NHTSA Complaint #11031815 — 2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTN

PURCHASED MY FIRST BIKE, A 2012 SOFTTAIL DELUXE WITH 4,700 MILES PURCHASED FROM MY COWORKER WHO HAD ONLY PUT 500 MILES ON THE BIKE IN LAST TWO YEARS (SINCE THE 5000K SERVICE WAS DONE @ 4200MI.). TOOK THE BIKE OUT ON A COUNTY ROAD FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A NEW RIDER AND THE BIKE DEVELOPED A HANDLEBAR SHAKE THAT I COULD NOT FIGHT AT 45 MI/HR. THEN WHEN THE BIKE WAS SLOWING THE WHOLE BIKE WOULD WOBBLE. MY FIRST RIDE ENDED UP BEING TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND THE SPOKES ON THE REAR RIM HAD COME LOOSE AND HAD ELONGATED THE SPOKE HOLES IN THE RIM. MY DEALERSHIP CALLED IT UNSAFE TO RIDE AND URGED ME TO LEAVE THE BIKE. A NEW RIM WAS BACKORDERED, THEN DELAYED TWICE BEFORE I CHANGED THE ORDER TO A MAG REAR WHEEL WHICH I'M STILL WAITING FOR. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE BIKE SERVICED WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY. MY DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE RIM AND THE BATTERY WAS $1280.00.