NHTSA Complaint #10478161 — 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHX

THE PROBLEM BEGAN AROUND APRIL OF 2012. WHEN I STARTED THE MOTORCYCLE, THERE WAS NO THROTTLE RESPONSE. THE MOTORCYCLE WILL IDLE AT 1000 RPM BUT THE THROTTLE WILL NOT WORK WHEN TWISTED TO ACCELERATE ENGINE. IT REMAINS AT IDLE. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND I HAVE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY IN ORDER TO RESET THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE. SOMETIMES IT WORKS, OTHER TIMES IT DOES NOT. IT ALSO HAPPENED VARIOUS TIMES WHEN MOTORCYCLE WAS IN MOTION AT SPEEDS OF 45 MPH ALMOST CAUSING ME TO GET STRUCK ON HIGHWAY FROM BEHIND BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. MOTORCYCLE HAS ALSO STOPPED WORKING WHILE RIDING CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO PUSH MOTORCYCLE HOME OR ATTEMPT TO REPAIR IT TO NO AVAIL. I BROUGHT MOTORCYCLE IN TO HARLEY DAVIDSON FOR REPAIR AT ADAMIC HARLEY DAVIDSON, JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA. THEY STATED THEY FIXED IT MOTORCYCLE BEGAN TO DO THE SAME THING AFTER APPROXIMATELY 75 MILES, NOW MOTORCYCLE WILL IDLE BUT THERE IN NO THROTTLE RESPONSE AT ALL. WORK ORDER NUMBER:661593, DATE OF SERVICE 7/25/12. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I SEE THIS AFFECTS MANY 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES, SPECIFICALLY FLHX MODELS AND AT LEAST ONE FATAL ACCIDENT HAS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF IT. IT HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME AND I WANT OTHERS TO BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I SEARCHED FURTHER ON THE INTERNET TO FIND A MEMORANDUM ISSUED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON TO SEE THAT THIS DOES EFFECT 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE FLY BY WIRE THROTTLE SYSTEM. THEY STATED THAT IT NORMALLY HAPPENS AROUND 8,000 MILES AND IT IS CAUSED BY CORROSION ON THE PINS OF THE MODULE THAT CONTROLS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE. HARLEY DAVIDSON'S REMEDY TO THIS PROBLEM IS TO CLEAN OR REPLACE THE PINS IN THE MODULE AND COAT WITH ELECTRO-GREASE. IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN REPEAT PROCESS. AT THIS TIME MY MOTORCYCLE WILL NOT RUN AND IS NOT USABLE. *TR