2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDB — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

MESSAGE: TO WHO IT MAY CONCERN, HAS ANYONE EVERY MENTIONED THE PROBLEM WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON MODEL FAT BOB 2008 AND ON, THE PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT TIRE DUNLAP 427 MADE ESPECIALLY FOR FAT BOB CUPPING (LUMPING OF TREAD) CAUSING VIBRATIONS BAD UNEVEN WEAR CAN CAUSE FRONT TIRE NOT FLUSH TO PAVEMENT IN CORNERING. EVERY HD FAT BOB BIKES I HAVE COME ACROSS HAS THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY OWN GUESS IT IS CAUSED BY FRONT FORK SUSPENSION/SPRINGS NOT CORRECT.MY TIRE PRESSURES ARE ALWAYS CHECKED AT LEAST 2 TIMES PER WEEK ...SO IT IS NOT CAUSED BY UNDER OR OVER INFLATION. *TR

I ACTUALLY HAVE A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SUPER GLIDE CUSTOM (FXDC) WITH A HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET BOB (FXDB) REAR FENDER ASSEMBLY. THE REAR FENDER WAS INSTALLED IN 2011 BY A HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP IN DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA. SINCE I HAD THE REAR FENDER INSTALLED, I HAVE PUT APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES ON THE MOTORCYCLE. ON NOVEMBER 16, 2013, I WAS WASHING THE MOTORCYCLE AND NOTICES A SPLIT IN THE REAR FENDER AT THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY, STARTING AT THE REAR BOTTOM AND RUNNING UP THE BACK OF THE FENDER, TO THE RIGHT AND PARALLEL TO THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS CASES OF THIS DEFECT. I CALLED AND TALKED TO A HARLEY-DAVIDSON CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, BUT WAS TOLD THAT SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS DEFECT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. SOME OF THE OTHER FENDERS I HAVE SEEN PICTURES OF HAVE MULTIPLE SPLITS UP BOTH SIDES OF THE FENDER PARALLEL TO THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THIS IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DEFECT DUE TO THE CHANCE THE REAR LIGHT COULD DETACH FROM THE FENDER CAUSING DAMAGE OR EVEN INJURY. I HAVE PICTURES OF MY REAR FENDER AND MULTIPLE PICTURES OF OTHER FENDERS WITH THIS PROBLEM IN CASE YOU NEED THEM TO SEE THE POTENTIAL DANGER IN THIS DEFECT. *TR

WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE IS PARKED AND THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE BEGINS TO RISE, USUALLY AROUND 80 DEGREES F AND UP, THERE IS A STEADY DRIP OF GAS FROM THE TANK OVERFLOW TUBE. THIS OCCURS WITH THE FUEL LEVEL AT FULL, 3/4, 1/2 AND SOMETIMES EVEN LOWER. I HAVE TAKEN THE BIKE IN TO THE LOCAL HD DEALERSHIP(04/30/2013) AND THEY REPLACED AN ANTI-SLOSH VALVE AND FUEL CAP AND INSPECTED THE OTHER COMPONENTS ON THE BIKE WITH NO IMPROVEMENTS. READING ON VARIOUS FORUMS THIS ISSUE IS NOTED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO SOLUTIONS NOTED CURRENTLY. I HAVE CONTACTED HD CUSTOMER SERVICE(05/06/2013) AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE BIKE BACK INTO THE SHOP FOR TESTING. I HAVE ENTERED A DATE OF MARCH 1 FOR THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, BUT, THIS MAY HAVE BEEN HAPPENING FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AS I HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO MONITOR IT WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, ALTHOUGH SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO THIS DATE I HAVE NOTED THE SCENT OF GASOLINE AROUND THE BIKE WHEN IT HAS BEE PARKED. *TR

THE BIKES FUEL GAUGE HAS NEVER WORKED SINCE THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF THIS BIKE. IT HAS NEVER BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE "FIXED" BECAUSE AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THE FAULTY GAUGE. *KB

DEAR SIRS: ON DECEMBER 5, 2010 WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN INTO A DRIVEWAY MY HARLEY DAVIDSON TRI-GLIDE (VIN [XXX]) MODEL FLHTCUTG (THIS MODEL # WAS NOT ALLOWED IN A FOLLOWING FIELD) ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY AND TIPPED ON ITS SIDE THROWING ME OFF AND THEN INTO A FENCE. I WAS TRANSPORTED FROM THE SCENE BY AMBULANCE WITH MINOR INJURIES (BROKEN RIBS) AND THE BIKE WAS TOWED TO A STORAGE YARD. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED HARLEY DAVIDSON OF SACRAMENTO TO ARRANGE FOR THE BIKE TO BE TOWED THERE AND REPAIRED. I WAS TOLD BY THEM THAT THEY DID NOT PERFORM INSURANCE REPAIRS AND WAS REFERRED TO MID-CAL CYCLE OF WEST SACRAMENTO TO DO THE FACTORY AUTHORIZED REPAIRS. I INFORMED MID-CAL THAT THE THROTTLE HAD ADVANCED ON ITS OWN AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE WIRING, THROTTLE PN 56304-08 AND THE SENSOR THROTTLE PN 32305-08A (I HAVE BOTH PARTS). I PICKED THE BIKE UP ON FEBRUARY 25, 2011 AND HAVE BEEN RIDING IT SINCE. ON APRIL 7, 2011 WHILE RIDING IN TRAFFIC IN THE CITY OF CITRUS HEIGHTS THE THROTTLE AGAIN ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY CAUSING ME TO REAR-END THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WHEN THIS STARTED SO THE IMPACT SPEED WAS KEPT DOWN. I CLUTCHED THE BIKE AFTER IMPACT AND THE ENGINE RPM?S INCREASED ABOVE 4000 BEFORE I HIT THE KILL SWITCH. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THIS ACCIDENT. THE CAR SUSTAINED BUMPER DAMAGE AND MY BIKE REQUIRES $2000 IN REPAIRS. THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SO I HAVE LISTED IT AS AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR