NHTSA Complaint #10747332 — 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLTR

THE FIRST INSTANCE OF THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN I WAS RIDING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH. WHILE MY MOTORCYCLE WAS TRAVELING AT THAT SPEED I PROCEEDED TO TWIST MY THROTTLE TO ACCELERATE AND MAINTAIN MY SPEED ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT MY THROTTLE DID NOT RESPOND WHEN I TWISTED IT. SINCE THAT FIRST INSTANCE, THE PROBLEM OF MY THROTTLE NOT BEING RESPONSIVE HAS OCCURRED OVER 100 TIMES. I CANNOT PREDICT WHEN THE PROBLEM WILL OCCUR AND IT DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER WHAT SPEED I AM TRAVELING. MY MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN TO HARLEY DEALERSHIPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND MANY SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN TRIED BUT THE PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURRING. I HAVE DISCOVERED GENERALLY WHAT THE CAUSE IS AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ENCOUNTER ED THIS PROBLEM WITH 2008 OR 2009 HARLEY TOURING MODELS. THESE BIKES CAN GO INTO "LIMP MODE" WHICH WILL CAUSE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE NOT TO RESPOND. BESIDES BEING FRUSTRATING, THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FOR ME AFTER CHANGING LANES IN FRONT OF A BIG RIG TRUCK CAUSING ME TO SWERVE OFF THE HIGHWAY TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE TRUCK, FOR EXAMPLE. A SIMPLE ONLINE SEARCH REVEALS MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AS WELL. I HAVE EVEN READ ABOUT WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS WHERE THIS PROBLEM DID CAUSE A RIDER AND HIS PASSENGER TO DIE. HTTP://WWW.ABOUTLAWSUITS.COM/WRONGFUL-DEATH-LAWSUIT-HARLEY-DAVIDSON-THROTTLE-DEFECTIVE-9072. HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEMATIC ELECTRONIC THROTTLE OR THE BIKES THAT HAVE THE DEFECTIVE THROTTLE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE SYSTEM, CONSIDERING HOW WIDESPREAD THE PROBLEM IS, HOW COSTLY IT HAS BEEN AND HOW DANGEROUS TO THOSE WITH A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD WITH US.