RoadVitals

2021 Harley-Davidson RA1250

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest May 30, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Jan 25, 2022
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Harley-Davidson RA1250, most frequently naming the electrical, engine and fuel system categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 77 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical635.3%
  • Engine529.4%
  • Fuel system423.5%
  • Driver assistance211.8%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
22V030000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Jan 25, 2022
3,917 units potentially affected
The defect: Harley Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2021 Pan America 1250S (RA1250S), Pan America 1250 (RA1250), and Sportster S (RH1250S) motorcycles. The instrument cluster module may not display the speedometer and neutral indicator at start-up when the module is below freezing temperatures. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 123, "Motorcycle Controls and Displays."
The risk: Operating a motorcycle without a visible speedometer or neutral indicator may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will update the instrument cluster module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 8, 2022. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0631.
Harley-Davidson Motor CompanyManufacturer number 0631View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 9
Fuel system
Filed May 30, 2025

Harley Davidson did not coat the inside of the Fuel Tanks on the Panamerica from the 1st model year in 2021 until the mid-2024 model year. Because of these uncoated fuel tanks, people are experiencing a high rate of fuel pump failures at low mileage (5-10K) due to the interaction of the ethanol in today's fuels, and the uncoated aluminum motorcycle gas tanks. Harley Davidson essentially acknowledged the mistake by starting to coat the inside of the fuel tanks from the mid-2024 model and on. A new Fuel Pump from Harley is $400 here in CA, and that does not include installation, which requires the removal of the entire fuel tank. In the end, the fuel pump issues which is a direct result of Harley's lack of coating the inside of their tanks is nearly a $1000 repair for a motorcycle that cost $20,000 new. The government needs to make Harley Davidson fix this for all the people who purchased these motorcycles between 2021 and 2024.

NHTSA ID
11663846
Incident
May 29, 2025
Fuel system
Filed May 29, 2025

Fuel pump and filtration System filter getting plugged and creating a fuel starvation, not allowing for more than 50% power. Created an issue of merging and accelerating into traffic and the need to maneuver and speed up to avoid dangerous situations or diminished or our are actually gone as the bike will totally cut out and stop running. That occurrence of the vehicle cutting out has occurred several dozen times The belief is in the community for Panama Harley Davidson motorcycles. There’s a nonreplaceable fuel filter that is getting plugged up due to a fuel tank made out of aluminum that has not been sealed and is reacting to ethanol fuel, causing contaminants..

NHTSA ID
11663738
Incident
Apr 7, 2025
Electrical
Filed Oct 20, 2024

The motorcycle has no power when passing a vehicle do to a bad stator and charging system. The motorcycle is currently at the dealer Loss of power when passing a vehicle Yes this issue has been confirmed by the dealer No warning lights or messages. There are no replacement parts for this issue other then upgrading the charging system to the 24 model

NHTSA ID
11620916
Incident
Oct 4, 2024
Driver assistanceElectricalFuel system
Filed Jan 31, 2024

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the electronics of the motorcycle malfunction with many (more than 10) DTCs. Yes its available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I am at risk when the this happens because the motorcycles throttle no longer responds to inputs. The engine will continue to run bu the throttle does not work. Very dangerous to have a motorcycle in traffic that stops working. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? yes Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? yes. This problem has been continuous for 2.5 years (since the motorcycle was brand new).

NHTSA ID
11568995
Incident
Jan 3, 2024
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed May 25, 2023

The fuel pump on my HD motorcycle had been making lots of noise. I had it in the shop for this reason before.. The bike was supposed to be fixed.. I went for a ride with my son and when I pulled out on the highway getting up to highway speed the bike quit without warning.. This was on a two-lane Highway and the cars behind me Layed on their horns.. everyone was was upset with me.. I didn't have much room to pull off the road and there was oncoming traffic in the other lane, I could have been ran over..

NHTSA ID
11523869
Incident
Apr 10, 2023
Engine
Filed Sep 18, 2022

The radiator hose on the right side is not tightly clamped to the radiator hose mount. Vibration causes it to slip backward and contact the exhaust header which burns the radiator hose and causing catastrophic loss of coolant which can lead to engine seizure. Engine seizure while riding puts the rider, any passengers, and other motorists at risk.

NHTSA ID
11485082
Incident
Sep 17, 2022
ElectricalEngine
Filed Jul 24, 2022

2021 Harley Pan America engine electrical/ engine issue the bike will lock itself at 4k rpm when applying throttle nothing will happen. The bike is stuck at 4k rpm and will force you to crawl and not let you speed up. Causing you to be in danger of vehicles and not being able to escape any situation. It will flash a check engine light and show that traction control, and general warning lights are active. The exhaust pipes will glow yellow in this limo mode and you can smell something burning. This bike will also have a fault in which the bike with adaptive ride height will lock at the highest height it can reach and will refuse to lower since there is a fault in the system. Dealer is unable to fix system.

