Photo: Thunderbike
There is a saying somewhere in Europe that states only the ones who don't work hard are spared from making mistakes. And if we are to judge things by this saying, and what you are about to read in the lines below, Harley-Davidson is a pretty hard worker.
Recalls in the motorcycle industry are not that common (at least, not as common as when it comes to cars, trucks, and SUVs), but this week seems to have been a bad one for the companies playing this game, as three of them, BMW, Royal Enfield, and now Harley-Davidson, are at the center of such actions.
In Harley's case the problem doesn't seem all that serious, but it still prompted one of the biggest recalls the Milwaukee company has conducted in recent times – no less than 12,929 motorcycles are on a list of a problem that needs to be fixed.
I said Harley's problem doesn’t seem that serious, and that's probably why the bike maker didn't notice it for years. That's because all the motorcycles affected have been produced five to six years ago, in 2018 and 2019.
So, what problem are we talking about? Nothing more than an incorrect tire pressure information label slapped to Street Bobs (FXBB) and Low Riders (FXLR) produced in the aforementioned years. It's something that could easily be overlooked, true, but if riders abide by the incorrect information, the load on the front tire could be too much, and that increases the risk of a crash.
Specifically, the "front tire inflation pressure on the VIN label may be less than the stated front gross axle weight rating (GAWRs)," says Harley-Davidson without going into specifics. Regardless of the exact details, the fact that this is so also means the motorcycles fail to comply with a specific Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard requirement, namely the one relating to “Wheels and Rims – Other than Passenger Cars."
As you can imagine, the fix is pretty simple, it doesn't even involve a trip to the dealer, and it will be performed, as usual in such cases, free of charge for the owners affected. The bike maker will begin mailing labels with installation instructions and owner's manual inserts to the people on its list, something that will begin happening starting in mid-November.
Although technically not a recall, as it doesn't require motorcycles to actually make the trip to a dealer for fixes, the move is labeled as such by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety (NHTSA), and wears number 24V719000.
If you believe you may be affected by this issue and wish to know more, you can contact Harley at 414-343-4056 (internal recall number 0628), or the NHTSA itself at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).
In Harley's case the problem doesn't seem all that serious, but it still prompted one of the biggest recalls the Milwaukee company has conducted in recent times – no less than 12,929 motorcycles are on a list of a problem that needs to be fixed.
I said Harley's problem doesn’t seem that serious, and that's probably why the bike maker didn't notice it for years. That's because all the motorcycles affected have been produced five to six years ago, in 2018 and 2019.
So, what problem are we talking about? Nothing more than an incorrect tire pressure information label slapped to Street Bobs (FXBB) and Low Riders (FXLR) produced in the aforementioned years. It's something that could easily be overlooked, true, but if riders abide by the incorrect information, the load on the front tire could be too much, and that increases the risk of a crash.
Specifically, the "front tire inflation pressure on the VIN label may be less than the stated front gross axle weight rating (GAWRs)," says Harley-Davidson without going into specifics. Regardless of the exact details, the fact that this is so also means the motorcycles fail to comply with a specific Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard requirement, namely the one relating to “Wheels and Rims – Other than Passenger Cars."
As you can imagine, the fix is pretty simple, it doesn't even involve a trip to the dealer, and it will be performed, as usual in such cases, free of charge for the owners affected. The bike maker will begin mailing labels with installation instructions and owner's manual inserts to the people on its list, something that will begin happening starting in mid-November.
Although technically not a recall, as it doesn't require motorcycles to actually make the trip to a dealer for fixes, the move is labeled as such by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety (NHTSA), and wears number 24V719000.
If you believe you may be affected by this issue and wish to know more, you can contact Harley at 414-343-4056 (internal recall number 0628), or the NHTSA itself at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).
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