2014 HARLEY-DAVIDSON VRSCF — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

AFTER I PULLED MY BIKE OUT OF WINTER STORAGE, THE BRAKES FELT LIKE THEY HAD AIR IN THEM. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TOLD ME THE ABS HCU SYSTEM HAS FAILED. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THERE ISN'T A BYPASS SYSTEM AND THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED DURING RIDING. I HAVE TO SQUEEZE THE BRAKES A NUMBER OF TIMES TO STOP.

I HAVE BASICALLY A COMPLAINT. I AM BEEN HEARING A LOT IM FORUMS ABOUT ABS ISSUES WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON MODELS UP TO 2011. I BELEIVE THE NHTSA SHOULD FORCE HARLEY DAVIDSON TO REPLACE WITH NO COST ALL THE MODULES. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE THAT THE COMPANY IS BLAMING THE OWNERS ON A LACK OF MAINTANANCE NOT FLUSSHING THE BRAKE LINES EVERY TWO YEARS. LACK OF MAINTANANCE? I BELEIVE IS A POOR EXCUSE FOR A DEFFECTIVE PART. I HAVE A 2014 VROD NOT INCLUDED ON THE RECALL WITH ONLY 5000 MILES ON IT AND ALWAYS COVERED WHEN I AM NOT USING IT. IT IS VERY ODD THAT BECAUSE I DO NOT GO TO HARLEY DAVIDSON (VERY EXPENSIVE TECH SERVICE) MY BRAKE LINES ARE APPERANTLY NOT FLUSH CORRECTLY BECAUSE ARE NOT DONE IN A COMPUTER... RIPOFF ! MY HARLEY HAS THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED IT WONT MATTER HOW HARD I TRY TO PRESS THE PEDAL DOES NOT BRAKE AT ALL. I HAVE HAD CARS IN THE PAST WITH ABS SYSTEM, NEVER FLUSHED LINES AND STILL WORKING FINE. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THAT A MOTORCYCLE LOSES BRAKES FUNCTIONALITY DO TO AN ABS DEFECT, IT SHOULD ONLY LOSE THE PROGRESSIVE PRESSING AND RELEASING FOR WHICH THE ABS IS DESIGN. NEVER THE POSSIBILITY TO BRAKE AT ALL. I CANNOT AFFORT AT THE MOMENT EXPENDING $1,600.00 WITH HARLEY WHICH IT WAS THE ESTIMATED VALUE I WAS QUOTED. FOR SOMETHING DEFECTIVE THAT IT SEEMS IS AN ISSUE FROM QUITE A WHILE. SO I AM WONDERING? DOES SOMEONE (GOD FORBID) HAVE TO DIE FOR COMPANIES TAKE OWNERSHIP ON ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE PART OF LEMON LAW AND POOR QUALITY?

FUEL LEVEL SENDER FAILURE, THIS IS THE FOURTH UNIT THAT HAS FAILED AND REPLACED IN LESS THAN 24,000 MILES SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW. PREMIUM FUEL ALWAYS USED . NO AFTERMARKET FUEL SUPPLEMENTS ADDED. THE MOTORCYCLE RAN OUT OF FUEL WHILE TRAVELING 75MPH ON THE I-17 FREEWAY, ENGINE STALLED OUT IN FLIGHT IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF TRAFFIC FLOW. I HAD A VERY HARD TIME TRYING TO NEGOTIATE SAFE LANE CHANGE SINCE TRAFFIC WAS MOVING FASTER THAN I WAS. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FINALLY STEER OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE WHILE AVOIDING A NEAR COLLISION SITUATION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE WHO DID NOT REALIZE MY SITUATION. I HAD SOMEONE BRING ME A GALLON OF FUEL TO BE ABLE TO REFIRE THE MOTORCYCLE AND RIDE TO THE NEAREST FUEL SERVICE STATION.

IN JUNE 2016, I WAS RIDING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, WHEN MY REAR MOTORCYCLE BRAKE SUDDENLY FAILED. WHEN THE CALIPER FAILED, THE PADS WERE LOCKED AGAINST THE ROTOR AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. I EXPERIENCE EXTREME LOSS OF POWER AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD, LUCKILY WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ROTOR WAS ALREADY RED HOT AND THE BIKE WAS UNRIDEABLE AS THE REAR BRAKE WAS UNABLE TO BE DISENGAGED. I WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE REAR MASTER CYCLINDER, ROTOR AND ALL BRAKE LINES. FEB 2014: STARTED BIKE TO TAKE IT FOR ITS FIRST SPRING RIDE. PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND WHEN I GOT TO THE END OF MY ROAD, I GRABBED THE FRONT BRAKE. THE LEVER WAS ROCK HARD AND INMOVEABLE EVEN IN THE SLIGHTEST WAY. CALIPER AND PADS FROZEN, I HAD NO FRONT BRAKE AT ALL! TOOK TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO HAS NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. EVEN AFTER REMOVING THE LINE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE ABS UNIT, THE LEVER NOR THE CALIPER WOULD ENGAGE. HE THEN TOWED TO THE LOCAL HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER, WHO HAS YET TO CONTACT ME. THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS ABS, ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM AND I'VE HAD CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE TWICE IN 6 MONTHS. I AM REPORTING THIS AS AN UNSAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION.