2002 Harley-Davidson XL883 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2002 Harley-Davidson XL883, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine150.0%
- Fuel system150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON 883 C BOUGHT THE BIKE BRAND NEW AUG 08, 2002 (1ST HARLEY) AND IMMEDIATLEY NOTICED AFTER RIDDING HOME UPON DELIVERY THAT THE BIKE WOULD STALL 3 OUT OF 4 TIMES WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. CALLED THE SELLING AGENT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD ALL SPORSTER HAD THIS PROBLEM DUE TO HAVING TO MEET EPA STANDARDS THE BIKE CARB WAS SET AT A VERY LEAN CONDITION CAUSING THE BIKE TO STALL UNDER ACCELERATION. THE SELLING AGENT THEN AT THAT POINT SAID IT COULD BE FIXED FOR AN ADDITIONAL FEE OF ANYWHERE BETWEEN $250.00 - $300.00 ALSO COMMONLY KNOWS AS THE "HARLEY TAX" ON MANY HARLEY CHAT SITES ON THE WEB. THE "HARLEY TAX" IS PAYING THE DEALER AND ADDITIONAL FEE TO GET THE BIKE TO RUN RIGHT LIKE IT SHOULD FROM THE FACTORY IN THE 1ST PLACE. I CONTACTED THE MOTOR COMPANY IN MILWAULKEE AND SENT A LETTER IN HOW UN HAPPY I WAS SINCE I HAD SAVED FOR THIS BIKE MANY YEARS AND NOW HAD THIS PROBLEM. I EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX IT DUE TO EPA STANDARDS. I WAS THEN TOLD TO TAKE THE BIKE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. TOOK THE BIKE BACK THEY DID SOME WORK ON THE CARB BUT STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM, NOT AS BAD BUT IT IS STILL THERE, COUGHING, STALLING ETC. I TOLD THE MOTOR COMPANY IN MILWAULKEE THAT IF I GOT HIT BY A CAR BECAUSE OF THIS I WOULD TAKE LEGAL ACTION. AFTER READING THE WEB SITE "HARLEY TECH TALK" OR "SPORSTER HOME PAGE.ORG" I FOUND THAT THERE IS A WIDE PROBLEM WITH THE SPORSTER 883 / 1200 AND THE STALLING CONDITION. I WOULD LIKE THE PROBLEM REMEDIED BY THE MOTOR COMPANY WITHOUT COST TO ME OR FOR THE MOTOR COMPANY TO TAKE THE BIKE BACK AND SUPPLY ME WITH A DIFFERENT MODEL THAT DOES NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS AS A RESULT OF THE CARBURETOR BUT THEY CAN'T FIX IT BECAUSE OF EPA REGULATIONS/STANDARDS. *TS *TT *NLM.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .