NHTSA Complaint #730602 — 1989 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLTC

CRACK IN THE ENGINE CASE CAUSED PRIMARY FLUID TO BE EVACUATED FROM THE PRIMARY CASE RESULTING IN A SECONDARY FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH. THE FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH THEN LED TO AN IMMEDIATE DECREASE IN SPEED AND NO POWER. THE CLUTCH ACTED AS IF IT WAS ALWAYS ENGAGED. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TWO HARLEY CERTIFIED MECHANICS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THAT PARTICULAR MODEL YEAR (AS WELL AS EARLIER YEARS) AND WARRANTY WORK HAS BEEN DONE ON THESE MOTORCYCLES UP TO AS LATE AS LAST YEAR. I ALSO SPOKE WITH HD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY VERIFIED THAT "SOME" WARRANTY WORK WAS PERFORMED DUE TO THIS FAILURE AND THAT NONE IS PERFORMED AFTER 10 MODEL YEARS. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS IS A POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS SITUATION. SINCERELY, GREG CURRAN