NHTSA Complaint #10452469 — 1999 VICTORY V92C

ON 9/1/11 RIDING MY STOCK 1999 VICTORY V92 THE MOTORCYCLE ON A LONG TRIP THE BIKE BEGAN MISSING 3RD GEAR THEN EXITING AN INTERSECTION (DRY, SUNNY, 80, LIGHT ACCEL) THE BIKE RANDOMLY DOWNSHIFTED FROM 3 INTO 2 AT 40 MPH. DUE TO UNEXPECTED RAPID DROP IN BIKE SPEED, CONTROL OF BIKE WAS BRIEFLY LOST AND LEFT FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE FRONT FLOORBOARD, HITTING PAVEMENT AND BOOT BEING PULLED UNDER THE FLOORBOARD/FRAME. BIKE WAS KEPT UP AND STOPPED ON ROADSIDE. WITH HELP OF COMPANION, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET OFF BIKE. FOOT WAS BRUISED/SWOLLEN BUT NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. AFTER REST AND VISUAL INSPECTION WE CONTINUED TRIP. I HAVE OWNED THIS BIKE FOR 5 YEARS AND IT ALWAYS HAD SOME NEUTRAL ISSUES IN BETWEEN 2-3 GEARS, BUT NEVER RANDOM DOWNSHIFTS. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE CONDITION REPEATED AND GREW WORSE UNTIL IT OCCURRED ANYTIME THE BIKE WAS IN 3RD GEAR. BEING 1500 MILES FROM HOME I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE MY TRIP BACK VERY CAREFULLY AVOIDING 3RD GEAR WITH FEAR OF PIECE OF DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION LOCKING UP GEARS UPON TAKING BIKE TO VICTORY DEALERSHIP, THEY REFUSED TO SERVICE 1999 BIKES DUE TO LACK OF POLARIS CORPORATE SUPPORT. THEY ALSO FIRST INFORMED ME OF THE HISTORY OF PROBLEMS ON 1999 TRANS AND CANCELED RECALLS. I HAVE BEEN THE SOLE REGISTERED OWNER OF THIS BIKE SINCE 6/2007 AND HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION FROM POLARIS ON DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS, SAFETY ISSUES, OR RECALLS. NOW AFTER MY OWN EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, I SEE THE SAME FAILURE ON MY BIKE IS VERY COMMON (OVER 600 GOING BACK 12 YRS) NHTSA INVESTIGATIONS BUT NO CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. SAFETY STUDY DOCUMENTS HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC BY POLARIS LAWYERS. WHY WAS THIS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE/UNSAFE TRANSMISSION NOT RECALLED? WHY ARE THE STUDY DOCUMENTS HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC? WHY WAS INVESTIGATION CLOSED WHEN THERE IS SUCH A CLEAR AND PRESENT SAFETY ISSUE TO THE TRAVELING PUBLIC USING THESE UNSAFE TRANSMISSIONS? *JS *KB