NHTSA Complaint #10468117 — 2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTC

I ENTERED INTERSTATE 12 AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. MY RECENTLY PURCHASED USED (2800 MILES) HERITAGE CLASSIC DEVELOPED A SEVERE WOBBLE AT AROUND 60 MPH. THE WOBBLE WORSENED AND IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO STAY ON THE MOTORCYCLE. I ROLLED OFF THROTTLE AND ALLOWED THE MOTORCYCLE TO SLOW ON IT'S OWN WITHOUT BREAKING. THE WOBBLE SUBSIDED AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE BIKE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS HAD HAPPENED TWICE EARLIER IN THE DAY, BUT THIS WOBBLE EVENT WAS MUCH MORE SEVERE. I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE HARLEY DEALERSHIP IN SLIDELL, LA. AND WAS TOLD THE SPOKES ON THE BACK RIM WERE LOOSE AND THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2012 HERITAGE CLASSICS. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD APPROX. 3200 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THIS EVENT AND ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY AND SMOOTH. RESEARCHING THIS ON THE INTERNET, I DID FIND THIS TYPE OF EVENT IS WELL KNOWN ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS TIME, I WAS ABLE TO STAY ON THE BIKE, ALBEIT WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, AND WAS NOT INJURED. THE WOBBLE WAS SEVERE ENOUGH IT COULD EASILY HAVE TURNED OUT MUCH DIFFERENT. I AM LUCKY. A WITNESS WHO WAS BEHIND ME STOPPED TO SEE IF I WAS OKAY AND STATED, "THAT LOOKED LIKE A WILD RIDE." I DON'T WANT TO EXPERIENCE THIS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AGAIN. SPOKES WERE TIGHTENED AND NO FURTHER WOBBLE DEVELOPED TODAY. THOUGH NOT NEW TO RIDING, I HAD PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED FROM MIKE BRUNO'S HARLEY DAVIDSON IN SLIDELL 4 DAYS PREVIOUS TO THE EVENT AND TOOK POSSESSION OF THE MOTORCYCLE 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE EVENT. THOUGH I NOTICED A LOOSENESS IN THE REAR END WHEN I FIRST RODE THE BIKE, I ASSUMED IT WAS JUST A NEW BIKE WITH A NEW FEEL. I WAS WRONG, ALMOST PAINFULLY SO. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THE DEALERSHIP WAS VERY RESPONSIVE AND CONCERNED. ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE TO PREVENT INJURY AND POSSIBLE DEATH OF THE RIDER. *TR