NHTSA Complaint #10994411 — 2015 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XG500

FIRST ACCIDENT WAS AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTION, WITH LOW FUEL, BUT NO FUEL LIGHT YET. ACCELERATING ON SLIGHT UPHILL LEFT TURN, FROM STOP AT LIGHT. WENT FROM 1ST TO 2ND, WAS LEAVING THE CURVE WHEN I HIT A POT HOLE. THE BIKE LAGGED SLIGHTLY, THEN ACCELERATED SUDDENLY I WAS UNABLE TO AVOID HITTING THE CURB AND CRASHED. BEING A NEW RIDER I ASSUMED THAT THE POT HOLE HAD CAUSED ME TO ROLL ON THE THROTTLE, WHICH IS VERY RESPONSIVE, AND PUT THIS INCIDENT DOWN TO RIDER ERROR. IT WAS A SANCTIONED CLUB RIDE, SO REPORTS WERE FILED WITH THE DEALERSHIP. THE BIKE SPENT ABOUT 4 MONTHS AT HARLEY DAVIDSON OF BALTIMORE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, FOR WHAT WAS MOSTLY COSMETIC DAMAGE, AND I WAS PAYING CASH FOR REPAIRS, SO THERE IS NO EXPLANATION FOR WHY IT TOOK SO LONG TO REPAIR, BUT THEY ASKED ME MULTIPLE TIMES HOW, OR WHY I THOUGHT THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. THEY NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT THE UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH THIS BIKE, BUT IN HINDSIGHT I BELIEVE THEY KNEW FROM THE QUESTIONS THEY ASKED. THE BIKE ALSO HAD A SPEED WOBBLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT WHICH WAS WITNESSED BY OTHERS, DIRECTLY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THAT THEY SAID WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, EVEN THOUGH I REPORTED IT TO THEM BEFORE THE RIDE, AND WAS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE THE BIKE WITH THEM AFTERWARDS TO INVESTIGATE; THIS DISAPPEARED, AFTER THE MONTHS IN SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE IT. A FEW MONTHS LATER I WENT OUT FOR A RIDE WITH A FRIEND, I WAS MAKING AN UPHILL RIGHT HAND TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT DRIVEWAY, WITH FULL TANK OF GAS, WHEN THE BIKE HESITATED AND THEN SUDDENLY WENT TO FULL ACCELERATION, AGAIN I HIT THE CURB AND CAME OFF. THE SECOND TIME I REALIZED THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE BIKE AND BEGAN INVESTIGATING AND FOUND THAT OTHERS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM.