NHTSA Complaint #10712767 — 2015 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XG750

AS I ENTERED AN INTERSECTION IN 1ST GEAR, THE MOTORCYCLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND THEN SURGED FORWARD. I HAD JUST GOTTEN MY MOTORCYCLE ENDORSEMENT AND HAD VERY LITTLE RIDING EXPERIENCE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. ANOTHER INCIDENT HAPPENED SOON AFTER AS I WAS TAKING A RIGHT HAND CURVE. I WAS IN SECOND GEAR AND SLOWED AS I APPROACHED THE RIGHT HAND CURVE. I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE THROUGH THE CURVE AND THE MOTORCYCLE LAGGED AND THEN SUDDENLY LEAPED FORWARD, CAUSING ME TO FISHTAIL AND ALMOST RUN OFF OF THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND PREVENT A CRASH. ON 1/7/2015, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WITH APPROXIMATELY 120 MILES ON IT FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM; HOWEVER, I WAS MERELY LOW ON FUEL. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT THE LOW FUEL LIGHT INDICATOR NEVER ACTIVATED. THEY FILLED THE TANK WITH GAS AND THE PROBLEM DID NOT REOCCUR. THEY WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET THE LOW FUEL LIGHT INDICATOR TO ACTIVATE AT APPROXIMATELY 0.8 OF A GALLON. THEY ALSO PUT THE VEHICLE ON THE DYNO AND WERE NOT ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM WHEN FUEL WAS PRESENT. THE DEALER TOLD ME TO KEEP A GALLON OF GAS IN THE TANK AT ALL TIMES TO KEEP THE FUEL PUMP WET. ON 4/19/2015, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED LAG AND LEAP IN FIRST THROUGH FOURTH GEARS AND THE ENGINE DIED MULTIPLE TIMES ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT I WAS LOW ON FUEL, SO I TRIED TO MAKE A U-TURN AT AN INTERSECTION INTO A GAS STATION. I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SAFELY ENGAGE IN 1ST GEAR WITHOUT SURGING AND/OR DYING, SO I PUSHED THE BIKE TO THE NEARBY FUEL PUMP. I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT I HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL AND ADDED 1.2 GALLONS TO THE 3.5 GALLON TANK. AFTER FUELING, THE VEHICLE WAS SPUTTERING WHILE IDLING. I DROVE HOME AT LESS THAN 30 MPH LAGGING AND LEAPING THE WHOLE WAY WITH NO CRASH. *TR