NHTSA Complaint #10598041 — 2014 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCU

PURCHASED THE 2014 H-D ELECTRAGLIDE ULTRA CLASSIS THE DAY BEFORE REALIZING THE EXISTENCE OF THE DEFECT DESCRIBED HEREIN. WHILE RIDING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, I SET THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CRUISE CONTROL IS TO DISENGAGE UPON APPLICATION OF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: FRONT BRAKE/BACK BRAKE/CLUTCH/ROLLING THE THROTTLE FORWARD. UPON NEARING A VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME, I 'TAPPED' THE FRONT BRAKE; THIS ACTION, HOWEVER DID NOT DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. I TRIED AGAIN, USING MORE FORCE ON THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER...AGAIN, THE CRUISE CONTROL REMAINED ENGAGED. I THEN DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD DISENGAGE USING THE THREE OTHER METHODS (BACK BRAKE/ROLLING THROTTLE FORWARD/CLUTCH). THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE SELLING DEALER. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT SOME ELECTRONIC COMPONENT HAD FAILED. IT WAS REPLACED AT NO COST. I AM SUBMITTING THIS REPORT BECAUSE THE FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL TO DISENGAGE UPON APPLICATION OF THE FRONT BRAKE CREATED A SITUATION IN WHICH I WAS APPROACHING A VEHICLE AHEAD AT HIGH SPEED, WHEN MY BIKE SHOULD HAVE THEN BEEN 'COASTING', WHICH NECESSITATED TRYING ALTERNATE METHODS TO DISENGAGE THE SYSTEM. HAD I NOT FOUND AN ALTERNATE WAY TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, A COLLISION WOULD LIKELY HAVE RESULTED. *JS