NHTSA Complaint #10731549 — 2013 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDF

WHILE DRIVING MY MOTORCYCLE DURING A MULTI BIKE RIDE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT ON MY MOTORCYCLE WAS STAYING BRIGHTLY LIT, AS THOUGH I WAS BRAKING, FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE LIGHT WAS STAYING LIT AFTER I HAD RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE MASTER CYLINDER LEVER, ON A SPORADIC BASIS. I HAVE ALSO FOUND OUT, ON HARLEY DAVIDSON OWNER FORUMS, THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE FIXED ON A TEMPORARY BASIS BY SPRAYING LUBRICANT ON THE BRAKE PISTON THAT CONTACTS THE BRAKE LEVER. THE UNIT CAN BE REBUILT WHICH IS ALSO A TEMPORARY FIX SINCE THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT THE PISTON RETURN SPRING IS MARGINALLY TOO WEAK. THIS CAUSES THE PISTON NOT TO RETURN THE LEVER FAR ENOUGH FORWARD TO RELEASE PRESSURE ON THE MECHANICAL STOPLIGHT SWITCH. I SUBMIT THAT THIS WEAK RETURN SPRING IS A WIDESPREAD DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT ALLOWS THE BRAKE LIGHT TO CONTINUE TO STAY ON AND, THEN, WHEN THE RIDER DOES GRAB THE LEVER TO STOP, THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A CHANGE IN THE STOPLIGHT INTENSITY WHICH ENDANGERS THE RIDER FROM A POSSIBLE REAR END COLLISION. DEALERS, KNOWING THAT THE SPRING IS A PROBLEM, HAVE STRETCHED THE RETURN SPRING WHEN REBUILDING THE MASTER CYLINDER TO TRY TO PREVENT THIS BUT THAT IS NOT A SATISFACTORY LONG TERM RESOLUTION. THE RETURN SPRINGS NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH A STRONGER SPRING, NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, TO ENSURE THAT THE LEVER IS RETURNED FAR ENOUGH FORWARD TO TURN OFF THE STOPLIGHT SWITCH. I WONDER HOW MANY HD BIKES HAVE BEEN STRUCK FROM THE REAR BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT.