2009 Harley-Davidson Flhrc Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2009 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic FLHRC Motorcycle. The contact stated while riding 75 mph, the front lever became resistant and had to press forcefully to slow the motorcycle. The contact stated he continued riding to his destination. The contact took the motorcycle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the ABS Hydraulic Unit replaced. Additionally, the vehicle was subjected to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V076000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The motorcycle was not repaired however, the repair was pending. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.

NHTSA ID

11425758

Incident

Jul 15, 2021

Mileage

26,000 mi

STARTING ISSUE THAT LEAD TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPENSATOR REPLACEMENT. ON GOING ISSUE WITH MANY HD CYCLES (2006-2012) THAT OWNERS ARE LEFT TO RESOLVE WITH THEIR OWN MONEYS NOT AT THEIR OWN FAULT. HAVE A LITTLE OVER 10K MILES WHICH IS AN UNACCEPTABLE ISSUE. I WAS CAUGHT AWAY FROM HOME WHEN NON STARTING ISSUE OCCURRED. CURRENTLY AWAITING PARTS AND LABOR AT GOWANDA HARLEY DAVIDSON!

NHTSA ID

11003065

Incident

Jun 24, 2017

Mileage

10,000 mi

WHILE EXITING A TOWN I ACCELERATED TO HIGHWAY SPEED THEN MY ENGINE STALLED OUT AND WENT INTO LIMP-HOME MODE NOT ALLOWING ANY MORE THAN AN IDLE, VERY DANGEROUS. LUCKILY I WAS NOT PASSING ANYONE OR RIDING IN A GROUP WHEN THE ENGINE LOST ALL ACCELERATION, WORSE WOULD HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CROSS A BUSY INTERSECTION. CERTAIN DISASTER!!

NHTSA ID

10981722

Incident

Apr 27, 2017

Mileage

20,575 mi

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COME TO A STOP I WENT TO APPLY BRAKES, APPLIED REAR BRAKE AND ATTEMPTED TO APPLY FRONT BRAKE AND THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WAS FROZEN SOLID AND THE FRONT BRAKES DID NOT ACTUATE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP COMPLETELY WITH REAR BRAKE ONLY

NHTSA ID

10906894

Incident

Mar 12, 2016

Mileage

21,000 mi

I WAS HAVING ISSUE WITH BATTERYS GOING BAD AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE THE COMPENSATOR IN WHICH IF I DIDN'T GET FIXED IT COULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO CRASH MY BIKE. IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE WITH IN THESES YEARS FROM 08 TO 2011.

NHTSA ID

10899813

Incident

May 9, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHRC ROAD KING CLASSIC. WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE ABS FAILED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE DOOR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED INJURIES TO HIS FOOT, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR FAILED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 09/20/16*LJ

NHTSA ID

10893536

Incident

Jul 31, 2016

Mileage

12,000 mi

ABS QUIT WORKING, HAD TO REPLACE. START BIKE AND THE BRAKE HANDLE WAS FROZEN IN PLACE. IF YOU FORCE IT USING BOTH HANDS IT WOULD BEGIN TO WORK. WOULD WORK UNTIL TURN OFF THE BIKE. WHEN STARTING BIKE AGAIN, SAME PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP SAID "ABS HCU FAILED, MUST REPLACE..

NHTSA ID

10885064

Incident

Aug 10, 2015

Mileage

25,800 mi

WHILE MOVING THE BIKE IN THE GARAGE UNDER POWER, THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WOULD NOT MOVE. NO FRONT BRAKES!! LIFTED FOOT TO USE REAR BRAKE AND BIKE AND MY SELF FELL OVER AS BIKE HIT ANOTHER MOTORCYCLE IN GARAGE. THE BRAKE ARE FROZEN IN THE NON BRAKING POSITION. BIKE WAS LAST USED 4 DAYS AGO AND NO BRAKE PROBLEMS NOTED AT THAT TIME. HAVING BIKE TOWED TO SHOP FOR REPAIRS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10566734

Incident

Mar 3, 2014

Mileage

28,663 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THROTTLE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE ENGAGED INTO IDLE MODE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL, BUT DID BECOME UNRESPONSIVE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE THROTTLE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000. *TR UPDATED 8/5/13 *CN

NHTSA ID

10510385

Incident

Apr 28, 2013

Mileage

17,000 mi

WHEN DECELERATING, AND BIKE IS BETWEEN 35-45 MPH, A HARSH FRONT END WOBBLE OCCURS. CAN BE LIMITED BY TIGHTLY GRIPPING THE BARS. DEALER INDICATED IT WAS THE TIRES, THOUGH THEY WERE NEW. HAVE REPLACED THE TIRES TWICE SINCE AND STILL NO FIX. DEALER'S SOLUTION NOW IS TO SUSTAIN A HARD GRIP ON THE BARS AT ALL TIMES, WHICH IS UNSAFE AND NOT A PRACTICAL SOLUTION. IN THE INCIDENT ON 6/16/11, IT CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL AND A SLOW-SPEED TUMBLE FROM THE BIKE, IN WHICH MY ELBOW WAS INJURED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10494660

