NHTSA Complaint #10820466 — 2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHR

I AM WRITING TO REPORT A PROBLEM WITH THE SWINGARM ON HARLEY DAVIDSON TOURING BIKES. THIS AFFECTS NOT ONLY MY 2003 BUT, NEWER BIKES AS WELL. THE BIKES HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING WHAT IS TERMED AS THE DEATH WOBBLE AT SPEEDS OF 70 MPH AND SOMETIMES LESS ESPECIALLY IN CURVES. THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN TO HD BUT, THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE ANTIQUATED DESIGN OF THEIR SWINGARMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CHANGED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. THE BIKES EXPERIENCE WEAVE OR WOBBLE DUE TO THE SWINGARM HAVING LATERAL MOVEMENT IN CURVES. THERE ARE PENDING LAWSUITS AND ENORMOUS NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FROM CONSUMERS ON INTERNET FORUMS AND EVEN YOUTUBE. THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL EVEN POSTED A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE THAT IS A MUST WATCH VIDEO ON THE WOBBLE PROBLEM. THIS IS LOCATED AT HTTP://YOUTUBE/GMW6QXNEY. THE LAW FIRM WWW.2KELLER.COM IS HANDLING LAW SUITS CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM AS WE SPEAK. I HAVE WRITTEN HARLEY CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY SIMPLY DON'T CARE. HARLEY DAVIDSON EVEN SELLS A $400 SWINGARM STABILIZER BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM EXIST BUT, WONT PAY FOR THE FIX. THEY SHOULD BE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARDS AS AUTO MANUFACTURERS. PEOPLE ARE GETTING KILLED AND HURT DUE DIRECTLY TO THIS PROBLEM IN THEIR DESIGN. MY ROAD KING DID THIS ON AN OPEN HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH IN A VERY GRADUAL CURVE. IT TOOK ME ABOUT 5 SECONDS TO TRY AND REGAIN CONTROL OF THE BIKE. I HAVE RIDDEN FOR 40 YEARS AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM EXCEPT ON A HARLEY. THIS IS WHY SOME POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE SWITCHING TO BMW'S. I HAD TO BUY A SWINGARM STABILIZER TO TRY AND CORRECT THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. SOMEONE NEEDS TO HOLD THIS CORPORATION ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE MORE PEOPLE GET HURT. UPDATED 01/10/17 *BF