2005 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL883C — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I CHANGED THE OIL, WHEN FINISHED I COULD NOT GET THE OIL CAP TO LOCK AND SEAL. I TOOK IT TO A HARLEY DEALERSHIP AND HAD THE SERVICE ADVISOR TRY TO GET IT TO LOCK DOWN AND HE COULD NOT. THAT IS WHEN I NOTICED THE OIL THAT HAD DRIPPED ALL OVER MY BIKE. I ORDERED A NEW CAP. I THEN TOOK IT TO A BIKE GARAGE (INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED), THEY TOLD ME THAT SOME YEARS OF HARLEYS HAD SWITCHED TO A PLASTIC OIL CAP AND THOSE TEND TO EXPAND/CONTRACT AND THE SEALS STRETCH OUT AND DO NOT SEAL PROPERLY. THEY SINCE HAVE CHANGED FROM PLASTIC TO SOMETHING ELSE. THEY URGED ME TO CHECK IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY BIKE AND TO DEFINITELY GET A NEW CAP. I CAN NOT DRIVE MY BIKE UNTIL A NEW CAP IS PROPERLY INSTALLED. MY BIKE LEAKS OIL OUT OF THE TOP OF THE OIL TANK IF I DO DRIVE IT, THAT DRIPS ON THE DRIVE BELT (AKA "CHAIN"), THE WHEEL, THE BRAKE(?) , MY SADDLE BAG AND FOOT PEG. OIL ON ANY PART OF A BIKE (OTHER THAN WHERE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE) IS DANGEROUS AND COULD POSE A HAZARD FOR DRIVERS/RIDERS. MY FOOT COULD SLIP OFF THE PEG, TIRES AND/OR BRAKES MAY NOT GRAB PROPERLY WHEN STOPPING. I AM WONDERING HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THIS UNFORTUNATE SITUATION? COULD YOU PLEASE CHECK INTO IT?

I CHANGED THE OIL, WHEN FINISHED I COULD NOT GET THE OIL CAP TO LOCK AND SEAL. I TOOK IT TO A HARLEY DEALERSHIP AND HAD THE SERVICE ADVISOR TRY TO GET IT TO LOCK DOWN AND HE COULD NOT. THAT IS WHEN I NOTICED THE OIL THAT HAD DRIPPED ALL OVER MY BIKE. I ORDERED A NEW CAP. I THEN TOOK IT TO A BIKE GARAGE (INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED), THEY TOLD ME THAT SOME YEARS OF HARLEYS HAD SWITCHED TO A PLASTIC OIL CAP AND THOSE TEND TO EXPAND/CONTRACT AND THE SEALS STRETCH OUT AND DO NOT SEAL PROPERLY. THEY SINCE HAVE CHANGED FROM PLASTIC TO SOMETHING ELSE. THEY URGED ME TO CHECK IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY BIKE AND TO DEFINITELY GET A NEW CAP. I CAN NOT DRIVE MY BIKE UNTIL A NEW CAP IS PROPERLY INSTALLED. MY BIKE LEAKS OIL OUT OF THE TOP OF THE OIL TANK IF I DO DRIVE IT, THAT DRIPS ON THE DRIVE BELT (AKA "CHAIN"), THE WHEEL, THE BRAKE(?) , MY SADDLE BAG AND FOOT PEG. OIL ON ANY PART OF A BIKE (OTHER THAN WHERE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE) IS DANGEROUS AND COULD POSE A HAZARD FOR DRIVERS/RIDERS. MY FOOT COULD SLIP OFF THE PEG, TIRES AND/OR BRAKES MAY NOT GRAB PROPERLY WHEN STOPPING. I AM WONDERING HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THIS UNFORTUNATE SITUATION? COULD YOU PLEASE CHECK INTO IT?

BOUGHT MY BIKE NEW HAD 15 MILES ON IT. AND HAVE BEEN FIXING THIS BIKE SINCE DAY ONE.. DEALER REPLACE THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR TWICE UNDER WARRANTY AND I REPLACED IT ONCE AFTER WARRANTY .THAT IS FOUR SENSORS IN LESS THEN . 3,000 MILES..NOT TO MENTION THAT IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN THIS PART FAILS ...YOU LOSE TOTAL POWER OF MOTORCYCLE AND COULD VERY EASY LOSE CONTROL AND CRASH..THIS IS AN URGENT PROBLEM..AS MY SENSOR WENT ON ME AGAIN TODAY 8/10/08....PLEASE HELP...I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM...THANK YOU... THE PART NUMBER IS 32804-04A AND IT IS CALLED CRANK POSITION SENSOR... *TR

IN MAY 2006 I TOOK THE HARLEY DAVIDSON TO THE DEALER AFTER THE REAR BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY 9,000 MILES. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED PADS WORE OUT PREMATURELY DUE TO FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER. MASTER CYLINDER REBUILT AND MOTORCYCLE RELEASED. IN JUNE 2006 BRAKES FAILED AND MOTORCYCLE RETURNED TO DEALER. MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED WITH NEW UNIT. IN JUNE 2007 AT 22,000 MILES. BRAKES FAILED. PADS REPLACED, FLUID CHECKED, MASTER CYLINDER DID NOT FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. THE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS CRASH OR DEATH. PARTS TO REBUILD CYLINDER HAVE BEEN UPDATED TWICE WITH NEW PART NUMBER AND IMPROVED DESIGN. HARLEY DAVID SON INDICATED THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. BRAKES WERE A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

IN MAY 2006 I TOOK THE HARLEY DAVIDSON TO THE DEALER AFTER THE REAR BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY 9,000 MILES. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED PADS WORE OUT PREMATURELY DUE TO FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER. MASTER CYLINDER REBUILT AND MOTORCYCLE RELEASED. IN JUNE 2006 BRAKES FAILED AND MOTORCYCLE RETURNED TO DEALER. MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED WITH NEW UNIT. IN JUNE 2007 AT 22,000 MILES. BRAKES FAILED. PADS REPLACED, FLUID CHECKED, MASTER CYLINDER DID NOT FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. THE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS CRASH OR DEATH. PARTS TO REBUILD CYLINDER HAVE BEEN UPDATED TWICE WITH NEW PART NUMBER AND IMPROVED DESIGN. HARLEY DAVID SON INDICATED THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. BRAKES WERE A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK