2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHRC — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO WARN DRIVERS ATTEMPTING TO CUT ME OFF, OR JUST LETTING THEM KNOW THAT I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY BY THEIR DRIVING HABITS, I HAVE HONKED THE HORN ON MY MOTORCYCLE WITH LITTLE OR NO REACTION. SIMPLY PUT, THE HORN ON THIS MOTORCYCLE IS ABOUT AS LOUD AS A FART IN A RAINSTORM! I HAVE TALKED WITH NUMEROUS OTHER ROADKING OWNERS WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. THE HORN IS TOO WEAK TO NOTIFY OTHER DRIVERS OF IMPENDING DISASTER! THERE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL. NOTE: HARLEY DAVIDSON OFFERS A LOUDER HORN REPLACEMENT FOR THE STOCK HORN HOWEVER IT IT A $50.00 UPGRADE! THAT TELLS ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE INFERIOR STOCK HORNS ON THESE MOTORCYCLES, HOWEVER THEY WANT ME TO "FOOT THE BILL" FOR LOUDERS REPLACEMENT UNITS. NOTE: ALL NEWER HARLEY-DAVIDSONS ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH THIS UPGRADED HORN.

REAR BRAKE SWITCH WIRING MELTED. BRAKE SWITCH BEGAN LEAKING PROFUSELY. DEALER SAYS BRAKE FLUID EXCHANGE RECALLED FOR YEAR. THE SWITCH WAS NOT. HOWEVER, FORUMS SAY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO EXCESSIVE EXHAUST HEADER HEAT. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE SWITCH HAS BEEN REDESIGNED. I HAVE ONE ORDERED. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED SPONTANEOUSLY AND COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC.*DT VIN PROVIDED HAS NO DISPLAYABLE RECORDS. UPDATED 10/2/18*JB

WHILE STARTING TO EXIT AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND ENTERING THE RADIUSED EXIT RAMP, I APPLIED BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES ON MY MOTORCYCLE IN ORDER TO SLOW FROM 65 MPH TO A SAFE EXIT SPEED. WHILE ENTERING THE TURN, THE BRAKE PEDAL FOR THE REAR BRAKES, WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN. I LOST ALL REAR BRAKING ABILITY ON THE EXIT RAMP. I WAS UNABLE TO SAFELY SLOW TO THE POSTED EXIT SPEED. THIS MOTORCYCLE IS EQUIPPED WITH ABS BRAKING. I RETURNED HOME USING FRONT BRAKES ONLY. THE REAR BRAKE RESERVOIR DID NOT LOSE ANY BRAKE FLUID. THE FAILURE WAS NOT CAUSED BY A LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. I HAVE NOT RIDDEN THE MOTORCYCLE SINCE.

2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROADKING CLASSIC WITH 23,748 MILES STARTED HAVING EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND THE STARTER MADE A LOUD "BANG" DURING HOT STARTS...ALSO NOTICED A LOUD CLUNK SOUND FROM THE PRIMARY CHAIN CASE WHEN SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF. THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BE A WORN COMPENSATOR AND SPROCKET. APPARENTLY THESE COMPONENTS ARE HAVING A HIGH RATE OF PRE--MATURE FAILURE ON 2007 THRU 2010 HARLEY MOTORCYCLES. THIS PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND POSSIBLE DEATH IF NOT PROPERLY DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED. CURRENTLY THERE IS NO RECALL BEING OFFERED BY HARLEY-DAVIDSON FOR THIS COMPONENT. THEY DO HOWEVER OFFER AN UPGRADED VERSION SE COMPENSATOR AT A SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE TO THE OWNER. I OPTED FOR THE UPGRADED SE COMPENSATOR REPLACEMENT AND NOW ALL PREVIOUS SYMPTOMS ARE GONE!

THE GEAR SHIFT AND HEAL-TOE SHIFT LEVERS FELL OFF THE MOTORCYCLE WHILE TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 75 MPH, LEAVING NO MECHANISM FOR CHANGING GEARS. I HAVE RECEIVED ANECDOTAL INFORMATION FROM MANY OTHER RIDERS OF HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES THAT THE LOSS OF THE HEAL-TOE SHIFT LEVERS IS A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE, AND THEY ARE FORCED TO REPLACE THE SHIFT LEVERS WITH ACCESSORIES FROM INDEPENDENT PARTS MANUFACTURERS. I HAVE WITNESSED MANY SUCH AFTER-MARKET MODIFICATIONS DURING MY TRAVELS.