NHTSA Complaint #10704345 — 2013 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLTRU

WHEN I FIRST GOT THE BIKE I TRAILERED IT HOME AND BY THE TIME I GOT HOME THE REAR TIRE WAS FLAT, SO I TOLD IT TO BAKERSFIELD HARLEY DAVIDSON WHERE THEY TOLD ME IT JUST NEEDED TO BE AIRED UP..THAT WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT. THE SECOND INCIDENT I RODE IT HOME AND RIGHT WHEN I PULLED INTO THE DRIVE WAY THE REAR WENT FLAT ON ME AGAIN, AT THAT POINT I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY PULLED THE TIRE OFF AND RESET THE BEAT ON IT, THINKING THAT WHEEL WAS JUST NOT SEATING RIGHT ON THE RIM ITSELF. AFTER THAT THE BACK TIRE HELD AIR FOR A WHILE. I RODE OUT TO BIKE NIGHT WITH MY FRIENDS AND ALL WAS OK UNTIL I LEFT TO GO HOME. I WAS RIDING DOWN MING AVE AND CAME TO THE 99 FWY ENTRANCE AND WENT TO TURN LEFT AND AS SOON AS I DID THE BACK TIRE WENT FLAT INSTANTLY AND WASHED ME OUT IN FRONT OF A TRACTOR TRAILER AND I MANAGED TO KEEP IT FROM GOING DOWN JUST IN TIME TO ALMOST GET HIT BY ANOTHER CAR AS IT WASHED OUT FROM UNDER ME AGAIN. I THEN RETURNED IT TO BAKERSFIELD HARLEY DAVIDSON WHERE THEY FINALLY BOOKED AT THE RIM ITSELF AND FOUND THE DEFECT. I WAS TOLD BY THEM THEY WOULDN'T GIVE ME A SOLD RIM AND TOLD ME I HAD TO KEEP THE SAME SPOKE RIMS ON MY BIKE EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW OF A DEFECT AND AN ISSUE WITH THIS STYLE RIM. IT WOULDN'T BE THAT BAD I DIDN'T HAVE 3 OTHER FRIENDS WHO HAD THE SAME WHEELS AND ALL HAD THE SAME ISSUE...REAR BACK HARLEY SMOOTH SPOKE WHEELS.. THERE'S A 2" FLAT SPOT WHERE THEY WELD THE RIM TOGETHER AND THEY WON'T FIX THE ISSUE THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE SOMEONE GET HURT THEN COME OUT OF POCKET TO SAVE A LIFE. *TR