2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTC — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

MY REAR BRAKES STOPPED WORKING WHILE IN MOTION. THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL BECAME ROCK SOLID & WOULD NOT DEPRESS. THE BRAKE FLUID WAS CHECKED & FOUND TO HAVE PLENTY IN THE RESERVOIR. I HAD A HARLEY DAVIDSON TECHNICIAN ANALYZE IT & WAS TOLD THAT THE ABS UNIT HAS GONE BAD, I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS ABS UNIT FOR HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES BUT ONLY THROUGH YEARS 2011. HOWEVER, I BOUGHT MY MOTORCYCLE ON 09-11-11 SO HAVE TO WONDER WHETHER MY MOTORCYCLE WOULD BE COVERED. THIS SAME TECHNICIAN SAYS HE HAS HAD TO REMEDY THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE FOR SEVERAL CUSTOMERS, OWNING MOTORCYCLES MANUFACTURED PAST 2011. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE SITUATION CAN BECOME EVEN MORE DANGEROUS (IT THE RIDER IS UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM), IF THEY ARE TO PRESS THE PEDAL VERY HARD, THE REAR BRAKE COULD POSSIBLY ENGAGE & NOT RELEASE. I HAVE FULFILLED MY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PER THE MANUAL. FLUSHING THE ABS SYSTEM WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT IN THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING DANGEROUS, DEFECTIVE PROBLEM THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON SHOULD REVIEW & EXTEND THE YEARS THAT NEED TO BE RECALLED.

I WAS RIDING NORMAL SPEED OF ABOUT 60 MPH AND WENT INTO VERY DANGEROUS WOBBLE/ WEAVE. I LET GO OF THROTTLE AND LAYED MY BODY WEIGHT OVER THE TANK AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW TO A STOP. CHECKED AND FOUND ALL SPOKES ON REAR WHEEL WERE DEAD AND LOOSE. BIKE ONLY HAS 1800 MILES ON IT. I HAVE SEEN TONS OF FORUMS ONLINE ALL COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE AND YET HARLEY HAS NOT MADE THIS A LEGIT RECALL OR KNOWN PROBLEM... SOMEONE WITH LITTLE RIDING SKILL WILL WIND UP BEING KILLED FROM THIS ISSUE. UNTIL IT BECOMES A KNOWN PROBLEM PEOPLE ARE SELLING THEIR FAULTY RIMS ON EBAY AFTER BYING NEW ONES AS WELL. *TR

BOUGHT NEW 2012 FLSTC H-D IN FEBRUARY 2011. TOOK THE BIKE IN FOR THE FIRST 1,000 MILE SERVICE. WHEN I PICKED THE BIKE UP IT WAS NOTED ON THE SERVICE TICKET THAT ALL SPOKES WHERE LOOSE ON THE FRONT AND REAR WHEELS. NOW HAVE 7700 MILES ON THE BIKE AND TOOK IT IN FOR NEW REAR TIRE.[ HAVE NOTICED JUST IN THE WEEK BEFORE HANDLING A LITTLE DIFFERENT] WHEN THE DEALER WAS INSTALLING THE NEW TIRE THEY CALLED ME INTO THE WORK AREA TO SHOW ME THERE WAS A WOBBLE IN THE REAR WHEEL. I THOUGHT THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE I HAD BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. AFTER CHECKING THE FACTORY WARRANTY HAD GONE OUT ON APRIL 5TH,2014 AND THE SELLING DEALERSHIP DID NOT INCLUDE THE WHEEL AND TIRE WARRANTY IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY.[ ALL THIS IS HAPPENING ON 05/06/2014] THE DEALER COULD NOT WARRANTY THE WHEEL AND RECOMMENDED THAT I PUT A TUBELESS MAG WHEEL ON THE BIKE BECAUSE H-D HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SPOKE WHEELS ON THE FLSTC MODELS. AND I WOULD BE BACK WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IF I PUT THE SPOKE WHEEL BACK ON. THEY EVEN HAD NEW BIKES COME IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM STRAIGHT FROM THE H-D FACTORY. SO $790.00 PLUS LABOR LATER! YOU WOULD THINK WITH THE DEALERSHIPS INFORMING THE H-D FACTORY ABOUT THIS THAT BIG H-D WOULD STAND UP AND TAKE CARE OF THE CUSTOMER WITH THIS PROBLEM AND FIX THEIR BIKES AND FIX THE PROBLEM AT THE FACTORY!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON HERITAGE MOTORCYCLE(N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR WHEEL SPOKES WERE LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000. UPDATED 9/23/13 *CN

TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE AT APPROX. 65 MPH, BIKE DEVELOPED AN UNSTABLE CONDITION THAT FELT SIMILAR TO RIDING ON AN UNDER INFLATED REAR TIRE. VISUAL INSPECTION FOUND EXTREMELY LOOSE SPOKES ON THE REAR WHEEL RIM RESULTING IN THE TIRE TRAVELING AT A DIFFERENT AXIS THAN THE HUB WHEN UNDER LOAD. RETURNED BIKE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 2012 HERITAGE SOFT TAIL BIKES AND THEY HAD A PREVIOUS INSTANCE OF THE SAME CONDITION. CURRENTLY AWAITING RETURN OF THE BIKE AFTER WARRANTY REPAIR. *TR