NHTSA Complaint #700228 — 1998 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXSTS

CARBURETION SYSTEM HAS HAD REPEATED FAILURES. INITALLY THE GAS-AIR MIXTURE WAS SO LEAN THAT THE UNIT SPUTTERED REPEATEDLY. THIS CAN BE A FATAL EVENT ON A SLOW CURVE WHEN A MOTORCYCLE IS AT ITS MAXIMUM LEAN ANGLE AND THE ENGINE SPUTTER CAN IN FACT BECOME A SPONTANEOUS ENGINE SHUT-DOWN. THE UNIT WAS RE-JETTED SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN A NEW OEM CARBURETOR WAS INSTALLED REJETTED WITH A LARGE SIZE SLOW JET. THE ENRICHED GAS-AIR FLOW STOPPED THE SPUTTERING BUT APPARENTLY RESULTED IN CARBON BUILD UP THAT WAS SUFFICIENTLY BAD TO CAUSE THE ENGINE TO DIESEL AT AROUND THE 300 MILE MARK. THE PLUGS BECAME SEVERELY BLACKENED AND, WHEN THE UNIT STARTED LUNGING AT AROUND THE 2,500 MILE MARK, THE PLUGS WERE REPLACED. AFTER 30 MILES THE PLUGS WERE BLACKENED AGAIN AND THE LUNGING RETURNED. NOW THE UNIT STARTED LUNGING ON START-UP AND BACKFIRING WHEN THE UNBURNED GAS EXPLODED IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE UNIT NOW HAS BEEN RE-JETTED BACK TO THE .45 SLOW JET BUT HAS NOT YET BEEN TESTED. IF THE FLORIDA LEMON LAW DID NOT SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDE MOTORCYCLES, YOU CAN REST ASSURED THIS UNIT WOULD HAVE BEEN REPURCHASED BY HARLEY-DAVIDSON AFTER THE THIRD RETURN TO THE SHOP. LET THEM HAVE ONE OF THEIR TEST RIDERS GET KILLED WHEN IT SHUTS DOWN ON A SLOW CURVE.