NHTSA Complaint #11096400 — 2016 INDIAN CHIEF DARK HORSE

M/C WAS PARKED, KICKSTAND DOWN, ENGINE OFF, TRANSMISSION IN FIRST GEAR. BEFORE STARTING, ELECTRICAL ON/OFF BUTTON, LOCATED ON GAS TANK, WAS ENGAGED. GEAR IDENTIFICATION LIGHT SHOWED FIRST GEAR, CLUTCH LEVER RETRACTED, TRANSMISSION FOOT PEG WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, LIGHT SHOWED NEUTRAL. ENGINE START BUTTON, LOCATED NEAR RIGHT HAND CONTROL, WAS ACTIVATED. ENGINE STARTED, M/C MOVED FORWARD AT RAPID SPEED, CAUSING THE RIDER TO RELEASE HOLD OF HANDLEBARS. RIDER IS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO REACH AND DEPRESS THE ELECTRICAL ON/OFF BUTTON, TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. THE M/C CONTINUES FORWARD AT SPEED, FALLS TO ITS RIGHT AND SLAMS THE RIDER AGAINST THE PARKING LOT ASPHALT PAVEMENT. THE M/C RIGHTS ITSELF, CONTINUES FORWARD, FALLS TO ITS LEFT SIDE THROWING THE RIDER TO THE PAVEMENT. RIDER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION, ONE BROKEN RIB, BROKEN COLLARBONE, COLLAPSED LUNG ON HIS RIGHT SIDE. RIDER WAS WEARING A FULL FACE HELMET, PADDED MOTORCYCLE JACKET, PADDED MOTORCYCLE PANTS, PADDED RIDING GLOVES, 8 INCH LEATHER LACE UP BOOTS. INDIAN MOTORCYCLES HAVE A SAFETY SWITCH ON THE KICKSTAND WHICH DO NOT ALLOW THE M/C TO START IF THE STAND IS DOWN AND THE TRANSMISSION IS IN GEAR. THE M/C WILL NOT START IF IT IS IN GEAR, WITHOUT THE CLUTCH LEVER BEING PULLED IN. THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT SHOWED NEUTRAL, WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS STILL IN FIRST GEAR, WHICH ALLOWED THE START BUTTON TO ENGAGE. IN THIS CASE, BOTH THE KICKSTAND SAFETY AND THE TRANSMISSION INDICATOR WERE FAULTY, WHICH ALLOWED THE STARTER BUTTON TO ENGAGE. PROGRESSIVE CLAIM NUMBER...18-4423966, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL REPORT NUMBER...9650-2018-01420. INDIAN MOTORCYCLE HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON ALL 2018 MOTORCYCLES STATING THAT THEIR MOTORCYCLE MAY START UNEXPECTEDLY.