NHTSA Complaint #10551217 — 2014 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTK

WHILE LEADING A GROUP OF BIKES, USING THE CB RADIO PUSH TO TALK (PTT) CONTROL TO COMMUNICATE WITH GROUP RIDE LEADERS, MY GRIP ON THE THROTTLE CONTROL SLIPPED, CAUSING A SUDDEN & IMMEDIATE DECELERATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS RESULTED IN A NEAR MISS COLLISION FROM THE BIKE BEHIND ME IN THE GROUP (THERE WAS NO BRAKE LIGHT INDICATING I WAS DECELERATING). THIS ISSUE RELATES DIRECTLY TO THE 2014 MY VEHICLES. PREVIOUS YEAR HARLEY-DAVIDSON VEHICLES HAD THE CB RADIO PTT CONTROL LOCATED ON THE LEFT HANDLEBAR CONTROLS AND POSED NO DANGER TO LOSING THROTTLE CONTROL WHILE OPERATING THE CB RADIO PTT CONTROL. FOR SOME UNEXPLAINED REASON, HARLEY-DAVIDSON CHOSE TO MOVE THE CB RADIO PTT CONTROL FROM THE LEFT HANDLEBAR CONTROLS WHERE IT HAD BEEN LOCATED SINCE THE CB RADIO OPTION HAS BEEN AVAILABLE, TO THE RIGHT HANDLEBAR CONTROLS FOR THE 2014 MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE CB RADIO OPTION. CB RADIO PTT OPERATION IS MORE THAN A MOMENTARY ACTIVATION, REQUIRING THE CONTROL TO BE DEPRESSED LONG ENOUGH TO COMPLETE A COMMUNICATION TRANSMISSION TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP RIDE, MANY TIMES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO UP-SHIFT, DOWNSHIFT, OR SIMPLY MAINTAIN CONSISTENT ROAD SPEED. HAVING THE PTT CONTROL ON THE SAME SIDE AS THE THROTTLE CONTROL PRESENTS A SAFETY CONCERN IN THAT IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE THROTTLE CONTROL WHILE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS DURING A GROUP RIDE WHERE RELAYING ROAD HAZARD OR DIRECTIONS INFORMATION IS A VITAL FUNCTION TO SAFE GROUP RIDING. *TR