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

HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSCDX 2009 ABS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT FAILURE. WHILE IN MOTION APPROXIMATELY 45MPH I WENT TO DEPRESS THE REAR BRAKE AND IT FELT LIKE THE PEDAL WAS FROZE, UPON PUTTING MORE PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL IT MOVED BUT THE REAR BRAKE INSTANTLY LOCKED UP WITHOUT ANY PROGRESSIVE FEEL CAUSING THE REAR TIRE TO SKID CAUSING THE REAR OF THE BIKE TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE BIKE UPRIGHT AND IN CONTROL WITHOUT HAVING AN ACCIDENT VERY LIKELY THE CURRENT LOWER SPEED I WAS TRAVELING CONTRIBUTED TO BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. AT HIGHWAY SPEED THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS BEING THE ABS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT. HARLEY DEALERSHIP QUOTED APPROXIMATELY $1000.00 TO REPAIR WOULD COULD BE A DEADLY ISSUE WITH THEIR ABS CONTROL AND CONFIGURATION. THE CONCERN IS THAT THE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE BRAKES DO NOT REVERT TO A NORMAL CONFIGURATION WHEN THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT FAILS INSTEAD THEY FEEL AS IF THE PEDAL IS COMPLETELY FROZEN THEN INSTANTLY LOCK UP. THE PART THAT FAILED IS HARLEY PART# 48344-09

SINCE TIME OF PURCHASE, FUEL SENDING UNIT HAS NOT BEEN WORKING. TAKEN TO LOCAL HD DEALER FOR A CHECK AND THEY HAVE NO FIX. DOING SOME RESEARCH MOST 2007 AND UP HARLEY DAVIDSON V-RODS HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THEIR FUEL SENDING UNIT NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THE FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTIONS. HD HAS TRIED 2 OR 3 FIXES FOR THIS SOLUTION BUT AT THE OWNER'S COST. ON OCTOBER 11TH, 2013 THE FUEL SENDING UNIT ON MY VRSCDX WAS READING 1/2 TANK, AND MY MOTORCYCLE COMPLETELY RAN OUT OF GAS ON I-75 NORTHBOUND. THIS LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE EXPRESSWAY. FINDING OUT THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR OVER 7 YEARS AND HD HAS NOT FOUND A WORKING FIX AND NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS PART. VERY DISTURBING. *TR

FUEL GAUGE NEEDLE DROPS FROM FULL TO COMPLETELY EMPTY IN 5-10 MINUTES EVEN WHEN TANK IS COMPLETELY FULL. SOMETIMES NEEDLE GETS STUCK ON EMPTY, FULL OR ANY OTHER POSITION REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON TANK. AFTER MOTORCYCLE IS RESTING ON OFF POSITION FOR A WHILE, NEEDLE SEEMS TO RESET TO CORRECT MEASUREMENT UNTIL TANK IS REFUELED AND PROBLEM RECURS ALL OVER AGAIN. SITUATION APPEARS TO BE COMPLETELY RANDOM AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TRACE IT DOWNS TO ANY ELECTRICAL OR VACUUM LEAKS. *TR

FUEL GAUGE NEEDLE DROPS FROM FULL TO COMPLETELY EMPTY IN 5-10 MINUTES EVEN WHEN TANK IS COMPLETELY FULL. SOMETIMES NEEDLE GETS STUCK ON EMPTY, FULL OR ANY OTHER POSITION REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON TANK. AFTER MOTORCYCLE IS RESTING ON OFF POSITION FOR A WHILE, NEEDLE SEEMS TO RESET TO CORRECT MEASUREMENT UNTIL TANK IS REFUELED AND PROBLEM RECURS ALL OVER AGAIN. SITUATION APPEARS TO BE COMPLETELY RANDOM AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TRACE IT DOWNS TO ANY ELECTRICAL OR VACUUM LEAKS. *TR

FUEL GAUGE NEEDLE DROPS FROM FULL TO COMPLETELY EMPTY IN 5-10 MINUTES EVEN WHEN TANK IS COMPLETELY FULL. SOMETIMES NEEDLE GETS STUCK ON EMPTY, FULL OR ANY OTHER POSITION REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON TANK. AFTER MOTORCYCLE IS RESTING ON OFF POSITION FOR A WHILE, NEEDLE SEEMS TO RESET TO CORRECT MEASUREMENT UNTIL TANK IS REFUELED AND PROBLEM RECURS ALL OVER AGAIN. SITUATION APPEARS TO BE COMPLETELY RANDOM AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TRACE IT DOWNS TO ANY ELECTRICAL OR VACUUM LEAKS. *TR