U.S. public vehicle records

2021 Harley-Davidson RH1250S: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

3 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

11,941 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2021 model year. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 3 complaints (66.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	1	33.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine

Structure:Frame And Members

Structure:Motorcycle:Fairing/Cowling/Windscreen:Mounting Fasteners/Hardware

Engine: 2; Structure:Frame And Members: 1; Structure:Motorcycle:Fairing/Cowling/Windscreen:Mounting Fasteners/Hardware: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 2 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2025

2026

2025: 2; 2026: 1

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11662144 · 2025-05-20 (May 20, 2025)

The contact owns a 2021 Harley-Davidson RH1250S. The contact stated that the motorcycle was ridden 17-miles to work. The contact stated that after completing the workday and riding back to the residence, there was an abnormal whizzing sound coming from the motorcycle while riding on the Interstate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the bolts on the frame tube were damaged. The contact stated that another motorist motioned for him to stop. The contact pulled over and noticed that the hold assembly had detached fro…

Owner-reported narrative. 11,941 miles reported. Look up ODI 11662144 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11707329 · 2025-12-28 (December 28, 2025)

There is a known issue with he engines in these motorcycles where the bolt for the timing chain tensioner comes loose and causes excessive wear in the timing chain guid with causes the timing chain tensioner to come apart inside of the engine which will cause the engine to have to be replaced due to loose metal fragments in the engine. I went to my local dealer yesterday 12/27/2025 to talk to them about my issues and one of the mechanics pulled me back too look at a bike with the same issue and the engines was completely disassembled so they ca…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11707329 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11734248 · 2026-04-28 (April 28, 2026)

While riding the motorcycle, engine suddenly began making a loud clacking noise. Brought motorcycle in to Harley Davidson dealer and it was diagnosed that they cam chain tensior had become loose and was destroyed inside the engine causing small bits of metal to clog oil ports and damage the engine. The remedy was an engine replacement. Through deliberate research this appears to be an issue with the 2021-2023 model year Sportster S Harley-Davidson motorcycles and should be recalled to remedy the issue before engine failure due to manufacturin…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11734248 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

22V030000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel

Reported: 2022-01-25 (January 25, 2022)

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."

Consequence: Operating a motorcycle without a visible speedometer or neutral indicator may increase the risk of a crash.

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.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

25V590000 · Steering:Linkages

Reported: 2025-09-10 (September 10, 2025)

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain RH1250S (Sportster S) motorcycles. The upper triple clamp may fracture.

Consequence: An upper triple clamp that fractures while the motorcycle is being operated could lead to a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the upper triple clamp, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 1, 2025. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0190.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

26V075000 · Steering:Linkages

Reported: 2026-02-09 (February 9, 2026)

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley) is recalling certain 2021-2026 RH1250S (Sportster S) motorcycles. The upper triple clamp may fracture.

Consequence: An upper triple clamp that fractures can lead to a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the upper triple clamp, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 19, 2026. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0191. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V590. Motorcycles that were repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy performed.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

