NHTSA Complaint #11423826 — 2020 HUSQVARNA VITPILEN 701

As I approached an intersection with a stop sign for my direction of travel I pulled the clutch lever in to slow my speed and downshift the motorcycle. The clutch lever pulled all the way to the handlebar without disengaging the clutch. I had to lock/skid the rear brake to avoid being hit by an oncoming automobile. Fortunately the driver of the vehicle saw me skidding past the stop sign and swerved to avoid hitting me. I had to put the motorcycle into first gear and press the starter button as I pushed to get moving again. At the next intersection I again had to use the brakes to kill the engine to avoid being hit by oncoming vehicles. Using the starter motor was once again required to get the motorcycle moving. I had the ABS disabled as I was returning to the highway after traveling on a dirt road. Had the ABS been activated I would not have been able to avoid being hit by the automobile. Husqvarna refused to repair the failed "O Ring" in the Clutch Slave Cylinder claiming it's not a safety issue! Had I not been a rider with 50 plus years of experience this could have been a fatal accident. This is a know problem for Husqvarna/KTM and they refuse to address it. The internet is rife with other riders having the exact same problem. My local Husqvarna dealer offered to sell me an aftermarket replacement Clutch Slave Cylinder even though my motorcycle is still under the original factory warranty. They told me that Husqvarna has refused to cover countless requests to repair the faulty seal under the warranty. Had my wife or daughter been operating the motorcycle there is a good chance they would not have reacted in time to avoid injury or death.