2009 VICTORY KINGPIN EIGHT BALL — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

3 OF 5 REAR PULLEY BOLTS SHEARED OFF WHILE RIDING. PULLEY IS POWDER COATED. THE SURFACE BETWEEN THE PULLEY AND HUB OF RIM WAS NOT "CLEANED" OF THE POWDER COATING WHICH EVENTUALLY RUBBED OFF CREATING FRICTION BETWEEN THE BOLT HEADS. THE LOOSE POWDER COATING THEN SHEARS THE BOLT HEADS OFF (THEY DO NOT BACK OUT, THEY SHEAR OFF!). THIS HAPPENED TO ME WHILE RIDING! I HEARD A NOISE AND COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. RODE BIKE CAREFULLY TO FRIEND'S HOUSE WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THREE BOLT HEADS WERE GONE!! MY PULLEY WAS MOVING USING YOUR HAND ALONE. I'M SO LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. I HAVE RECENTLY READ OF THIS HAPPENING TO SIX PEOPLE IN LESS THAN A MONTH TO BIKES THAT HAVE POWDER COATING. ONE PERSON SAID THAT THEY WENT TO VICTORY/POLARIS AND GOT NO RESOLUTION. I CAN COME UP WITH A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW THAT COULD FILE THE SAME CLAIM AS I AM. I WANT TO BE COMPENSATED FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS - AT MINIMUM! (IN PICTURES, NOTE THE PRESENCE OF POWDER COATING ON BACK SIDE OF PULLEY)

3 OF 5 REAR PULLEY BOLTS SHEARED OFF WHILE RIDING. PULLEY IS POWDER COATED. THE SURFACE BETWEEN THE PULLEY AND HUB OF RIM WAS NOT "CLEANED" OF THE POWDER COATING WHICH EVENTUALLY RUBBED OFF CREATING FRICTION BETWEEN THE BOLT HEADS. THE LOOSE POWDER COATING THEN SHEARS THE BOLT HEADS OFF (THEY DO NOT BACK OUT, THEY SHEAR OFF!). THIS HAPPENED TO ME WHILE RIDING! I HEARD A NOISE AND COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. RODE BIKE CAREFULLY TO FRIEND'S HOUSE WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THREE BOLT HEADS WERE GONE!! MY PULLEY WAS MOVING USING YOUR HAND ALONE. I'M SO LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. I HAVE RECENTLY READ OF THIS HAPPENING TO SIX PEOPLE IN LESS THAN A MONTH TO BIKES THAT HAVE POWDER COATING. ONE PERSON SAID THAT THEY WENT TO VICTORY/POLARIS AND GOT NO RESOLUTION. I CAN COME UP WITH A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW THAT COULD FILE THE SAME CLAIM AS I AM. I WANT TO BE COMPENSATED FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS - AT MINIMUM! (IN PICTURES, NOTE THE PRESENCE OF POWDER COATING ON BACK SIDE OF PULLEY)

THE CLUTCH CABLE SNAPPED WHEN SHIFTING GEARS BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR INITIALLY AT 18090 MILES. I INSPECTED THE CABLE PERIODICALLY AND LUBRICATED THE CABLE WITH EVERY OIL CHANGE (2500) MILES. THE CABLE BROKE DOWN BY THE ENGINE NOT AT THE LEVER. AFTER THE BREAKAGE I REPLACED THE CABLE IN NOVEMBER 2012. THE CABLE BROKE AGAIN AT 27070 MILES IN AUGUST 2014 WHEN I WAS IN DENSE TRAFFIC. SINCE I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THIS PRESENTED AN VERY UNSAFE DRIVING SITUATION, I WAS FORCED TO FORCE SHIFT THE BIKE (NO CLUTCH ENGAGED) INTO 2ND GEAR UNTIL I COULD GET OUT OF DENSE TRAFFIC. IN BOTH CASES I HAD TO KILL THE ENGINE TO STOP THE BIKE. I HAVE READ ONLINE WHERE SEVERAL OTHER VICTORY OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS SO BAD AND RECURRING ON VICTORY MOTORCYCLES THAT A COMPANY SELLS A TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT CABLE (HTTP://WWW.SAVURRIDE.COM/) . I HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE CLUTCH CABLE WITH A HYDRAULIC CLUTCH KIT THAT VICTORY SELLS FOR $350 TO $400. *TR