NHTSA Complaint #10496502 — 2010 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDWG

ALL HARLEY DAVIDSON MODELS WITH 96 CUBIC INCH MOTORS HAVE THESE ISSUES: THE CRANKSHAFT ASSEMBLY ON TWIN CAM 96 CUBIC INCH MOTORS IS KNOWN TO SHIFT OR SCISSOR AROUND THE CRANK PIN AND CAUSE THE CRANKSHAFT ENDS TO HAVE EXCESSIVE RUNOUT. THIS IN TURN CAUSES EXCESSIVE VIBRATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MOTORCYCLE. IT ALSO PUTS EXCESSIVE WEAR AND TEAR ON THE DRIVELINE, AS WELL AS THE OIL PUMP. THIS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND MOST LIKELY DEATH. ALSO, HARLEY DAVIDSON DYNA MODELS ARE AFFECTED BY A CONDITION CALLED "REAR STEER". THIS CONDITION IS CAUSED WHEN TURNING THE MOTORCYCLE. THE MOTORS ARE RUBBER MOUNTED, BUT ONLY HAVE ONE STABILIZING LINK TO PREVENT THE MOTOR FROM TWISTING IN THE FRAME. THIS IS INADEQUATE. THE MOTOR CAN TWIST RIGHT TO LEFT RELATIVE TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, AND SINCE THE REAR WHEEL IS DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE MOTOR BLOCK VIA THE SWING ARM, THE REAR WHEEL WILL ALSO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT RELATIVE TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. THIS CAUSES THE REAR OF THE MOTORCYCLE TO TURN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF INTENT, AND CAN HAVE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES. THIS CONDITION IS FIXED IN HARLEY'S OWN SPORTSTER LINE. ALL SPORTSTERS WITH RUBBER MOUNTED MOTORS (2004 AND UP) HAVE THREE STABILIZING LINKS TO PREVENT REAR STEER, YET NO DYNA MODEL HAS THESE LINKS! THIS MAKES DYNA MODELS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. DUE TO THE "REAR STEER" PHENOMENON, AND THE CRANKSHAFT SCISSORING PHENOMENON, THE HARLEY DAVIDSON DYNA MODELS WITH 96 CUBIC INCH MOTORS ARE A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. THE ONLY FIX IS TO HAVE HARLEY DAVIDSON REPLACE THE CRANKSHAFTS WITH FORGED CRANKSHAFTS AS FOUND IN SEVERAL AFTERMARKET PRODUCT LINES, AND TO INSTALL THE REMAINING TWO STABILIZING LINKS, ALSO FOUND IN THE AFTERMARKET ARENA. *TR