2017 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTK Recalls, Complaints & Safety

VISIBILITY

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain Touring and CVO Touring motorcycles, including 2017-2019 FLHTCU, FLHTCUL, FLHTK ANV, FLHTKL, FLTRU, FLHTK, and 2016-2019 FLHTKSE, FLHTKSE ANV, and FLTRUSE models equipped with a Harley-Davidson Detachable Tour-Pak Luggage Conversion Kit (Part numbers 53000291, 53000291A, and 53000567). The kit did not include replacement rear red reflectors for the ones that are eliminated by installing this kit. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Remedy: Harley-Davidson has notified owners, and dealers will install the replacement reflectors, free of charge. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0629.

12,733 vehicles affected

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Police Road King (FLHP), Road King (FLHR), Road King Special (FLHRXS), Electra Glide Ultra Classic (FLHTCU), Ultra Limited (FLHTK), Ultra Limited Low (FLHTKL), Ultra Limited Shrine (FLHTK SHRINE), Police Electra Glide (FLHTP), Street Glide (FLHX), Street Glide Special (FLHXS), Road Glide Ultra (FLTRU), Road Glide (FLTRX), Road Glide Special (FLTRXS), Freewheeler (FLRT), Tri Glide Ultra (FLHTCUTG), CVO Limited (FLHTKSE) and CVO Street Glide (FLHXSE) motorcycles, 2017 Softail Slim S (FLSS), Fat Boy S (FLSTFBS) and CVO Pro Street Breakout (FXSE) motorcycles, 2018 115th Anniversary Ultra Limited (FLHTK ANV), 115th Anniversary Street Glide (FLHX ANV), 115th Anniversary Street Glide Special (FLHXS ANX), 115th Anniversary Tri Glide Ultra (FLHTCUTG ANV), 115th Anniversary CVO Limited (FLHTKSE ANV) and CVO Road Glide (FLTRXSE) motorcycles. The secondary clutch actuator cylinder may leak fluid internally and the clutch master cylinder may lose the ability to generate enough lift to disengage the clutch.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will install a new secondary clutch actuator piston assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 5, 2018. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0173.

177,636 vehicles affected

WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE RPM DROPS AND MOTOR STALLS. HAVE TO GET BACK TO NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE BIKE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V734000 (POWER TRAIN) FAILED TO PROVIDE A PERMANENT REMEDY. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY CANNONBALL HARLEY-DAVIDSON (3912 S US HWY 41, TERRE HAUTE, IN 47802, 1-(812) 232-7821). THE DEALER REFUSED TO PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE AFTER BEING MADE AWARE THAT THE NEW SECONDARY CLUTCH ACTUATOR PISTON ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE CONTACT ORDERED THE PART FROM LEGACY HARLEY-DAVIDSON (1315 ALTHOFF DR, EFFINGHAM, IL 62401, 1-(217) 342-3494) AND THE OWNER REPLACED THE PART. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

MOTORCYCLE STALLS CUTS OUT IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. RPMS DROP FROM 1,000 - 500 WHEN YOU APPLY FUEL IT SPUTTERS AND CUTS OUT. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL, BUT IF IT STALLED OUT WHILE IN THE FREEWAY THEN BRING IT IN.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAS ISSUED THEIR TECHNICAL ADVISORY TA0022 TO DEALERS BUT NOT CUSTOMERS. IT IDENTIFIES A PROBLEM OF OIL TRANSFERRING FROM THE MOTORCYCLE'S TRANSMISSION TO THE PRIMARY CHAIN CASE RESULTING IN BELOW MINIMUM REQUIRED OIL VOLUME IN THE TRANSMISSION AND TOO MUCH OIL IN THE PRIMARY CHAINCASE. INADEQUATE OIL VOLUME IN THE TRANSMISSION CAN RESULT IN TRANSMISSION DAMAGE/FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES FOR THE RIDER (I.E. A CRASH). HARLEY-DAVIDSON STATES IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR THE MOTORCYCLE 'DO NOT OVERFILL THE PRIMARY CHAINCASE WITH LUBRICANT. OVERFILLING CAN CAUSE ROUGH CLUTCH ENGAGEMENT, INCOMPLETE DISENGAGEMENT, CLUTCH DRAG AND/OR DIFFICULTY IN FINDING NEUTRAL AT ENGINE IDLE'. THESE CONDITIONS COULD ALSO PRODUCE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE RIDER SUCH AS BEING UNABLE TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH WHEN TRYING TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE TA0022 OFFERS NO SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM ON 2017 AND NEWER VEHICLES AND ADVISERS DEALERS ONLY TO 'CHECK THE PRIMARY AND TRANSMISSION OIL LEVELS AND ADJUST THE OIL VOLUMES AS NEEDED. VERIFY OIL LEVELS AGAIN IN 1,600KM (1,000 MI)'. THIS WOULD ONLY HAPPEN IF A CUSTOMER BECOMES AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEN TAKES THE MOTORCYCLE TO A DEALER. CUSTOMERS MUST LEARN OF THE PROBLEM FROM SOME SOURCE OTHER THAN HARLEY-DAVIDSON AS HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAS NOT NOTIFIED CUSTOMERS OF THE PROBLEM OR TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. IT MUST BE NOTED THAT THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT TRANSMISSION OIL ONLY NEEDS TO BE CHANGED EVERY 20,000 MILES. CLEARLY, HARLEY-DAVIDSON EXPECTED THAT ADEQUATE OIL VOLUME WOULD REMAIN IN THE TRANSMISSION FOR THAT AMOUNT OF USAGE. ENCLOSED IS A COPY OF THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON TECHNICAL ADVISORY TA0022.

