENGINE HAD GONE TO A "ROUGH IDLE" AND THAT MY THROTTLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE. IN OTHER WORDS, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN THE OUTSIDE TRAFFIC LANE AND WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTY. I TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE. I THEN RE-STARTED THE ENGINE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND DROVE THE REMAINING DISTANCE HOME. MY BELIEF, AT THAT TIME, WAS THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY DIFFICULTY WITHIN EITHER THE COMPUTER CONTROL OR THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM ITSELF. I CONTACTED MY DEALER, DROVE IT TO THEM THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND AND MET WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE PULLED FOUR PROBLEM CODES, WHEN HE CHECKED AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE BIKE REPAIRED ON THE 21ST OF JUNE. HE INDICATED THAT HE FELT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE THROTTLE "FLY-BY-WIRE" SYSTEM AND THAT THE CONTACTS NEEDED CLEANING. I HAVE NOT BEEN USING THE CRUISE CONTROL SINCE THAT TIME, THINKING THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, WHILE GETTING ON THE INTERSTATE THE OTHER DAY, IN ORDER TO GET TO THE NEXT EXIT, THE BIKE SHUT DOWN ON ME, ONCE AGAIN. THIS TIME, IT WAS WITHOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL BEING ENGAGED, SO I IMMEDIATELY KNEW THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. FRANKLY, IN BOTH SITUATIONS,THE SUDDEN DECELERATION WAS QUITE DISCONCERTING. TO A LESS EXPERIENCED RIDER, IT COULD BE DOWNRIGHT FRIGHTENING AND, EITHER WAY, THIS PRESENTS, IN MY ESTIMATION, A VERY SERIOUS DANGER TO RIDERS.