NHTSA Complaint #10614587 — 2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDC

MOTORCYCLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT NOISE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND REAR WHEEL BEGAN LOSING TREAD AT ALARMING RATE. AFTER PROPPING THE MOTORCYCLE UP AND REMOVING THE REAR WHEEL TO REPLACE THE TIRE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT BOTH REAR WHEEL BEARINGS HAD BEGUN TO DETERIORATE. LEFT SIDE BEARING WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE AND THE RIGHT SIDE BEARING SHOWED SIGNS OF RUST AND DAMAGE. REPLACE BOTH BEARING WITH FACTORY NEW AND REPLACED TIRE. 8000 MILES LATER THE REAR TIRE AGAIN BEGAN TO LOOSE TREAD. REMOVED AND REPLACE TIRE A SECOND TIME AND REPLACED BACK ONTO MOTORCYCLE WITHOUT CHANGING BEARINGS. AT APPROXIMATELY 26,000 MILES THE MOTORCYCLE AGAIN BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE NOISE AND VIBRATION. AGAIN REMOVED TIRE AND INSPECTED WHEEL BEARINGS. FOR A SECOND TIME THE BEARINGS WERE BOTH DAMAGED AND THE RIGHT SIDE THIS TIME SHOWED EXTREME LOSS OF BEARING COMPONENTS. CHECKED REMAINDER OF ALL DRIVE COMPONENTS FROM THE FORK TO THE PRIMARY AND FOUND NO OTHER PROBLEMS. AGAIN PURCHASED NEW BEARINGS. AFTER EXTINCTIVE INTERNET SEARCH, MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF BEARING PROBLEMS FROM CHANGE BY MOCO FROM A TAPERED TYPE TO A SEALED BEARING ON ALL FOUR WHEELS IS A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. *TR