1999 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHRCI — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

AFTER STORAGE MY HARLEY WAS HARD STARTING. AFTER SOME FRESH GAS THE BIKE BEGAN TO RUN. MAYBE A MONTH AFTER THIS GAS BEGAN SQUIRTING OUT OF THE TANK WHERE THE FUEL LINE AND THE RETURN LINE ARE ATTACHED. I SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, CLEANED UP THE GAS AND REPEATED THE STARTUP. SAME THING. AS THE BIKE WAS JUST STARTED I DID NOT GET GASOLINE ON ME, ONLY ON THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION AND RUNNING BOARD. THE ENGINE WAS COOL, I SHUT IT DOWN WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DISCUSSED WITH DEALER AND READ HARLEY MANUAL. THEY SPECULATED THAT SOMETHING WAS IN THE TANK, PRESUMABLY BAD GAS. AT DEALER RECOMMENDATION I TOOK TANK OFF AND WASHED IT OUT WITH FRESH GAS, CARB CLEANER AND WATER. THE PAINT LIKE SUBSTANCE THAT HARLEY USES TO COAT THE TANK WAS COMING OUT OF TANK. I HAVE COLLECTED SEVERAL LARGE PIECES. AND THERE ARE MANY MORE BRITTLE DELAMINATING PIECES IN THE TANK. I CALLED HARLEY'S SERVICE. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE USING THIS "PAINT" INSIDE THE TANK. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS FOR ASSEMBLY ONLY. THEIR ADVICE WAS TO TAKE TANK APART AND WHILE USING METAL BEADS AND SOAP AND WATER, AGITATE THE PAINT OFF THE INSIDE OF THE TANK. THEY CLAIM THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNEXPECTED EVENT, BUT THAT IT SHOULD NOT CAUSE GAS TO SQUIRT OUT. THEY OFFERED NO SOLUTION. I HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO EFFECT THE REPAIR SO THE TANK IS AVAILABLE ALONG WITH PAINT CHIPS FROM INSIDE TANK. *TR

THEY SAY,AT HARLEY-DAVIDSON THAT MY MOTORCYCLE HAS A ELECTICAL PROBLEM,AND SHOULD BE FIXED RIGHT AWAY.I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP THE VERY DAY I GOT MY RECALL LETTER,ON OR ABOUT 6/29/04.AT THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THEY WERE "WAITING ON PARTS"TRHAT WAS ABOUT TEN WEEKS AGO.....AT WHAT POINT AN TIME DO I GET SATISFACTION FROM HARLEY DAVIDSON AND T.S.I. MOTORCYCLE IN WILLIMANTIC CT. ????THE LETTER STATES "THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE A QUIT WHILE RIDING SITUATION,WHICH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING AND ULTIMATELY LEAD TO A CRASH,THERBY PRESENTING A RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY TO THE RIDER. *AK

BACKGROUND ON M/C FIRST OWNER: UNKNOWN SECOND OWNER: BOUGHT BIKE WITH 7750 MILES ON IT / REPLACED BRAKES ONCE / HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF BIKE BEING IN AN ACCIDENT THIRD OWNER: MYSELF / THOUGHT I NEEDED REAR BRAKE PADS. *AK I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY BRAKES ON A 1999 FLHRC-I VIN # [XXX] HARLEY DAVIDSON M/C. IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THE REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER MOUNTING BRACKET WAS WELDED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT CAUSES THE CLEVIS END TO PITCH DOWN FAR ENOUGH TO PUT THE PUSH ROD WAY OUT OF LINE CAUCUSING IT TO STRIKE THE PUSH ROD WASHER. THIS ACTION KEEPS THE PISTON FROM GOING FORWARD ITS FULL STROKE. A PERSON WOULD THINK THAT A NEW SET OF BRAKE PADS WERE IN ORDER. BY MOVING THE CLEVIS PIN HOLE ON THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL DOWN .375 I AM NOW ABLE TO GET FULL STROKE OF THE PISTON. UPDATED 07/30/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

MOTORCYCLE HESITATES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

REAR CAMSHAFT BEARING ASSEMBLY DISINTEGRATED, SENDING METAL PARTICLES THROUGH THE LUBRICATION SYSTEM INTO THE OIL PUMP, NECESSITATING REPLACEMENT OF MANY ENGINE COMPONENENTS.