Incident

Jun 16, 2011

Mileage

18,000 mi

AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES, MY MOTORCYCLE DID NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE INPUT. THE ENGINE RAN, BUT WENT INTO "LIMP MODE", WHICH IS A LOW RPM ONLY MODE. I COULD NOT MAINTAIN THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT. I PULLED OVER, SHUT THE BIKE ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES AND THE ISSUE CEASED. THIS SITUATION OCCURRED ONE OTHER TIME LATER THAT SAME DAY BUT REQUIRED AT LEAST 5 ATTEMPTS AT TURNING THE POWER ON AND OFF BEFORE I COULD REGAIN THE FULL RANGE OF THROTTLE RESPONSE REQUIRED TO DRIVE ON THE ROAD. I TOOK THE BIKE INTO THE LOCAL HD DEALER. THEY RECOVERED AT LEAST TWO ERROR CODES FROM THE BIKE. THEY ASKED IF I HAD THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR OR THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED. THEY SAID THE "LIMP THROTTLE" ISSUE IS COMMON WITH "DRIVE BY WIRE" (NO MECHANICAL THROTTLE CABLE) HARLEYS. THEY SAID THEY WOULD FIX THE ISSUE. I CONVEYED MY CONCERN THAT THIS CONDITION IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD IF IT OCCURS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED DOWN THE INTERSTATE OR IN A LANE OF TRAFFIC WHERE I COULDN'T EASILY PULL OVER AFTER LOSING THROTTLE RESPONSE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE, BUT AGREES THAT ERROR CODES WERE DISPLAYED WHEN I BROUGHT THE BIKE IN FOR SERVICE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. I AM HESITANT TO RIDE MY MOTORCYCLE IN TRAFFIC FOR FEAR THAT I WILL BE REAR ENDED IF THE BIKE ENTERS LIMP MODE AT SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING. IT APPEARS THIS ISSUE IS SOMEWHAT PREVALENT ON LATE MODEL DRIVE BY WIRE HARLEYS. REFERENCE MESSAGE BOARD LINK: HTTP://WWW.HARLEY-DAVIDSONFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/TOURING-GENERAL-DISCUSSIONS/10308-09-TOURING-BIKE-POSSIBLE-WIRING-HARNESS-ISSUE-3.HTML IT IS TROUBLESOME THAT THE DEALER WASN'T SURPRISED THAT THIS ISSUE AROSE. *JS

NHTSA ID

10455386

Incident

Apr 2, 2012

Mileage

4,100 mi

I RECENTLY BOUGHT THIS BIKE USED, I BOUGHT IT FROM A NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE COMPANY WHO DEALS IN RENTAL BIKES. I WAS UNAWARE THIS BIKE YEAR (2009) HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE THROTTLE BY WIRE SYSTEM, AS OF TODAY'S DATE I'VE HAVE HAD THREE INSTANCES WHERE THE BIKE HAS WENT INTO BREAK DOWN MODE BECAUSE OF THIS FAULTY SYSTEM. THE PRIOR TWO INCIDENTS WERE DIAGNOSED AND APPARENTLY FIXED BY MY LOCAL BIKE SHOP, BUT THE SAME PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURRING. DURING THE FIRST INCIDENT, MYSELF AND PASSENGER WERE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 95 IN SOUTH FLORIDA AT NIGHT, THE BIKE WENT INTO BREAK DOWN MODE AS I WAS SWITCHING GEARS AND I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BY TRAFFIC TRYING TO MAKE IT SAFELY TO THE SHOULDER WHERE I HAD TO BE TOWED HOME. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE IN AN AREA THAT WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND HAD NO BREAKDOWN LANE/ SHOULDER, ONCE AGAIN, I NARROWLY ESCAPED BEING RUN OVER WHEN MY BIKE WENT INTO BREAKDOWN MODE AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE SHOP. THE THIRD INCIDENT; WHICH HAPPENED LAST WEEK OCCURRED AS I WAS COMING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY ONTO A1A IN POMPANO BEACH, FL. I ENTERED THE ROADWAY AND BEGAN TO GEAR-UP WHEN THE BIKE WENT INTO BREAKDOWN MODE.THE DRIVER BEHIND ME, APPEARED TO BE IN A HURRY TO MAKE THE BRIDGE BEFORE IT OPENED FOR BOAT TRAFFIC FAILED TO NOTICE MY SPEED AND FORCED ME OFF THE ROAD BEFORE I COULD MAKE IT OVER SAFELY, GOOD THING THERE WAS A LAWN WITH LOTS OF SPACE FOR MY FORCED EXIT. HARLEY, PLEASE ENGINEER A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM A.S.A.P AND ISSUE A RECALL !!!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10432529

Incident

May 11, 2011

Mileage

36,750 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING CLASSIC. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MELTED DUE TO THE LIGHT BEING BUILT NEXT TO THE ENGINE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE FAILURE ALSO CAUSED THE REAR BRAKES TO STOP WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,200.

NHTSA ID

10424304

Incident

Sep 4, 2011

Mileage

5,200 mi