2011 Harley-Davidson FLHTK: complaints, problems and recalls

AT ALTITUDE - APPROXIMATELY 3700FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL - ONCE THE 2011 ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC LIMITED HEATS UP, THE MOTOR KNOCKS AND PINGS SO BAD IT SOUNDS LIKE THE MOTOR IS GOING TO FALL APART. IF I TAKE BIKE TO SEA LEVEL, THE DETONATION ISSUE CLEARS UP. THE MOTORCYCLE IS UN-RIDEABLE IN THIS CONDITION. THE HARLEY DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM/TIMING MAPPING AND THAT HARLEY MOTOR COMPANY WAS 'LOOKING INTO IT', BUT NO FIX IS FORTHCOMING.

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10424796 at NHTSA ↗

2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON ELECTRA-GLIDE ULTRA-LIMITED (103CU), BOUGHT NEW JUNE 2011. REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP THAT, THE FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY WITH HANDS REMOVED FROM HANDLEBARS AT AROUND 30 TO 35 MPH. THE VIBRATION FROM THE FRONT END CAUSES THE HANDLEBARS TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND WITHOUT IMMEDIATE HANDS BACK ON THE BARS THE VIBRATION INCREASES TO THE POINT OF POSSIBLE ?LOSS OF CONTROL? OF THE MOTORCYCLE; THIS ISSUE WILL CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO RIDER AND PASSENGER. DEALERSHIP CHECKED ALL SPECIFICATIONS FOR FRONT END AND REPORTED NO ISSUE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10426422 at NHTSA ↗

I RECEIVED A LETTER ON NOV 9 MY DEALER ONLY GETS 8 OF 10 RECALL PARTS A WEEK IF THERE LUCKY. I CALL MAIN OFFICE OF HARLEY. THERE EXCUSE IS THEY CANT MAKE THEM FAST ENOUGH. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH BRAKES ON MY BIKE YOU THINK THEY BE GETTING OUT MORE PARTS THEN WHAT THERE GIVING. THERE EXCUSES IS THERE GLOBAL. SO MAKE MORE PARTS .IF YOU DON'T CAMP OUT AT YOUR DEALER TO GET IT FIXED YOU'LL NEVER GET IT FIXED. THIS LETTER CAME OUT NOV 9 BUT IT WAS IN THE PAPERS A MONTH BEFORE AND STILL HASN'T BEEN RESOLVED .CANE YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10438195 at NHTSA ↗

THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS STARTED MAKING METAL TO METAL NOISES OFF AND ON WHILE THE HANDLE BARS WOULD VIBRATE. IT IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON CHANGED TO A SMALLER WHEEL BEARING AND THEY COME FROM SOUTH KOREA AND DELHI, INDIA. THERE IS NO SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ON THIS EVER AND THEY SHOULD NOT GO BAD AT 11,000 MILES. THE BEARINGS RUINED THE WHEEL AND WILL COST $550 TO REPLACE IT AND A TOTAL OF $909 TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT THE FRONT WHEEL COULD HAVE LOCKED UP AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WITH INJURIES AND OR…

Owner-reported narrative. 11,896 miles reported. Look up ODI 10542296 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS ON A COUNTRY ROAD GOING INTO A CORNER. I HIT THE REAR BRAKE TO FIND I DID NOT HAVE ANY REAR BRAKES. AFTER THE ACCIDENT WHEN I GOT THE BIKE HOME AND HAD TIME TO INSPECT IT I FOUND THAT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAD BLOW OUT CAUSING THE BACK BRAKES TO FAIL. I CALLED HARLEY CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DID NOT GET ANY ANSWERS OR EVEN A PHONE BACK AFTER I TOLD THEM THAT THEY MAY HAVE A PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL. I THEN CALLED MY DEALER. THEY ARE TRYING TO HELP BUT ARE NOT SURE WHAT THEY CAN DO EITHER. THE END RESULT IS THIS, I HAVE THE SERVICED ON A RE…