ON A DAILY BASIS, WHILE OPERATING THE MOTORCYCLE WITH THE CLUTCH ENGAGED, IN GEAR, AND AT IDLE SPEED, THE ENGINE WILL STALL. THIS OCCURS WHEN YOU ARE STOPPING FOR A STOP SIGN, RED LIGHT, OR IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC. WHEN THIS OCCURS, YOU CAN NOT RESTART THE ENGINE. NEW RESTRICTIONS ON THE MOTORCYCLE DO NOT ALLOW THE ENGINE TO BE STARTED WITH THE MOTORCYCLE CLUTCH ENGAGED WITH IT "IN GEAR". YOU MUST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, PLACE THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. AND THEN YOU ARE ALLOWED TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THIS IS PROBLEMATIC AT BEST AND EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS WHEN IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC. NUMEROUS OCCASIONS HAVE OCCURRED WHEN MY ENGINE HAS STALLED AND TRAFFIC BEHIND ME STARTS MOVING AND I CAN'T.

VEHICLE LOOSES TRANSMISSION FLUID. 3 TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED AND CONTINUES TO DO IT. SAFETY ISSUE AS ONCE THE TRANSMISSION RUNS OUT OF OIL IT MAY LOCK UP AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, DUE TO BEING UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE.

IT IS TRANSFERRING OIL FROM THE TRANSMISSION TO THE PRIMARY WHILE RIDING. THIS CAUSES THE PRIMARY TO OVERFILL WHICH RESULTS IN CLUTCH ISSUES AND DIFFICULTY FINDING NEUTRAL. THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING DOWN WHICH IS PROBABLY DECREASING ITS LIFE AND COULD CAUSE IT TO LOCK UP DUE TO LOW OIL LEVEL. THIS IS POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT IF THIS OCCURS AT HIGHER SPEEDS. BIKE HAS ONLY 2500 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS. NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE DEALER.

HYDRAULIC CLUTCH HAS NO ADJUSTMENT AND MY PARTICULAR CLUTCH IS ALL THE WAY AT THE VERY END APPEARS IT MAY EVEN BE SLIPPING SOME LESS THAN 500 MILES ON THE MACHINE AND CLUTCH HAS TO BE WHAT APPEARS TO BE 1/8 INCH FROM THE END BEFORE IT CATCHES AND NO FRICTION ZONE HAS ALMOST GOTTEN ME HIT MORE THAN ONCE DUE TO NO TAKE UP BEFORE RELEASE AND WITH CLUTCH SO FAR HAND HAS SLIPPED FROM CLUTCH HANDLE MORE THAN ONCE. IT HAS ALSO CAUSED ME TO ROLL BACK ALMOST INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE OR HAS CAUSED ME TO KILL THE BIKE TRYING TO TAKE OFF FROM A LIGHT OR STOP. I HAVE OVER 30 YEARS RIDING EXPERIENCE AND WHEN MENTIONED T DEALERSHIP WAS INFORMED THEY HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS BUT I'D JUST HAVE TO GET USED TO IT. I HAVE RIDDEN TO MANY BIKES AND NO BETTER THAN THIS.