NHTSA Complaint #770066 — 2002 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC

REAR WHEEL WAS BENT CAUSING IT TO WOBBLE. I DID NOT FEEL IT WHILE RIDING MOTORCYCLE. TWO DIFFERANT TIMES I HAD PEOPLE PULL UP BESIDE ME AT STOP LIGHTS INFORMING ME OF THE WHEEL WOBBLE. I RIDE SOLO ALL THE TIME SO I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG THIS HAD BEEN BENT. I GOT THE MOTORCYCLE UP ON A STAND TO INSPECT THE WHEEL AND SURE ENOUGH THE WHEEL WAS WOBBLING. THE SPOKES WHERE TIGHT. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO FREDERICK HARLEY DAVIDSON INSTEAD OF BATTLEY HARLEY DAVIDSON WHERE I PURCHASED IT FROM BECAUSE OF THE DEALERSHIP BEING CLOSER TO HOME. I TOOK IT IN ON NOVEMBER 12, 2002 AFTER MAKING AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE. ON NOVEMBER 19, 2002 I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER TIM TO FIND OUT THE UPDATE ON WHEN IT WAS GOING TO BE READY. TIM INFORMED ME THAT THE NEW WHEEL THEY ORDERED FOR THE BIKE FROM THE FACTORY TURNED OUT TO BE BENT AND HAD TO RETURN IT FOR ANOTHER WHEEL. FREDERICK H/D COMPLETED THE REPAIR AND CALLED ME TO PICK IT UP ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2002. BECAUSE OF THE RAINEY WEATHER I REQUESTED TO PICK THE BLIKE UP THE FOLLOWING DAY WHICH WAS OK BY THEM. WHEN I ARRIVED AT H/D OF FREDERICK TO PICK UP THE BIKE I REQUESTED TIM TO WRITE A DOCUMENT FOR ME STATING THAT THE NEW WHEEL ORDERED BY THEM FROM THE FACTORY WAS ALSO BENT AND TIM INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MEET MY REQUEST BUT THAT I COULD CALL A NATHEN LEWIS ON MONDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2002 AT 301-694-8177 AND ASK HIM TO WRITE THE DOCUMENT. I WANT TO NOTE THAT THE TECH WORKING ON MY BIKE AT FREDERICK H/D COULD NOT TAKE MY BIKE OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE TO VERIFY MY STORY ABOUT NO BEING ABLE TO FEEL THE WHEEL WOBBLE DO TO BEING A RAINY DAY. THEY PUT THE BIKE ONTO A MACHINE CALLED A DEANO GLIDE TO NOTICE THE WOBBLING IN THE REAR WHEEL. I JUST WANT SOMEONE TO VERIFY IF THE WHEEL IS A DEFECT BEFORE SOMEONE HAS A CRASH AND GETS HURT. AS I SAID EARLIER I WAS SURPRIZED MYSELF THAT I COULD NOT FEEL THE WOBBLE IN THE WHEEL WHILE RIDING THE BIKE AT ANY SPEED BEFORE AND AFTER VERIFYING THE WOBBLE WHEN I INSPECTED IT ON THE BIKE STAND. DT