Owner-reported narrative. 31,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10585844 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA GLIDE LIMITED (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE MOTORCYCLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE COMPENSATOR SPROCKET ATTACHED TO THE CRANKSHAFT RATTLED AND VIBRATED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A LOOSE BOLT FROM THE SPROCKET. THE COMPENSATOR SPROCKET WAS REPLACED BUT, APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED A THIRD TIME APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES LATER, WHICH DAMAGED T…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10691157 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING MY MOTORCYCLE ON US 18/20 NEAR SHERIDAN, WY. I NOTICED FOR SEVERAL MILES THAT THERE WAS A VIBRATION/SHUTTER IN THE FRONT END OF THE MOTORCYCLE. I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THAT A WHEEL WEIGHT FRONT FROM THE FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF CAUSING A TIRE IMBALANCE. AFTER ABOUT 5 MILES THE SHUTTER BECAME MORE VIOLENT AND I PULLED MY MOTORCYCLE OF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE RIGHT SIDE, FRONT WHEEL BEARING RETAINER BECAME SEPERATED FROM THE WHEEL BEARING AND SEVERAL OF THE BALL BEARINGS CAME OUT AND THAT THE FR…

Owner-reported narrative. 21,919 miles reported. Look up ODI 10747341 at NHTSA ↗

DEPRESSED FRONT BRAKE LEVER AND IN COMPLETELY BOTTOMED OUT. HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES UP TO STOP. A FEW DAYS LATER TOOK BIKE TO A VERY GOOD & TRUSTWORTHY MECHANIC. WE CHANGED THE MASTER CYLINDER & BLED SYSTEM. BRAKE ISSUE PERSIST. HARLEY WANTS BIKE TO DIAGNOSE ISSUE ($120.00). MECHANIC THINKS IT COULD BE THE MAIN ABS MODULE.

Owner-reported narrative. 82,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10748487 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2011-10-19 (October 19, 2011)

HARLEY-DAVIDSON IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2012 TOURING, CVO TOURING AND TRIKE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 6, 2008, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 16, 2011. SEE THE ABOVE LIST FOR THE MODELS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY BE EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM.

Consequence: THE EXCESSIVE HEAT MAY CAUSE THE SWITCH TO NOT ACTIVATE THE BRAKE LAMP OR ACTIVATE THE BRAKE LAMP WHEN NO BRAKE IS APPLIED AND/OR CAUSE A BRAKE FLUID LEAK AT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, AFFECTING REAR BRAKE PERFORMANCE. EITHER CONDITION MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: HARLEY-DAVIDSON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL A INSTALL A REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH KIT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING OCTOBER 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.

Reported: 2018-01-29 (January 29, 2018)

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling all 2008-2011 Touring, CVO Touring and VSRC motorcycles equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS), including Road King (FLHR), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHP), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHPE), Electra Glide Standard Police (EFI) (FLHTP), Electra Glide Classic (EFI) (FLHTC), Electra Glide Ultra Classic (EFI) (FLHTCU) and Street Glide (EFI) (FLHX), 2008 VROD (VRSCAWA), CVO Road King 4 (FLHRSE4), Night Rod (VRSCDA), CVO Ultra Classic 3 (FLHTCUSE3), Night Rod Special (VRSCDXA), 2008-2010 Road King Classic (EFI) (FLHRC), 2008-2009 Road Glide (EFI) (FLTR) and Electra Glide Standard (EFI) (FLHT), 2009-2010 V-Rod (VRSCAW), 2009 CVO Ultra Classic (FLHTCUSE4) and CVO Road Glide 3 (FLTRSE3), 2009-2011 Night Rod Special (VRSCDX) and V-Rod Muscle (VRSCF), 2010 CVO Ultra Classic 5 (FLHTCUSE5) and CVO Street Glide (FLHXSE), 2010-2011 Electra Glide Ultra Limited (FLHTK) and Road Glide Custom (FLTRX), 2011 Road Glide Ultra 103 (FLTRU103), Street Glide 103 (FLHX103), Road King Classic 103 (FLHRC103), CVO Ultra Classic 6 (FLHTCUSE6), CVO Road Glide Ultra (FLTRUSE), Road Glide Custom 103 (FLTRX103), and CVO Street Glide 2 (FLHXSE2) motorcycles. Deposits may form on components within the brake system if the DOT 4 brake fluid is not replaced for a prolonged period of time beyond the 2-year maintenance schedule specified in the Owner’s Manual.

Consequence: These deposits may cause a valve within the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit to stick, reducing braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will flush the entire brake system with new Platinum Label DOT 4 brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0171.