NHTSA Complaint #10549005 — 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTC

WHILE DESCENDING A STEEP INCLINE AND ABOUT TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN IN LESS THAN 100 YARDS THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN APPLIED, WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN RENDERING THE REAR BRAKE USELESS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS BROUGHT TO A SAFE STOP BY USING THE FRONT BRAKE AND DOWNSHIFTING AND WAS ABLE TO BE SAFELY RIDDEN TO A LOCAL H-D DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE REAR STOP LIGHT SWITCH HAD FAILED RESULTING IN A MAJOR BRAKE FLUID RELEASE, THE SWITCH APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST. INTERESTING ENOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED BY H-D IN OCTOBER OF 2011 WHICH AFFECTED OVER 300,000 BIKES OF THE TOURING, CVO TOURING AND TRIKE MODELS FROM THE 2009 THROUGH 2012 MODEL YEARS. OF COURSE THE SOFTTAIL MODELS WERE LEFT OFF THIS RECALL BUT IN MY ESTIMATION THIS APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE 2011 RECALL AND SHOULD BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA AND H-D. *TR