NHTSA Complaint #11066699 — 2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTC

I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO LIGHT AN ISSUE I HAVE RECENTLY HAD FOUND. I RIDE A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON ELECTRAGLIDE. I ONLY HAVE 42000 MILES ON IT. LAST FALL I WAS COMING BACK FROM A MEMORIAL MISSION WITH THE AMERICAN LEGION RIDERS. I NOTICED A STRANGE RATTLE IN MY PRIMARY CASE AREA. I GOT HOME AND PARKED IT UNTIL I COULD OPEN IT UP TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE IS. A FEW WEEKS LATER I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO OPEN UP THE PRIMARY CASE. WHAT I FOUND WAS 2 LARGE PIECES OF METAL LOOSE IN THE PRIMARY CASE. THIS IS WHERE THE CLUTCH, DRIVE CHAIN, COMPENSATOR, AND STATOR ARE. IMMEDIATELY I WAS SCARED AND THANKFUL THAT ONE OF THOSE PIECES DIDN'T GET STUCK IN THE DRIVE CHAIN AND SPROCKET. IF IT HAD WHEN I WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD IT WOULD HAVE LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEEL IMMEDIATELY AND I WOULD NOT BE HERE. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE PIECES CAME OFF THE COMPENSATOR. I BEGAN SEARCHING THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THIS WAS COMMON. TO MY SURPRISE IT IS COMMON AND HARLEY DAVIDSON CORPORATE KNEW ABOUT THE FLAWED DESIGN AND DID NOT DO A RECALL OR INFORM OWNERS OF THE ISSUE. I CONTACTED SALEM HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THEY PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON CUSTOMER CARE. WHEN I TALKED TO THEM I FOUND THEY KNEW OF THE ISSUE AND CHANGED THE DESIGN IN 2012. I WAS TRYING TO GET THEM TO FIX MY BIKE BUT THEY REFUSED SAYING IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. GRANTED IT IS BUT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE AND OWNERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS FOR CONTACTING YOU IS TO HOPEFULLY MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I CAN'T HELP TO WONDER HOW MANY MOTORCYCLE RIDERS HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES DUE TO THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO THEM. EXCEPT THEY WEREN'T AS FORTUNATE AS I WAS. AS I SAID BEFORE IF 1 OF THOSE PIECES GOT STUCK IN THE PRIMARY CHAIN WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD IT WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC. UNFORTUNATELY THE ACTUAL CAUSE MAY NOT BE FOUND BECAUSE OF THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.