GODSPEED and RIP Hammer

 

I really hope you're trying to be funny!

 

I have a 2008 Sportster 1200, and the throttle has stuck on me three times, always in first gear. Mentioned it to service people at the dealer where I bought it while in for the 10000 mile oil change. Said it was only on 2008 touring bikes and that the Sportsters have cables, I don't care how many cables it has, know when something is not running right, scared the daylights out of me. I am going to send a letter to the Harley Davidson Co. and let them know, and hope anyone else with a Sportster would do so also, then maybe they will take it seriously. As a friend said, they aren't going to admit to any problems until there are alot of complaints or a recall. Riding and keeping my fingers crossed.

 

My condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends.

Since I was not there I can not speculate on what happened. I have worked with these types of sysytems on aircraft and there are pretty reliable. But, things do happen.

 

Remember it is a money numbers game. Some bean counter can decide it is cheaper to pay a few lawsuits than re-engineer a whole system. You know this kind of accounting has happened before, why do you think any large corp. that is governed by their quarterly sales numbers would be any different? I bought my 08 FLHX in July and have had both exceleration and high idle problems. I called the dealer and the told me about the 4 off and on trick which seemed to work, but it happened again so I took it in. They told me that there was a new code upgrade that they would do. After I picked it up and have ridden about 2 weeks , it happened again last evening. The PROBLEM is REAL and the latest firmware didn't seem to fix it. I am very nervous, but there is nothing I can do except stop riding the bike while I continue making payments. I had only a few payments left on my Fatboy and it would have been free and clear. I should have kept it and not traded it in.

 

Very sad, sorry to hear. May the family find peace in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Tragic whenever this happens.

 

Ripper, what ever happened to the wife......Did she ever say what really happened?

 

Fairfax County police officers have complained of the same thing. They have a pretty big riding force here in NOVA. I'm sorry for your loss. RIP HAMMER, hope there are bikes in heaven, or that the wings are really fast.

 

Harley has had an ongoing problem with their computers for long time. How many here, when shutting down the throttle and coasting, all of a sudden have a surge that lasts for a second or so? Until I did the stage 1, it happened all the time on my '06.

I had pretty much forgot about it, until I test drove an '08 Street Glide, and it happened again as I was rounding a cloverleaf exit and slowing to a stop. The surge almost took me off the road.

That said, I've also had clutch cables on previous non-Harley bikes break at the most in-oppportune times. I've appreciated the heavy cable of the Harleys, but now read that the new '09's have a lighter clutch cable than previous years.

 

Sorry to hear this...RIP