2005 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHRCI — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

MY WIFE AND I WERE RIDING ON A 2005 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING CLASSIC WITHOUT ABS. WE WERE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON INTERSTATE 275 WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF US SLAMMED ON HIS BRAKES. WE LOST CONTROL OF THE BIKE AS WE ATTEMPTED TO RAPIDLY STOP AND AVOID HITTING HIM. I SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. MY WIFE BROKE HER CLAVICLE, SCAPULA, AND MOST RIBS ON HER RIGHT SIDE. ALSO SUSTAINED A HEMOTHORAX AND PNEUMOTHORAX THAT REQUIRED 3 HOSPITALIZATIONS AND SURGERY TO INCLUDE PLATING OF HER RIBS. THIS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE BIKE BEEN EQUIPPED WITH ABS. HARLEY DAVIDSON DID NOT MAKE ABS AVAILABLE UNTIL 2008 AND IT CAN NOT BE RETROFITTED TO ANY BIKE--IT IS A FACTORY OPTION ONLY AND IT IS NOT STANDARD EQUIPMENT. YOU MUST MAKE ABS REQUIRED/STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON ALL STREET/CRUISER MOTORCYCLES. HARLEY DAVIDSON WILL TELL YOU THEY DO NOT MAKE ABS STANDARD EQUIPMENT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO OFFER RIDERS A CHOICE. I BELIEVE IT IS A MARKETING PLOY TO BE ABLE TO SELL A BIKE AT A CHEAPER PRICE AS ABS TODAY IS AN $800 OPTION. IMAGINE IF SEAL BELTS WERE AN OPTION. THEY WOULD BE IF THEY WERE NOT REQUIRED BY LAW. WE NEED THE SAME LAW DEMANDING ABS ON MOTORCYCLES. IN OUR ACCIDENT, I USED BOTH THE FRONT AND REAL BRAKES AS MUCH AS I COULD AS WE KEPT GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF US. I NEVER KNEW IF I HIT HIM OR NOT UNTIL IN THE ER WHEN THE FHP OFFICER TOLD ME WE HAD NOT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RELEASE OR PUMP A BRAKE IF YOU ARE GETTING CLOSER TO A COLLISION. ABS WILL DO THAT FOR YOU AND HELP YOU MAINTAIN CONTROL IN A PANIC SITUATION. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT ABS SAVES LIVES. MAKE ABS MANDATORY AND STOP HARLEY DAVIDSON'S MARKETING PLOY THAT IS PUTTING THOUSANDS OF RIDERS AT RISK EVERY DAY. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2005 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING LAST YEAR. I WAS DRIVING MY BIKE AND HAD NOTICED THE FRONT TIRE WOBBLE WHILE I WAS RIDDING EVERY NOW AND THEN. I TOOK INTO SAN JOSE HARLEY DEALERSHIP TO GET MY SECOND SERVICE AT 5K MILES AND EXPLAINED THAT MY BIKE WOULD WOBBLE FROM TIME TO TIME. A WEEK AFTER GETTING MY BIKE OUT OF THE SHOP, I WENT FOR A RIDE. AT 60 MPH, THE WHOLE BIKE GOT OUT OF CONTROL WITH WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS A TANK SLAPPER. THE BIKE LOOKED LIKE A FISH WITH THE MOST SEVERE WOBBLE I HAD EVER BEEN ON. I WAS SOMEHOW ABLE TO HOLD ON AND SLOW DOWN UNTIL IT STOPPED AND THEN PULLED OVER. I HEARD STORIES THAT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT MAKE OUT OF THAT SITUATION SO LUCKY. ANYWAY, SAN JOSE HARLEY INSPECTED MY BIKE AND SAID THE RIM'S SPOKES IN THE REAR WERE ALL LOOSE. AT 5K MILES ON A NEW BIKE, I THINK THAT IS A DEFECT. THEY TOLD ME HARLEY WILL NOT WARRANTY THE RIM. ANYWAY, LONG STORY SHORT, THEY MENTIONED ALSO THAT THEY GET SEVERAL OF THESE PROBLEMS IN. THAT MEANS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COUGHED UP A TON OF MONEY TO BUY A HARLEY COULD HAVE THEIR LIVES IN DANGER IF THEY DON'T CHECK THE SPOKES. I THINK IT SHOULD BE A DEFECT AND THEY SHOULD PAY FOR A NEW RIM AND WARN NEW OWNERS. *JB