NHTSA Complaint #11022617 — 2017 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHXSE

MOTORCYCLE BOOM! AUDIO SYSTEM PRESENTS DISTORTED, CLIPPED, AND INTERMITTENT AUDIO WHEN ENGINE IS RUNNING ABOVE IDLE RPM. ISSUE IS PRESENT FOR ALL AUDIO INPUTS (FM, USB/IPOD, SIRIUS XM, BLUETOOTH AUDIO, ETC.). ISSUE REGULARLY OCCURS AT MIDRANGE VOLUMES (5-10 BARS) WHEN BIKE IS MOVING AND ENGINE RPM >1500. THE STEREO SHOULD BE CLEARLY AUDIBLE, BUT INSTEAD CUTS OUT. IF THE RPM IS LOWERED, SUCH AS WHEN PULLING IN THE CLUTCH AND LETTING OFF THE THROTTLE, THE AUDIO WILL RETURN. THE SYMPTOMS ARE PRESENT AT ALL AUTOMATIC VOLUME CONTROL (AVC) SETTINGS (OFF AND 1-4). AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, ISSUE CAN BE PARTIALLY OVERCOME BY INCREASING THE VOLUME UP TO 13 BARS OR ABOVE, AT WHICH POINT THE STEREO WILL BE QUITE LOUD, BUT MUCH (NOT ALL) OF THE CLIPPING IS REDUCED. THIS WORKAROUND IS NOT APPROPRIATE AT LOW TO MIDRANGE SPEEDS BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE VOLUME. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WITH THIS BOOM! AUDIO FAILURE, I OFTEN FIND MYSELF FIDDLING WITH THE AUDIO WHEN I SHOULD BE CONCENTRATING ON THE ROAD. RIDER SAFETY IS PARTICULARLY COMPROMISED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS AT LOW TO MIDRANGE SPEEDS IN CITY TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THE DISTRACTIONS IT PRODUCES AND THE NEED TO CONTINUALLY FIDDLE WITH THE AUDIO. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP (SUMMERVILLE HARLEY-DAVIDSON) ON OR ABOUT 08 AUG 2017. DEALERSHIP TECHNICIANS INDICATED THEY COULD NOT RECREATE THE SYMPTOMS. DEALERSHIP DID UPGRADE THE AMPLIFIER SOFTWARE. UPON DEPARTING THE DEALERSHIP ON THE MOTORCYCLE, THE SYMPTOMS RETURNED.