2002 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHT — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING FLHT MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A CLIP FROM THE FRONT FENDER BECAME LOOSE AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE FRONT TIRE. AS A RESULT, SOME OF THE FUSES WORE OUT AND THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED ILLUMINATING. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V002000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RECURRENCE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A WAITING LIST TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE A SECOND TIME FREE OF CHARGE. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

I OWN A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHT. LAST YEAR (2009) I NOTICED THAT MY FAIRING STARTED TO VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY WHEN THE ENGINE WAS AT 1500 TO 2200 RPM. I BOUGHT THE MOTORCYCLE NEW AND PREVIOUSLY DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE BIKE VIBRATED SO BAD THAT THE FAIRING BRACKET BROKE. I HAD MY MECHANIC REPLACE THE BRACKET AS WELL AS THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT, WHICH DID NOT HELP THE VIBRATION. MY MECHANIC (INDEPENDENT) BELIEVES MY ENGINE CRANK SHAFT HAS "TURNED" OR IN OTHER WORDS IS OUT OF TOLERANCE. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ON LINE, I HAVE DISCOVERED NUMEROUS OTHER HARLEY DAVIDSON OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, WITH MOTORCYCLES FROM 2001 TO 2010 WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY BIKE HAS AROUND 30,000 MILES ON IT, AND VIBRATES SO BAD AT THE MENTIONED RPM'S THAT I CAN'T EVEN SEE THROUGH MY MIRRORS, MAKING THIS A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL. *TR

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2002 FLHT ELECTRIC GLIDE STANDARD HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS BEING REPAIRED THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE CAM TENSIONER WAS WORN OUT . THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE CAM TENSIONER WITH A MECHANICAL TENSIONER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 40,000. THE CONTACT STATED HIS CONCERN WAS THAT THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS TO INDICATE THE CAM TENSIONER FAILURE. *AK

HARLEY-DAVIDSON 2002 FLHT FUEL TANK QUALITY PROBLEM LEADING TO SAFETY RISK OF FIRE AND VEHICLE STALLING EXPOSING OPERATORS AND/OR PASSENGERS TO PERSONAL DEATH OR PERMANENT DISABLEMENT. FUEL TANKS HAS A SIGNIFICANT RUST CHARACTERISTIC ALLOWING CONTAMINATES TO ENTER INTO THE MOTORCYCLES FUEL SYSTEM CAUSING A CARBURETOR OVERFLOW CONDITION RELEASING RAW FUEL ONTO THE MOTORCYCLE SURFACES LEADING TO FIRE RISK AND ENGINE STALL DURING OPERATION. I HAVE HAD YEARS OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER MODELS OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR CYCLES WHICH HAVE NEVER EXHIBITED THIS PROBLEM AND ALL HAVE FACED THE SAME ENVIRONMENTS AND OPERATING CONDITIONS WITHOUT THIS ISSUE. THE PROBLEM STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT ON THE MANUFACTURING DATE OF THE 2002 FLHT FUEL TANKS THE PROCESS INTRODUCED A QUALITY DEFECT FOR THE PRODUCTION RUN. ALSO, A DESIGN CHANGE IN 2003 PRODUCED FUEL TANKS THAT ADDS A REMOVABLE FUEL FILLER CUP TO THE TANK FURTHER DEMONSTRATES THAT APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN QUALITY ISSUE WITH HARLEY-DAVIDSON FUEL TANKS. THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR THE CHANGE OTHERWISE. ADDITIONALLY, CURRENT HARLEY-DAVIDSON R&D EFFORTS ON TANK COATING PROCESSES AND TANK COATING COMPOSITION WOULD NOT BE OCCURRING SAVE FOR THIS FUEL TANK QUALITY ISSUE. ALTHOUGH NO DEATHS NOR PERMANENT DISABILITIES HAVE RESULTED AS YET, THERE IS A SAFETY RISK TO THE CONSUMER FOR FIRE AND/OR TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OF THIS QUALITY DEFECT WITH THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON FUEL TANK. *JB

AMBIANT AIR THAT IS COMING OFF MOTOR GRADUALLY BURNS PASSENGER OR DRIVER OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. CONSUMER NOT AWARE THAT HE IS BEING BURNT UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK