NHTSA Complaint #11383577 — 2011 HARLEY-DAVIDSON VRSCF

THERE IS CURRENT RECALL ON THIS HD MOTORCYCLE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS M140: SAFETY RECALL 0171. THE RECALL REQUIRED HD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE FLUID WITH PLATINUM LABEL DOT4. ACCORDING TO THE SAFETY RECALL, THE OLD BRAKE FLUID "CAN CAUSE THE BRAKE SYSTEM DAMAGE AND ADVERSELY AFFECT BRAKING, WHICH COULD RESULT IN DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY." THE BRAKE FLUID ON THIS MOTORCYCLE WAS REPLACED EVERY TWO YEARS BUT NOT THROUGH HD. IN SEPTEMBER 2020, THE BRAKE FLUID WAS REPLACED PER THE SAFETY RECALL AT HD. WHILE I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE, THE REAR BRAKES STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER. THERE WAS NO ELECTRONIC WARNING ON THE COMPUTER. THE FAULTY ABS CAUSED A BLOCKAGE AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE BRAKE FLUID TO PASS THROUGH THE ABS HYDRAULIC UNIT. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE THE RIDE USING THE FRONT BRAKES ONLY UNTIL IT WAS SAFE TO GET BACK TO THE HOUSE. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO HUNTINGTON BEACH HD IN CALIFORNIA AND THEY REACHED OUT TO HD SUPPORT TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP WITH THE ABS. HD CLAIMED THAT IT WAS DUE TO NEGLECT. AS I SEE IT, THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THE ABS UNIT IS A FAULTY UNIT WHICH COULD HAVE EASILY KILLED ITS DRIVER SINCE IT STOPPED WORKING IN ONE EVENT. IT IS NOT THE TYPICAL ELECTRONIC WARNING NOR WAS IT A FAILURE WHERE THE BRAKES WOULD SLOWLY REDUCE ITS FUNCTION OVER TIME. THIS ABS UNIT, WILL KILL THE BRAKES ALTOGETHER IN ONE EVENT. TO SAVE LIVES, I FEEL THAT HD SHOULD OFFER ANOTHER SAFETY RECALL NOT ONLY TO REPLACE THE BRAKE FLUID BUT ALSO ALL FAULTY ABS UNITS THAT ARE INSTALLED ON THESE MOTORCYCLES. THE REAR BRAKES WAS NON-FUNCTIONING AND DOES NOT DEPRESS.