NHTSA Complaint #10888971 — 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON VRSCDX

HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSCDX 2009 ABS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT FAILURE. WHILE IN MOTION APPROXIMATELY 45MPH I WENT TO DEPRESS THE REAR BRAKE AND IT FELT LIKE THE PEDAL WAS FROZE, UPON PUTTING MORE PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL IT MOVED BUT THE REAR BRAKE INSTANTLY LOCKED UP WITHOUT ANY PROGRESSIVE FEEL CAUSING THE REAR TIRE TO SKID CAUSING THE REAR OF THE BIKE TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE BIKE UPRIGHT AND IN CONTROL WITHOUT HAVING AN ACCIDENT VERY LIKELY THE CURRENT LOWER SPEED I WAS TRAVELING CONTRIBUTED TO BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. AT HIGHWAY SPEED THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS BEING THE ABS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT. HARLEY DEALERSHIP QUOTED APPROXIMATELY $1000.00 TO REPAIR WOULD COULD BE A DEADLY ISSUE WITH THEIR ABS CONTROL AND CONFIGURATION. THE CONCERN IS THAT THE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE BRAKES DO NOT REVERT TO A NORMAL CONFIGURATION WHEN THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT FAILS INSTEAD THEY FEEL AS IF THE PEDAL IS COMPLETELY FROZEN THEN INSTANTLY LOCK UP. THE PART THAT FAILED IS HARLEY PART# 48344-09