2003 Harley-Davidson ROAD KING problems and owner complaints

CONSUMER'S 2000 MOTORCYCLE HAS A TICKING NOISE, AND WON'T START. ON HIGHWAY ENGINE LOCKED UP. *AK WHILE ON HIGHWAY ENGINE STARTED MAKING A NOISE , ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE STOPPED AND THE BACK WHEEL SKIDDED, CONSUMER IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CLUTCH WHICH FREED THE BACK WHEEL FROM SKIDDING AND PULLED INTO THE BREAK DOWN LANE, CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER ABOUT DEFECRIVE CAM BEARING, BUT THEY WOULD NOT FIX UNTIL THEY FAILED.*JB *JB

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CAM BEARINGS FAILED IN A 1999 ROADKING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 5YR/50,000MILES BUT ONLY IF THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY. I HAVE 27,000 MILES CURRENTLY WITH A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS PROBLEM IS A MILEAGE OCCURRENCE NOT A TIME FACTOR SITUATION. THE MOTOR COMPANY HAS REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT STATING IT WAS PAST THE YEARS OF SERVICE. HOW MANY ENGINES HAVE TO FAIL OR WRECKS HAVE TO OCCUR BEFORE THERE IS A TOTAL RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE COMPANY IS TREATING IT SOLELY ON A MONEY FACTOR. *NM

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IGNITION LOCK BROKE, LEFT SADDLEBAG WOULD NOT LOCK DUE TO THE LOCK BEING JAMMED AND THE LID WOULD NOT SEAL, THE RIGHT SADDLEBAG STRIKE PLATE CAME OFF, THE REAR ROCKER COVER WAS PITTED, DEALER REPLACED, WHILE DRIVING THE DIGITAL OIL DIPSTICK BLEW OUT, DEALER REPLACED. *SLC

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BRAKE LIGHTS STICK ON OR FLICKER WHEN GOING DOWN HIGHWAY. ALSO, MASTER CYLINDER WAS WEAK . CONSUMER ORDERED KIT. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEALER STATED NOTHING THEY COULD DO.*AK

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WHEN VEHICLE GOES ON ALONG SUSTAINED RUN, 200-300 MILES AND COME OFF FREEWAY IT WILL STALL EVERY TIME COMING TO A STOP. VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY TWO DEALES. FUEL FILTER WAS CHANGED, INJECTION PORTS CLEANED, BUT PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED. *AK

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THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FRONT ROTORS AND PADS . HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

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THE REAR CAM BEARING ON MY 1999 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROADKING HAS FAILED. THE MANUFACTURE IS ENTIRELY AWARE OF THE DESIGN DEFECT. I FAIL TO SEE THE LOGIC ON HOW MY VEHICLE MUST DAMAGE OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS BEFORE HARLEY DAVIDSON BACKS UP THEIR OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED ON 8-1-02 THAT I'M NOW HEARING A NOISE NEAR REAR CAM BEARING AREA. I ASKED TO HAVE MY HARLEY REPAIRED "HARLEY DAVIDSON FAILED TO DO SO". I FEEL H-D SHOULD REPLACE THE CAM BEARING PRIOR TO FAILURE. I TRIED TO CONTACT H-D MOTOR COMPANY AND GOT NOWHERE. I GUESS WHE…

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VIBRATION WOULD BE FELT WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, INFORMED CONSUMER THAT REAR BRAKE CALIPERS WERE RUBBING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

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I HAVE REPORTED THIS BEFORE BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM YOU... CAN YOU PLEASE HELP? POOR HANDLING MOTORCYCLE, 2004 HARLEY DAVIDSON, FLHTCI - MOTORCYCLE TENDED TO WANT TO "PULL" TO THE LEFT, ESPECIALLY WHEN DECELERATING - SEVERAL VISITS TO THE DEALER FOR "ALIGNMENTS" OF THE ENGINE/FRAME/DRIVETRAIN - PROBLEM MINIMIZED BUT NOT ELIMINATED. - "HIGH SPEED WOBBLES" OCCURRED REGULARLY AND WITHOUT NOTICE WHICH I HANDLED BECUASE I AM AN EXPERIENCED RIDER AND VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SURVIVE. - REMOVAL OF TIRE TO REPAIR PUNCTURE AND CH…

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BIKE CUTS OUT AND DIES WHILE DRIVING CAUSING POTENTIAL SERIOUS INJURY TO RIDER OR EVEN DEATH: THIS HAS BEEN AND IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH HARLEYS FROM 199 TO 2001 CRUISER MODELS AND NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON AS A RECALL ON ALL BIKE WITH THAT SYSTEM. SEE DISCUSSION BELOW: MINE CUT OUT AND I WAS ALMOST THROWN FROM THE BIKE INTO TRAFFIC AS IT SHUT DOWN AND LOCKED UP THE TIRES CLASSIC, THANKS FOR THE VERY THOUGHTFUL ANALYSIS. I STARTED THIS THREAD TO TRY TO OUT IF THERE IS A LARGE POPULATION OF 1999-2001 MM EFI OWNERS THAT A…

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MY 2002 ROAD KING FLHRI INTERMITTENTLY LOOSES ALL POWER WHILE IN USE JUST AS DESCRIBED IN 04V-134. THERE IS NO WARNING AND NO APPARENT CAUSE AND THERE MAY BE HUNDREDS OF MILE BETWEEN OCCURRENCES OR MINUTES. I REPORTED THIS DURING MY LAST MAINTENANCE VISIT AND IT HAS OCCURRED TWICE SINCE. THIS MODEL WAS NOT LISTED IN THE RECALL.*AK

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WHILE DRIVING MOTORCYCLE KEEPS BLOWING A 15 AMP FUSE, IT CAUSES LOSS OF RUNNING LIGHTS/ TAIL LIGHT/ HEADLIGHTS, AND PASSING LIGHTS. DEALER NOTIFIED AND WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

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DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING. HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE LAST YEAR . HE LOCATED THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY TOLD HIM THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY PARTS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME, AND DID NOT ANTICIPATE OF GETTING ANY PARTS. IT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR AND HE HAS NEVER BEEN CONTACTING BY THEM, NOTIFYING HIM OF FIXING THE MOTORCYCLE. AT THE TIME HE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE RECALL NOTICE SAID IT WAS A CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE SERVICE CODE WAS 0113. THERE WAS NOT A CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER ON THE NOTICE THAT HE RECEIVED. LATER…

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THE SHIFTER CONTROL ARM AND SHAFT HAS COME OFF MY HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING TWICE WITH ONLY 12,000 MILES. APPARENTLY HARLEY HAS USED A BOLT THAT DOES NOT GO COMPLETELY THRU TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. I HAD TO ASK FOR A LONGER BOLT WHEN I HAD TO PURCHASE THE NEW SHAFT AND SHIFTER ARM. I KNOW ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHILE RIDING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WAS STRANDED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *JB

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SPEEDOMETER FAILURE CAUSES AUTOMATIC TURN SIGNALS NOT TO DISENGAGE AFTER TURNS HAVE BEEN MADE. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, DEALER OFFERED CONSUMER A GOODWILL REPLACEMENT AT A REDUCED PRICE. *AK *TT

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HARLEY DAVIDSON ROADKING 2004 PURCHASED NEW. GEAR SHIFTER WENT "FLACID" AND I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. THIS HAPPENED ONCE IN 2004; TWICE IN 2005; TWICE IN 2006; AND ONCE LAST WEEK IN 2007. EACH TIME THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS TIGHTENED BY THE AMERICAN HARLEY DEALER HERE IN WESTERN NEW YORK; AND ONE TIME IN 2006 HARLEY REPLACED THE GEAR SHIFTER. ON SUCH A NEW BIKE, IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM CONTINUES TO REOCCUR. I COULD BE THROWN OVER THE HANDLEBARS TO MY DEATH IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURS AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THIS BIKE IS ONL…

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WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ON FLAT SURFACE AND WITH NO WARNING OIL IS LEAKING ONTO BRAKES, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SLIP, AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR CONSUMER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED

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WHEN BRAKING THERE WOULD BE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE, WHICH COULD CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

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