3 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

33.3%Usable mileage1 / 3 records

100.0%Valid incident date3 / 3 records

100.0%Valid filing date3 / 3 records

100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates3 / 3 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
Engine	266.7% ODI 11707329 There is a known issue with he engines in these motorcycles where the bolt for the timing chain tensioner comes loose and causes excessive wear in the timing chain guid with causes the timing chain tensioner to come apart inside of the engine which will cause the engine to have to be replaced due to loose metal fragments in the engine. I went to my local dealer yesterday 12/27/2025 to talk to them about my issues and one of the mechanics pulled me back too look at a bike with the same issue and the engines was completely disassembled so they ca… Look up ODI 11707329 at NHTSA ↗	360.0% ODI 11676313 After owning my motorcycle for less than a year and only having 4211 miles on it, and taking it to the Harley dealership they determined that the 4th gear exploded and sent shrapnel throughout the engine and oil pump. The bike is outside manufacturer warranty and Harley(the company) won’t admit that this was a defect on their end, although the dealership repair tech did say that he thought it could have been due to a defective part. Look up ODI 11676313 at NHTSA ↗	233.3% ODI 11631599 · 13,350 mi The contact owns a 2023 Harley-Davidson Sportster RH1250S. The contact stated that while while driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle lost power and he observed a loud popping noise emanating from the exhaust pipe. On another occasion while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power and the contact observed flames emanating from the plastic edge of the right front of the seat. The vehicle was steered off the highway and the flames were distinguished by the contact. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and they could not replicate the failure. The manufactu… Look up ODI 11631599 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Steering	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	240.0% ODI 11522783 The steering stop ( right one ) located at the Lower Triple Clamp broke off, No drops or any harsh movements where involved, motorcycle has few hundred miles in it.. There is no stop on how much one can turn the steering towards the left now.. It recently passed VA Inspection. No warning or signs that this issue was going to happened. I see many people have the same issue with the same model of motorcycle. Look up ODI 11522783 at NHTSA ↗	350.0% ODI 11708741 The contact owns a 2023 Harley Davidson RH1250S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V590000 (STEERING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact notified the manufacturer of the issue, and the manufacturer responded by referring the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The contact had not ex… Look up ODI 11708741 at NHTSA ↗	1100.0% ODI 11717335 The contact owns a 2024 Harley-Davidson RH1250-S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V590000 (STEERING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Look up ODI 11717335 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Crank/Camshaft Position Sensor	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 11729895 · 200 mi The contact owns a 2022 Harley-Davidson RH1250 S. The contact stated that while riding at an undisclosed speed, the motorcycle lost automotive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The motorcycle was towed to the dealer, and it was determined that the camshaft sensor had caused damages to the engine, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the motorcycle was no longer covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approxima… Look up ODI 11729895 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Equipment	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 11758350 Aftermarket motorcycle seat manufactured by Corbin Pacific falls off motorcycle while riding or dismounting. This is specific to the Harley-Davidson Pan America but unrelated to Harley-Davidson in terms of manufacture. I am not in possession of the seat as it was returned to Corbin Pacific. They replaced the seat but the replacement exhibited the exact same behavior. In short, the seat can fall off or dislodge from the motorcycle while riding in a standing position (which is common on gravel or dirt roads) or when dismounting the motorcycle. Th… Look up ODI 11758350 at NHTSA ↗
Fuel/Propulsion System	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	116.7% ODI 11687612 Fuel filters clog due to reaction of alcohol in fuel and bare fuel tank. 2024 models are having the fuel tanks coated to prevent the problem. Folders bikes stall creating a safety hazard. This issue should be a recall. Look up ODI 11687612 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Power Train	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 11676313 After owning my motorcycle for less than a year and only having 4211 miles on it, and taking it to the Harley dealership they determined that the 4th gear exploded and sent shrapnel throughout the engine and oil pump. The bike is outside manufacturer warranty and Harley(the company) won’t admit that this was a defect on their end, although the dealership repair tech did say that he thought it could have been due to a defective part. Look up ODI 11676313 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Structure:Frame And Members	133.3% ODI 11662144 · 11,941 mi The contact owns a 2021 Harley-Davidson RH1250S. The contact stated that the motorcycle was ridden 17-miles to work. The contact stated that after completing the workday and riding back to the residence, there was an abnormal whizzing sound coming from the motorcycle while riding on the Interstate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the bolts on the frame tube were damaged. The contact stated that another motorist motioned for him to stop. The contact pulled over and noticed that the hold assembly had detached fro… Look up ODI 11662144 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Structure:Motorcycle:Fairing/Cowling/Windscreen:Mounting Fasteners/Hardware	133.3% ODI 11662144 · 11,941 mi The contact owns a 2021 Harley-Davidson RH1250S. The contact stated that the motorcycle was ridden 17-miles to work. The contact stated that after completing the workday and riding back to the residence, there was an abnormal whizzing sound coming from the motorcycle while riding on the Interstate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the bolts on the frame tube were damaged. The contact stated that another motorist motioned for him to stop. The contact pulled over and noticed that the hold assembly had detached fro… Look up ODI 11662144 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
Component	Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)	Median	Usable records	Examples
Structure:Frame And Members	Too few reports for a range	11,941 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 11662144 · 11,941 mi The contact owns a 2021 Harley-Davidson RH1250S. The contact stated that the motorcycle was ridden 17-miles to work. The contact stated that after completing the workday and riding back to the residence, there was an abnormal whizzing sound coming from the motorcycle while riding on the Interstate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the bolts on the frame tube were damaged. The contact stated that another motorist motioned for him to stop. The contact pulled over and noticed that the hold assembly had detached fro… Look up ODI 11662144 at NHTSA ↗
Structure:Motorcycle:Fairing/Cowling/Windscreen:Mounting Fasteners/Hardware	Too few reports for a range	11,941 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 11662144 · 11,941 mi The contact owns a 2021 Harley-Davidson RH1250S. The contact stated that the motorcycle was ridden 17-miles to work. The contact stated that after completing the workday and riding back to the residence, there was an abnormal whizzing sound coming from the motorcycle while riding on the Interstate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the bolts on the frame tube were damaged. The contact stated that another motorist motioned for him to stop. The contact pulled over and noticed that the hold assembly had detached fro… Look up ODI 11662144 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples

Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month	Complaints	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-11	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	1	None	ODI 11662144 · 11,941 mi The contact owns a 2021 Harley-Davidson RH1250S. The contact stated that the motorcycle was ridden 17-miles to work. The contact stated that after completing the workday and riding back to the residence, there was an abnormal whizzing sound coming from the motorcycle while riding on the Interstate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the bolts on the frame tube were damaged. The contact stated that another motorist motioned for him to stop. The contact pulled over and noticed that the hold assembly had detached fro… Look up ODI 11662144 at NHTSA ↗
2025-06	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	0	25V590000	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	1	None	ODI 11707329 There is a known issue with he engines in these motorcycles where the bolt for the timing chain tensioner comes loose and causes excessive wear in the timing chain guid with causes the timing chain tensioner to come apart inside of the engine which will cause the engine to have to be replaced due to loose metal fragments in the engine. I went to my local dealer yesterday 12/27/2025 to talk to them about my issues and one of the mechanics pulled me back too look at a bike with the same issue and the engines was completely disassembled so they ca… Look up ODI 11707329 at NHTSA ↗
2026-01	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	0	26V075000	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	1	None	ODI 11734248 While riding the motorcycle, engine suddenly began making a loud clacking noise. Brought motorcycle in to Harley Davidson dealer and it was diagnosed that they cam chain tensior had become loose and was destroyed inside the engine causing small bits of metal to clog oil ports and damage the engine. The remedy was an engine replacement. Through deliberate research this appears to be an issue with the 2021-2023 model year Sportster S Harley-Davidson motorcycles and should be recalled to remedy the issue before engine failure due to manufacturin… Look up ODI 11734248 at NHTSA ↗
2026-05	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)	0	None	No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

2022: 1 complaints · 2023: 2 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
2022	0	1	1
2023	1	1	2

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
2022	5	0	0
2023	6	0	0

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
Component	Engine	Structure:Frame And Members	Structure:Motorcycle:Fairing/Cowling/Windscreen:Mounting Fasteners/Hardware
Engine	—	0	0
Structure:Frame And Members	0	—	1 ODI 11662144 · 11,941 mi The contact owns a 2021 Harley-Davidson RH1250S. The contact stated that the motorcycle was ridden 17-miles to work. The contact stated that after completing the workday and riding back to the residence, there was an abnormal whizzing sound coming from the motorcycle while riding on the Interstate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the bolts on the frame tube were damaged. The contact stated that another motorist motioned for him to stop. The contact pulled over and noticed that the hold assembly had detached fro… Look up ODI 11662144 at NHTSA ↗
Structure:Motorcycle:Fairing/Cowling/Windscreen:Mounting Fasteners/Hardware	0	1 ODI 11662144 · 11,941 mi The contact owns a 2021 Harley-Davidson RH1250S. The contact stated that the motorcycle was ridden 17-miles to work. The contact stated that after completing the workday and riding back to the residence, there was an abnormal whizzing sound coming from the motorcycle while riding on the Interstate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the bolts on the frame tube were damaged. The contact stated that another motorist motioned for him to stop. The contact pulled over and noticed that the hold assembly had detached fro… Look up ODI 11662144 at NHTSA ↗	—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

Search patterns

1 patterns with matching reports.

Warning lights and dashboard alerts

1 mentions · 33.3% of complaints

Median mileage: 11,941 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 11662144 · 11,941 mi

Look up ODI 11662144 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(warning light\w*|check engine|dashboard warning\w*|malfunction indicator)\b

Complaints over time data
Category	Count
2025	2
2026	1