NHTSA Complaint #765042 — 2000 INDIAN CHIEF

MOTORCYCLE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP AT 40 MPH WENT INTO A SKID AND I WAS ALMOST HIT BY THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME. TRANSMISSION FAILED. INDIAN MOTORCYCLE REPLACED TRANS TO CORRECT PROBLEM. NEW TRANS INSTALLED AND DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY....FRONT SUSPENSION DIVES WHEN BRAKING AND WOBBLES LEFT TO RIGHT AT 65-70 MPH IN GRADUAL TURNS UNSTABLE AND I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR 5 TIMES AND HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.KICKSTAND HAS BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES.KICK STAND AND FLOORBOARDS ARE MOUNTED TOO LOW ON THIS MOTORCYCLE KICKSTAND HITS PAVEMENT ON SHALLOW LEFT TURNS CAUSING THE BIKE TO JUMP UPRIGHT AND CONTROL OF THE TURN IS LOST. FLOORBOARD IS TOO LOW ON RIGHT SIDE OF BIKE CAUSING THE SAME PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED FOR KICKSTAND IN RIGHT TURNS.I WOULD LIKE THESE CONTROL AND TRANSMISSION DESIGNS INVESTIGATED THE GEOMETRY OF THIS BIKE IS WRONG AND INDIAN AUTHORIZED DEALERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS.