RoadVitals

NHTSA safety recall

Recall 81V144000: POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR CO. · Reported to NHTSA Dec 1, 1981

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
Units potentially affectedThe manufacturer's own estimate of how many vehicles or items of equipment may contain the defect. It is not a count of failures, and not every unit in the range is necessarily affected.
3,585
Model years coveredModel years in our database that NHTSA matched to this campaign. Whether an individual vehicle is covered still depends on its VIN.
1
Models covered
1
Grouped from the model years above
Reported to NHTSA
Dec 1, 1981
Production Jul 1, 1981 – Nov 1, 1981

What this recall covers

NHTSA's campaign record, quoted as published

The defect

TRANSMISSION MAY FAIL TO PERFORM PROPERLY DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION. THIS COULD LEAD TO TRANSMISSION LOCK-UP DURING OPERATION WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

The remedy

A NEW SPECIAL LUBRICANT WILL BE ADDED TO THE TRANSMISSION. ANY DAMAGED 4-SPEED TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.

Notes

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES.SYSTEM: POWER TRAIN; 4-SPEED TRANSMISSION.CONSEQUENCES OF DEFECT: TRANSMISSION LOCK-UP MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND, POSSIBLY, AN ACCIDENT.NOTE: MANUFACTURER ADVICES THAT THE MOTORCYCLES SHOULD NOT BE OPERATED PRIOR TOCORRECTION OF THE DEFECT.

A 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.

Campaign details

Identifiers and dates as filed with NHTSA

Manufacturer
HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR CO.
Manufacturer's campaign number
Not recorded
NHTSA campaign number
81V144000
Units potentially affected
3,585
Report received
Dec 1, 1981
Production range
Jul 1, 1981 – Nov 1, 1981
Campaign type
Vehicle
Federal safety standard (FMVSS)
Not recorded

Vehicles covered

1 model year across 1 model

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.