NHTSA Complaint #10818724 — 2011 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCU

I OWN AND OPERATE A HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU ULTRA CLASSIC. WHILE RIDING ON THE HIGHWAY I TRIED TO USE MY FRONT BRAKES TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND THE BRAKE LEVER WAS HARD AS A ROCK AND WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT FUNCTION TO STOP THE BIKE, HAD TO RELY ON MY REAR BRAKES WHICH PUT ME IN AN SLIDE BECAUSE OF THE HARD BREAKING TO COMPENSATE FOR THE FRONT BRAKES MALFUNCTION. I MANAGED TO RETURN HOME USING MY REAR BRAKES ONLY. THE MALFUNCTION OF THE FRONT ABS BRAKES OCCURRED WITHOUT NOTICE AND IT IS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION. WHEN I CONTACTED THE LOCAL HD DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY SUCH MALFUNCTION ON MY 2011 FLHTCU. THEY ALSO ADVISED THAT THERE ARE NO RECALLS. WHEN I SPOKE WITH OTHER HARLEY OWNERS, I LEARNED THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH HD BIKES BEGINNING IN 1999 WHEN ABS BRAKES WERE FIRST INTRODUCED BUT THE MANUFACTURER, HARLEY DAVIDSON, DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BRAKE MALFUNCTION WHICH COSTS OVER $1,000.00 TO REPAIR. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. A FRONT BRAKE FAILURE CAN HAVE DIRE CONSEQUENCES AND CAN RESULT IN A CASUALTY BECAUSE FAILURE TO STOP ON A TWO WHEEL VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS AND CAN BE DEADLY.