2006 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200C — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

ON A LONG TRIP TO OR FROM CA. PULLED THE CLUTCH AS I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN BUT IT DIDN'T DISENGAGE. HAD TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. I TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST HD DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY SPRING PLATE BEING RIVETED TOGETHER W/ COPPER RIVETS THAT ARE PRONE TO WEAR OUT & CAUSE CLUTCH FAILURE. *TR

09/04/2009 2006 XL1200C HARLEY DAVIDSON DEFECTIVE PART: CLUTCH SPRING INCIDENT = MY 2006 XL 1200C STARTED SHIFTING HARD. I NOTICED AT A STOP WHEN I HAD THE CLUTCH LEVER FULLY PULLED BACK THE BIKE STILL WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD. I HAD TO KEEP THE FRONT BRAKE ON TO KEEP THE BIKE FROM MOVING. I TOOK THE BIKE TO REDWOOD HARLEY DAVIDSON AS I AM A LONG WAY FROM HOME. I THOUGHT MAYBE THE OIL LEVEL WAS INCORRECT SO I HAD THEM CHECK IT. THE TECH, TOLD ME I HAD A BROKEN CLUTCH SPRING, WHICH IS A COMMON PROBLEM AS THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY. HE SAID I COULDN'T TAKE THE BIKE UNTIL IT WAS FIXED AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HE TOLD ME HARLEY MAKES A CLUTCH KIT THAT FIXES THIS DEFECT FOR $280.00 + LABOR AND ANY PARTS THAT WERE DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THIS CLUTCH SPRING FAILURE. I COULDN'T AFFORD THE KIT SO I HAD THEM REPLACE THE BROKEN DEFECTIVE PART WITH A NEW DEFECTIVE PART + THE OTHER PARTS THAT WERE DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THE BROKEN DEFECTIVE PART. I ASKED WHY HARLEY DIDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HE LAUGHED AT MY QUESTION AND TOLD ME THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. DAMAGE RESULTING = I'M 1000 MILES FROM HOME. I HAVE VERY LIMITED FINANCES. I'M PURSUING EMPLOYMENT IN BROOKINGS OR. ALL IN ALL AFTER IT WAS ALL SAID AND DONE THAT CLUTCH SPRING COST ME $250.00 AND A WARNING THAT SINCE I DIDN'T PUT THE $280.00 KIT THAT REPLACES THE DEFECTIVE PART, I WILL FOR SURE HAVE THIS SAFETY ISSUE IN THE FUTURE. *TR

I OWN A 2006 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER 1200C AND A LOT OF OTHER OWNERS AS WELL AS MYSELF HAVE NOTICED A DEFECTIVE CRANK POSITION SENSOR PROBLEM RECURRING WITH THIS BIKE AND IT COULD BE DANGEROUS TO OPERATE ON IN CITY ROADWAYS WHERE YOU HAVE TO STOP AND GO MORE FREQUENTLY SHOULD THEY BE REPLACING THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS TO PROTECT THE CUSTOMER FROM POSSIBLE HAZARDS OPERATING THEIR PRODUCT AND RECALLING THESE BIKES OR IS IT UP TO US AS CONSUMERS TO TAKE THE HIT AND DECIDE TO SPEND A FEW HUNDRED TO HAVE IT REPLACED TO ONLY FAIL AGAIN ? I KNOW I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO STEP UP AND RECALL THE BIKES AND REPLACE AT THEIR EXPENSE THE PARTS THAT ARE CAUSING THE PROBLEMS BEFORE ANYONE GETS HURT BECAUSE OF IT I HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS AND MY BIKE STILL RUNS GOOD FOR 15 MINUTES THEN IT RUNS TERRIBLY SO IM LIMITED TO IN TOWN ERRANDS ON MINE AT BEST HARLEY NEEDS A WAKE UP CALL TO LET THEM KNOW WE KNOW SOMETHING IS AMISS AND WE NEED IT RECTIFIED. *TR

HARLEY-DAVIDSON USES THE SAME PART ON MANY OF THEIR MOTORCYCLES WHICH HAS PROVEN TO BE DEFECTIVE. THIS PART IS THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO ACTIVATE THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT WHEN THE RIDER APPLIES PRESSURE TO THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL. THIS PART HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON HUNDREDS OF THEIR PRODUCTS (IN SOME CASES MORE THAN ONCE AS THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS ALSO FAILED) DATING BAKE SEVERAL YEARS YET THEY CONTINUE TO USE IT WITHOUT UPGRADING IT. THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE AND WE, THE OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE IT, WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION BY YOU AS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE WHICH WE CAN ONLY HOPE WILL LEAD TO A REDESIGN OF THIS PART SO AS TO ALLEVIATE ITS ONGOING FAILURE. I HAVE NO RECORD OF ACTUAL ACCIDENTS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS PARTS FAILURE HOWEVER I DO KNOW THAT WE MOTORCYCLISTS FACE ENOUGH HAZARDS ON THE ROAD AND THE FAILURE OF OUR BRAKE LIGHT SHOULD NOT BE ONE OF THEM ESPECIALLY WHEN THE TRACK RECORD OF THE PART WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IS FAULTY. *TR

MY HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE WAS IN FOR SERVICE FOR A CLUTCH REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR AT WILDFIRE HARLEY DAVIDSON IN VILLA PARK IL.. AFTER A DISPUTE WITH DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED TO THE MOTORCYCLE DURING ITS SERVICE PERIOD I WENT TO PICK UP THE BIKE TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR PROPER REPAIRS AND A SECOND OPINION. UPON LEAVING THE PARKING LOT THE GEAR SHIFT FOOT CONTROL LEVER FELL OFF AND I ALMOST CRASHED THE BIKE. LUCKILY THE SAFETY TRAINING I RECEIVED FROM THE RIDERS COURSE I TOOK FROM THE IL DOT PAID OFF. NO MANAGER WAS AVAILABLE TO SPEAK WITH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE THAT ANY PATRON OF WILDFIRE HARLEY DAVIDSON NEVER HAS TO HAVE THEIR SAFETY JEOPARDIZED. POOR QUALITY CONTROL AND IMPROPER RELEASE OF A VEHICLE WHICH IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE WHEN, HAVING BEEN TOLD THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE IS INEXCUSABLE AND I AM LUCKY TO NOT HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. *TR