NHTSA Complaint #10628132 — 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200C

I WAS RIDING MY 2009 HARLEY SPORTSTER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS AT ABOUT 9AM, AND I HEARD A BOOM. I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 30 MPH, BUT I BEGAN TO LOOSE CONTROL. I REGAINED CONTROL, AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE, WHERE I DISCOVERED OIL ALL OVER MY TIRE, AND THE GROUND AROUND MY BIKE. THEN I DISCOVERED THE BOOM I HEARD WAS ACTUALLY MY OIL TANK BLOWING AT THE SEAM. THE OIL TANK IS MADE OF PLASTIC, AND ITS NOT BROKEN, JUST SEPARATED AT GLUE-PLASTIC WELD SEAM. I BROUGHT THIS TO ATTENTION OF HARLEY DAVIDSON IN WI. AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO HD DEALERSHIP, AT A COST OF $300 TO ME. I DID NOT HAVE $300 TO DO THIS, SO MY OIL TANK IT STILL RUINED. HARLEY WILL NOT BACK UP PRODUCT, OR EVEN ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY CSR THAT IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, NO DOCUMENTED CASES, AND YET THERE ARE HUNDREDS. *TR