| Issue ID | 649156 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10206792 |
| Manufacurer | HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY |
| Brand | HARLEY DAVIDSON |
| Model | FLHRC |
| Model Year | 2007 |
| File date | 20/10/07 |
| Component | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONEN |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | First problem was with the throttle. Something broke causing the bike to run with wide open throttle and no way to slow the engine down without turning the switch off. I was riding the bike on i-95 running 70 mph when this happened. The next issue was with an oxygen sensor causing the bike to run rough. The most recent problem; something in the rear brake system broke, throwing brake fluid out along with sparks and flames. I had no rear brake to stop with, only front brake. The heat caused damage to the right saddlebag and caused my mesh jacket inside the saddlebag to melt to the saddlebag, ruining the jacket. This bike is life threatening, i feel sure with the heat from the fire there will be unseen damage to the bike. I cannot sell this bike in good conscience without revealing this information to any prospective buyer essentially ruining my chance to sell this bike anywhere close to market value! Harley davidson has claimed it was operator error not mechanical malfunction. They claim i was riding the brake. They also say witnesses saw my brake light proving my error. First of all i was not in any way riding the rear brake pedal. The way i ride along with the position of my highway pegs make it practically impossible for me to touch the rear brake accidentally! Also the so-called witnesses haven't come forth and they also have not mentioned the time frame they noticed my brake light being on; was 5 minute,s or 45 minutes? We were on a group ride for approximately 45 minutes before this happened so how long did they see my light on and why didn't someone let me know? The two riders closest to me in the formation told me they saw smoke, sparks, and flames and my foot was nowhere near the rear brake pedal. Regardless of the story harley is trying to tell, the truth of the matter is that rear brake malfunction was in no way due to operator error or negligence on the part of the operator. Harley offered a goodwill repair even though they claim it was my fault. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 2700 |
| Number of Occurences | 2 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | HOPE MILLS, NC |
| VIN pattern | 1HD1FR4117YXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | Y |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 0 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 21/06/07 |
| Was original owner? | Y |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | Y |
| Number of cylinders | 2 |
| Drive train type | RWD |
| Transmission type | MAN |
| Vehicle speed | 35 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | CAPE FEAR HARLEY DAVIDSON |
| Dealer's telephone number | (910) 864-1200 |
| Dealer's city | FAYETTEVILLE |
| Dealer's state code | NC |
| Dealer's ZIP code | 28303 |