2015 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTKL — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

HEADLIGHT FOGS UP WHILE IN OPERATION CAUSING LIMITED LIGHTING. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THIS WAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE AND NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. THE MOTORCYCLE IS STILL UNDER FULL MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT BECAUSE IT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE AND NOT A SAFETY ISSUE THAT THE TROUBLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY. SO AM I TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE I LIVE IN FLORIDA THAT MY HEADLIGHT SHOULD FOG UP? MY OTHER MOTOR VEHICLES DON'T HAVE THIS ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY HAZARD AFFECTING LIMITED SIGHT DISTANCE AND BEING ABLE TO SEE AND BE SEEN IS HAMPERED WITH THE MAIN HEADLAMP FOGGING UP. THE FOGGING OF THE HEADLIGHT HAPPENS WITH THE VEHICLE IN OPERATION IDLE OR MOVING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTKL. WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WOBBLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE, THE HANDLE BARS SUDDENLY FELL OUT OF POSITION AND FRACTURED THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE HANDLE BARS LOOSENED AND NEEDED TO BE RE-TIGHTENED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,200.

ON A FEW OCCASIONS MY ENGINE KILL SWITCH HAS BEEN INADVERTENTLY ENGAGED WHILE RIDING. THE FIRST OCCASION I WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE LEFT LANE APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH WHEN I WENT TO PRESS THE PUSH TO TALK BUTTON FOR THE CB (WHICH IS ON THE THROTTLE (RIGHT) SIDE OF THE HANDLEBARS) AND IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENT THROTTLE AND ENGAGE THE PUSH TO TALK, MY HAND HIT THE ENGINE KILL SWITCH. THIS HAPPENED AT NIGHT SO I HAD NO CLUE WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN MY BIKE TURNED OFF. I HAD CARS BARRELING UP BEHIND ME AS I RAPIDLY DECELERATED DUE TO THE LOSS OF ENGINE. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO, I MOVED OFF THE ROAD AND REALIZED THAT MY ENGINE KILL SWITCH WAS OFF. THE SWITCHES ARE NOT LIGHTED OR I MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THIS WHILE I WAS COASTING TRYING TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OFF. I WAS WEARING GLOVES SO I DIDN'T FEEL MYSELF HIT THE ENGINE KILL SWITCH WHILE REACHING FOR THE CB PUSH TO TALK BUTTON. THE PLACEMENT OF THE PTT BUTTON IS A HAZARD AS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TRY TO MAINTAIN A STEADY SPEED WHILE TRYING TO PUSH THE BUTTON AND KEEPING THE BUTTON PUSHED IN TO TALK FOR A FEW SECONDS. IT IS MORE DIFFICULT WITH GLOVES AS IT CAN CAUSE YOU TO KILL YOUR ENGINE BY HITTING THE ENGINE KILL SWITCH WHILE REACHING OVER THE BUTTON IN THE PROCESS. ANOTHER OCCASION WHERE THIS HAPPENED, I WAS PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION AND GETTING UP TO SPEED WITH THE TRAFFIC COMING UP BEHIND ME AND I REACHED FOR THE CB PTT BUTTON TO INFORM THE RIDE LEADER I WAS OUT AND WE WERE ALL TOGETHER AND I HIT MY ENGINE KILL SWITCH AGAIN AND MY BIKE RAPIDLY DECELERATED AND THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT ME. I HAD TO QUICKLY MOVE THE ENGINE KILL SWITCH TO "ON" AND THEN RESTART THE BIKE AND SPEED UP TO AVOID BEING HIT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

ON A FEW OCCASIONS MY ENGINE KILL SWITCH HAS BEEN INADVERTENTLY ENGAGED WHILE RIDING. THE FIRST OCCASION I WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE LEFT LANE APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH WHEN I WENT TO PRESS THE PUSH TO TALK BUTTON FOR THE CB (WHICH IS ON THE THROTTLE (RIGHT) SIDE OF THE HANDLEBARS) AND IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENT THROTTLE AND ENGAGE THE PUSH TO TALK, MY HAND HIT THE ENGINE KILL SWITCH. THIS HAPPENED AT NIGHT SO I HAD NO CLUE WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN MY BIKE TURNED OFF. I HAD CARS BARRELING UP BEHIND ME AS I RAPIDLY DECELERATED DUE TO THE LOSS OF ENGINE. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO, I MOVED OFF THE ROAD AND REALIZED THAT MY ENGINE KILL SWITCH WAS OFF. THE SWITCHES ARE NOT LIGHTED OR I MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THIS WHILE I WAS COASTING TRYING TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OFF. I WAS WEARING GLOVES SO I DIDN'T FEEL MYSELF HIT THE ENGINE KILL SWITCH WHILE REACHING FOR THE CB PUSH TO TALK BUTTON. THE PLACEMENT OF THE PTT BUTTON IS A HAZARD AS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TRY TO MAINTAIN A STEADY SPEED WHILE TRYING TO PUSH THE BUTTON AND KEEPING THE BUTTON PUSHED IN TO TALK FOR A FEW SECONDS. IT IS MORE DIFFICULT WITH GLOVES AS IT CAN CAUSE YOU TO KILL YOUR ENGINE BY HITTING THE ENGINE KILL SWITCH WHILE REACHING OVER THE BUTTON IN THE PROCESS. ANOTHER OCCASION WHERE THIS HAPPENED, I WAS PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION AND GETTING UP TO SPEED WITH THE TRAFFIC COMING UP BEHIND ME AND I REACHED FOR THE CB PTT BUTTON TO INFORM THE RIDE LEADER I WAS OUT AND WE WERE ALL TOGETHER AND I HIT MY ENGINE KILL SWITCH AGAIN AND MY BIKE RAPIDLY DECELERATED AND THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT ME. I HAD TO QUICKLY MOVE THE ENGINE KILL SWITCH TO "ON" AND THEN RESTART THE BIKE AND SPEED UP TO AVOID BEING HIT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

ON 01/05/2016, I TOOK DELIVERY OF A BRAND NEW 2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA LIMITED LOW MOTORCYCLE. WHEN I REGISTERED THE BIKE WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY, I DISCOVERED THERE WERE (2) RECALLS, ONE OPEN AND ONE CLOSED. THE OPEN RECALL IS NTHSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V-216 WHICH DEALS WITH THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH. AFTER A LITTLE INVESTIGATION, I LEARNED THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS SAT ON THEIR SHOWROOM FLOOR FOR NEARLY A YEAR WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED ON 04/14/2015. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE NOT RETURNED MY CALL. THE DEALER, HARLEY DAVIDSON OF MICHIGAN CITY, WAS CLEARLY NONCOMPLIANT OF SELLING A VEHICLE WITH AN OPEN RECALL.