NHTSA Complaint #11192400 — 2013 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCUTG

ON THREE OCCASIONS, AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT RIDDIN FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, THE REAR BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AFTER THE FIRST DEPRESSION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER INTERNAL PISTON WOULD NOT RETURN TO ITS NORMAL POSITION AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL. FORTUNATLY I HAVE, ON ALL THREE OCCASIONS NEVER BEEN OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY BEFORE DISCOVERING THIS PROBLEM, AS I WAS ON EACH OCCASION JUST DONG A PRE TRIP CHECK OF THE MACHINE. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM. I WAS TOLD BY THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY ONLY ADDED BRAKE FLUID. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY SIGNS OF LEAKAGES. I ALSO CHECKED FOR LEAKS BEFORE I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. NONE WERE FOUND. IN THE FALL OF 2018 I WAS GOING TO TAKE THIS MOTORCYCLE FOR A RIDE. BEFORE I LEFT MY GARAGE, WHERE THE BIKE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR AT LEAST FOUR MONTHS, I ENCOUNTERS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKES. THIS TIME I INSPECTED THE MASTER CYLINDER FLUID LEVEL MYSELF AND SAW THAT IT WAS FULL. I STRONGLY PUMPED THE REAR BRAKE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES UNTIL THE MASTER CYLINDER PISTON RETURNED TO ITS NORMAL POSITION AND I WAS ABLE TO FEEL THE BRAKES OPERATING PROPERLY. I RODE THE MOTORCYCLE APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES THAT DAY. LATER THAT DAY I RETURNED THE MOTORCYCLE TO MY GARAGE WHERE I REMAIND UNTOUCHED UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO. WHILE DOING A GENERAL CHEC OF THE MOTORCYCLE I FOUND THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE TAKEN THE BIKE BACK TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEMS TO THEM. THE MACHINE IS STILL UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I AM AWAITING THEIR DIAGNOSIS AT THIS TIME. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY BE AN ISSUE THAT MAY BE COMMON TO OTHER SIMILAR HARLEY DAVIDSON MODELS.