NHTSA ID
11475538
Incident
Jul 23, 2022
Driver assistanceElectricalEngine
Filed Jul 24, 2022

While riding this motorcycle, I stopped for gas and then went to restart the motorcycle and the starter just "screeched" rather that starting the engine. On second attempt, the bike started however the normal idle RPMs of around 1200 went up to 4000 and would not drop back to normal RPM. (I have had this bike take as many as 4 start attempts, twice while stuck in busy intersections and previously reported to NHTSA the failure to start at busy intersections as a safety concern, This complaint is for a second/different safety concern.) Following the restart on the second attempt, and the RPMs around 4000, warning lights and the check engine light would not go out, which has been a common occurrence with this model motorcycle. The motorcycle then went into "limp Mode" whereas it would not exceed 20-30 MPH (slower on hills) on the ride home and to the dealer for another repair attempt. The safety risk is that while riding the motorcycle home at 20-30 MPH, other traffic is swerving around and passing at 40-50-60 MPH, creating a hazard for the rider. In addition, the 4000 RPM idle makes control of the motorcycle more difficult when stopping and starting.

NHTSA ID
11475524
Incident
Jul 19, 2022

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE; POWER TRAIN; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL; WHEELS

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.8.3): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version Version 26.8.3, Release Date: Week of July 24, 2026. NOTE: Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions. New Features - Harley-Davidson: 2023-2024 Touring: Updated Electronic Control Module (ECM) calibration offerings. LiveWire: S2DM/MH/AP: Calibration bundle 10.2.28: Telematic Control Unit (TCU) reflash updates. Change: Vehicle Setup: Body Control Module (BCM) – Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Replacement: Correct issue where tire size selections were not available. System Info – Auxiliary Load Controller (ALC): Added Bike configuration field. Data Items – Trike ECM: Improved display of Gear Position when in reverse. Amp – Added support for (Part No. 76001619).

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE; EXTERIOR LIGHTING; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.7.3): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 26.7.3. Release Date:• Week of June 11, 2026. NOTE Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions.

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM; POWER TRAIN; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.6.2): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 26.6.2. Release Date: Week of April 22, 2026. NOTE: Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions. New Features: 2026 Police • Vehicle Setup: Civilianize; LiveWire • S2: Del Mar (S2DM), Mulholland (S2MH), Alpinista (S2AP) - Calibration bundle 10.2.20: Vehicle Supervisory Controller (VSC) and Onboard Charger (OBC) reflash updates. Changes: 2026 Trike • Update “Reverse Lockout Reason” resize column.

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.5.2): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 26.5.2 Release Date: Week of March 30, 2026. NOTE Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions. New Features. 2024: Pan America (RA1250), Pan America Special (RA1250S), CVO Pan America (RA1250SE) • Updated Body Control Module (BCM) reflash calibration. 2024-2026: CVO Road Glide ST (FLTRXSTSE) • Updated Electronic Control Module (ECM) reflash calibration. 2026: CVO Street Glide ST (FLHXSTSE) • Updated ECM reflash calibration. Changes. 2026 Trike • Update “Reverse Lockout Reason” to support new values, • “Vehicle setup: Gear Indicator Calibration” – improve operation. 2025-2026 Softail • Update reflash for Softail Speedometer (SPDO) – enable operation of auxiliary lamp telltale. LiveWire S2 • Provide reflash support for Vehicle Supervisory Controller (VSC) hardware (Part No. 41001756RE).

M1720

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM; POWER TRAIN; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BULLETIN M1720 (REV A): PAN AMERICA ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) UPDATE. PURPOSE: Initial release 3/3/2026. Revision A. 3/30/2026. Updated: Purpose for Service Bulletin and Required Dealer Action. Adjust information for 2024 models. Purpose for Service Bulletin. This bulletin informs dealers that there is an Electronic Control Module (ECM) update available for 2021-2025 RA1250, RA1250S, RA1250ST and RA1250SE on Digital Technician II (DT II). The update improves engine function by addressing engine operation after a cold start by improving idle stability and improved Quickshifter function. For 2021-2024 models the Body Control Module (BCM) and ECM update must both be completed. If only the ECM is updated, a nuisance Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) U040000 will populate and not be able to be cleared. Because of this, the BCM update should be done first and then the ECM.

M1679

ENGINE

SERVICE BULLETIN M1679: AFTERMARKET EXHAUST HEADER DEBRIS. PURPOSE: Initial release. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has identified instances of premature engine failure due to abrasive particle wear, specifically from debris inside new aftermarket exhaust headers. Recent evaluations have identified that certain newly manufactured exhaust headers may contain residual hard particles that, if not removed prior to installation, can migrate through the engine system and cause accelerated component wear or severe mechanical damage.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Harley-Davidson RA1250 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2024000—
2023200—
2022110027.5
2021Viewing910—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.